La risa ella sola ha cavado más túneles útiles que todas las lágrimas de la tierra. Julio Cortazar, Rayuela
Oh, hello! Welcome to the new, revitalised Voluntario Global blog. My name is Ed and for the next few weeks I will be guiding you like a latter-day Virgil around our various projects in and around Buenos Aires. I arrived in Argentina a week ago and much of this is as new to me as it might be to you, dear reader. My Spanish is a slumbering beast, which has been hibernating in the shadow of a French tree for the last seven months, and I can’t wake him up! I am still getting to grips with the ‘coins on the bus’ fiasco (for some reason the driver won’t accept my pesetas). But it has been a fascinating, enlightening and varied week. Blog number one will be a chronicle of the places I have visited and the people I have met in the last seven days; it will serve, I hope, to show the work of the organisation through the eyes of a beginner like me and to illustrate the warmth and efficiency with which new volunteers are embraced at Voluntario Global as well as the untold good it does in these communities.
On Monday, I met with Valeria Gracia (Head Co-ordinator) and Jesica Franco (Volunteer Programme Manager) in our leafy office in Palermo, where the week ahead was discussed, mate was drunk (“Don’t stir it”) and the history of Voluntario Global was explained (for more information on the latter, check out: http://www.voluntarioglobal.org.ar ). On Tuesday morning I went to La Boca to meet Pedro, a charismatic, articulate local who gives a meticulous tour of the area to those who want to volunteer for the day. Amongst our company were my colleague Jonathan, a family from California, a Dutch girl and a wonderful woman from Trinidad and Tobago who also acted as Pedro’s interpreter. Pedro explains that Voluntario Global helps locals in three particular areas: ‘alimentación’ (food), ‘viviendas’ (housing) and ‘trabajo’ (jobs). }
El Comedor, a cafeteria in one of the poorer parts of La Boca where volunteers are warmly encouraged to help prepare food in the kitchen, not only provides food for families but also acts as a venue for political debate (led by governor Tito Nenna.) It would be arrogant and all-too-easy for me to criticise the government on my second day in Argentina and I don’t know nearly enough to do so fairly, but the consensus in the area is that the government could do a bit more to help: two examples are the government’s failure to publicise the housing rights to which large families are entitled (a 10 storey apartment block is currently being constructed and the locals are entitled to much more, but the government prefers not to make this information more available) and the (government-approved) desire of one big business to expand into La Boca, which would destroy the meagre makeshift local housing in its wake. What I do know, from the various locals I have met and from the political debate. I witnessed on Wednesday morning in particular, is that these locals are intelligent, thoughtful, reasonable, humorous and extremely decent people who deserve better than to have to cram into rooms the size of a small bathroom with three other people just to sleep and to have to go through bins in the local rubbish dump to find something to eat. They are also independent.
When more houses need to be built in the future, rather than use an outside company whose priorities are to use the cheapest materials and to charge as much as possible, it would be far better to use local construction workers who will work more quickly and with better materials because they appreciate the importance of housing in the area, as well as proving that the community can support itself. On Wednesday afternoon, after the aforementioned political discussion, I left with teachers Berta and Armin for Villa 21 in Barracas, a shanty town to which Voluntario Global provides English and Maths teachers. The pupils were great, keen and bright and funny, and it was a genuine joy to spend time with them. Two sisters were telling me how they are in an orchestra, one on the violin and the other on the cello, and how they sit at opposite sides of the room, behind the conductor’s line of vision at opposite ends of the horseshoe as it were, and try to put each other off. Anyone interested in teaching in Argentina would love the classes in Barracas.
On Thursday morning, I was invited to a meeting in the Instituto Nacional de la Administración Pública in the town centre, where a group of delegates had arrived from the province of Jujuy in northern Argentina. The new project, called “Autogestión Comunitaria” (Community Self-Management), is an opportunity for residents of Buenos Aires and Jujuy to exchange ideas and experiences to reach, according to Tito, “una sociedad más democrática, participativa e inclusiva.” Particular areas of focus are food, local businesses, housing, culture and opportunities for young people. Once again, the feeling was one of optimism, independence and genuine practical solutions for universal problems. Three experts gave presentations on various aspects of self-sufficiency and one speech, given by Sra Isabel Rauber (an expert on Latin American social affairs), was so well-received that, directly after it, a woman in her late eighties stood up and said how grateful she was that Sra Rauber had come. And that was my first week in Buenos Aires! What has impressed me already about Voluntario Global is their directness with volunteers and communities alike.
Unlike some volunteer agencies which, as worthy and effective as they are, charge two grand for a week of language lessons and arranging your accommodation which you still have to pay for, the money that volunteers donate through Voluntario Global goes straight to the people it is trying to help. More importantly, many of the Voluntario Global staff come from the poorest pasts of La Boca and Barracas themselves, so they more than anyone appreciate the difficulties and intricacies of each particular area. This coming Wednesday (20th May), we are attending the opening of a new community centre called Travesuras, an education and nourishment centre for young children in Los Eucaliptos, which is extremely exciting. I also plan to go to the radio station project we have in Barracas later in the week to see what our volunteers there are up to (no recorded prank calls, I hope). ¡Hasta luego!
Last week, Jesica and Valeria, Voluntario Global coordinators, visited a site that has recently become part of our volunteer network. Another important aspect that we value at Voluntario Global is environmental awareness and sustainable development. We want to learn from the organization that we visited so that we can mirror their habits in all of our organizations. It is an “Ecological Park for Yoga and Meditation.” There, volunteers can help in the organic garden, build environmentally-friendly houses, and participate in yoga or meditation. One can also learn about the oriental culture and live an experience “closer to nature.” This new program offered by Voluntario Global offers its volunteers the opportunity to become more familiar with our objectives as a network of cultural exchange and mutual knowledge. If you have at least a week of free time, don’t miss out on this great life experience.
A United States citizen´s perspective of an Argentine World Cup match.
The Perfect Cross-Culture
It was a lazy Tuesday in the Previgliano household as I dropped my stuff at the entrance of the duplex in Belgrano. My host brother Marco had been let off work for the Argentina vs. Greece World Cup matchup and was already busy in the kitchen – read that as Marco was already yelling wildly in celebration after every successful Argentine pass. Clearly I was late for the action, but I hurried into the kitchen to cheer on my second home. The game was already thirty minutes in, yet no one had scored yet. Of course, I already knew that since I did not hear any honking or see any 65-year-olds parading around outside when I got off the bus. I took a seat at the table and picked up a factura – although Ms. Previgliano, Marco, and his sister all had something on their plates, they were too firmly glued to the television to have taken a bite yet. I was going to ask if there was any marmalade left, but I figured I had better wait until halftime. "Ma! Como no fue adelantado!?" Marco was wrong, the Greek player was definitely onsides, but I was not going to be the one to tell him. "Siempre dicen que Messi esta adelantado! No es justo." I guess I can’t blame him for being so tense. After all, if the United States had the perfect team I would be disappointed by anything less than perfection as well. The halftime whistle sounded and was accompanied by a round of coordinated audible sighs from the Previgliano family. "Parris, vamos a sacar Indio." A quick walk around the block with Indio, the family dog that has to be AT LEAST as old as Maradona, would certainly help to calm the nerves. Marco slipped the dog-sized Argentina jersey over Indio and we were off. We couldn’t pass a single person without either hearing or initiating a conversation on the game. From what I heard, the reason Argentina had not scored was a mix of bad refereeing, Greeks fouling Messi, and a conspiracy against Maradona. I must say that I was not aware of all the forces working against the Argentine soccer squad. Whipping out his cell phone as the ring tone went off, Marco let me know that the second half was about to start. Whether Indio was done going to the bathroom or not, we had to hurry up and get back in the apartment. We plopped down in front of the television just in time to see the kickoff – and to see Maradona cross himself approximately 14 times (I may or may not have actually counted.) If quantity of blessings had anything to do with it, Argentina was definitely going to come out on top. Thirty minutes later, the score was still tied at 2-2. Even with the windows open, I could tell that the neighborhood was uncharacteristically silent. I did not even hear the sound of a colectivo honking at a taxi driver. Another corner kick for Argentina. The ball comes swinging in on a perfect cross and… Demichelis gets a foot on it… but a teammate is in the way. I smiled at the bad luck while the Previglianos let out a string of delicately chosen Spanish profanities, but the play had not ended. As Marco stood up in excitement and disgust at the missed opportunity, I watched as Demichelis collected his own rebound and slammed it into the net. I was trying to get Marco’s attention, but it was not necessary. Through the windows rushed the sounds of air horns, car horns, adults screaming, children screeching, and Coto employees abandoning their posts at cash registers to celebrate in the streets. I followed Marco onto the balcony – read that as Marco yanked me by the arm out onto the balcony – to wave the Argentine flag and sing “Vamos vamos Argentina!” I turned back to the television in time to see Maradona crossing himself a few more times. With two minutes left, it looked as if victory was sure for the Argentine team, but I would not dare say anything to jinx it. Silence pervaded once again as we all anticipated the final whistle. Messi and the rest of the boys seemed to be playing keep-away now just to waste away the clock. That must have been what Greece was thinking too, because they sure were not ready for the shot taken in the 89th minute from just outside the box. The ball rebounded off a Greek and, of all people, Palermo was just in the right place to send the ball right into the back of the net. For this game, no final whistle would be needed to call the game. The neighborhood erupted once more and Marco shrieked through the house shaking his mother, his sister, and me by the shoulders. (He might have even shaken his sister’s baby, but I don’t think it was hard enough to cause shaken-baby syndrome.) I caught a glimpse of the screen as Maradona jumped onto one of the assistant coaches. Despite all of the doubts, he had coached his team through the group stage. The final whistle sounded after 92 minutes of play, and I took to the streets. At first, it looked like a horrible traffic jam with everyone honking, but given then I realized that it was just a giant celebration. People were leaning out of their cars and shouting “Palermoooogolllllll” or “ArgenTIna, ArgenTIna!” As an American, I can’t imagine such a celebration in the United States, especially for a soccer game. I have played soccer all my life, but I realize that the rest of my country does not see it as a major sport. This actually baffles me. Americans are said to be some of the most patriotic people in the world, but have I ever walked outside of my house after an Olympic basketball game to hear my entire neighborhood cheering? No. Have I been dismissed from school because the United States had a World Cup match? No. Have I ever truly felt that the United States was ALTOGETHER “united” under one cause? My honest answer would have to be “no.” Sure, soccer is just a game, but shouldn’t that make it even easier for all of us to support it unilaterally? We may be ahead of Argentina in some aspects of society, but we certainly can’t claim to be more patriotic. After experiencing an Argentine World Cup match with a true Argentine family, I am beginning to rethink what we really mean when we say “The United States of America.” I’ll let you know when we get the “United” part right.
The Paris of South America. The New York of South America. South America's most cosmopolitan city. We have all heard various names for the Latin American cultural centre. Buenos Aires is well-known around the world for its beautiful European-style architecture, legendary nightlife and trendy shopping. However, this is only one face of the city. The great restaurants, hip bars and expensive stores are reserved for rich porteños (Buenos Aires locals), expats and moneyed tourists. When you walk around the neighborhoods of Palermo and Recoleta you see fashion-conscious European and American tourists browsing fancy boutiques, businessmen having lunch in overpriced "fusion" restaurants and Argentinean women with botox faces carrying little dogs. Everyone who comes back from a trip to Buenos Aires raves about the city's fashion scene, diverse restaurants and cosmopolitan vibe. Those people do not get to see the other face of Buenos Aires- the villas (shantytowns). These areas are dominated by poverty and drugs and the police does not even enter. The inhabitants of the villas suffer from social exclusion and lack of opportunities.
On top of everything, the governor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri wants to eliminate the villas and expel their inhabitants out of the city. As a volunteer for Voluntario Global you get to see both sides of the city. It is a very strange feeling to visit one of the villas during the day and then go out to bars and clubs in Palermo at night. The contrast between rich and poor could hardly be more drastic and makes you think about social inequalities in the city. I am not saying that you should not enjoy the nightlife and the nice parts of the city. Do take advantage of the city's fantastic cultural life. However, keep in mind that behind the gorgeous cosmopolitan facade there is severe poverty. This is why it is so important to show solidarity with the poor and underprivileged communities. Voluntario Global works with exactly those groups of people that have been left out and suffer from social exclusion. With various educational projects the organization's goal is to encourage young people to do well in school and go to university. Seeing and working in the poor marginalized communities makes you understand the city in its entirety. So when you go back to your home country you will be able to tell people what Buenos Aires really is about and that apart from a kicking nightlife and awesome shopping there are shockingly poor communities that certainly cannot participate in the cosmopolitan lifestyle of Buenos Aires.
At the end of March we helped inaugurate a church in Casti which involved sharing a splendid Lama “asado” (barbeque) and spotting ostriches. On the first weekend of April, we visited a youth camp in Solazutti near Aguas Blancas. There, I learned about Guarani people, heaps of new songs and made new friends.
Many people told me that I would bore myself to death while volunteering three months in La Quiaca. On the contrary, time flies by and I can´t believe I´ve already been here for two months! Classes should have started at the beginning of March, but school-doors opened only on the 7th of April due to a teachers´ “paro” (strike). Thanks to broadcasts we launched with national and local radio-stations in my second week here, many youths took – and continue taking – advantage of my English classes. Having hung around with nothing to do for a long time the kids are struggling to catch up material and get their brains working again. When classes began, the community-centre started its comedor (canteen) for more than 110 young people which has made daily life very busy. This service is mainly for students living alone La Quiaca while their families live far off in the campo (fields). My tasks lie in the organisation and administration of the comedor. Also, I give a meditation to the adolescents while they are eating. I need to use a good deal of creativity, authority and confidence in my Spanish to catch their attention and initiate a dialogue. The weekends have a different rhythm and are focused on church activities near and far. Sunday afternoons we often spend with Lorenzo and his family in Sansana Sur, a tiny place near La Quiaca. Many vegetables for the comedor come from there.[gallery] From 16th to 18th of April, we took part in a convention in Jujuy Capital where I performed songs together with youths of the local church – great fun! On my birthday, my host-family and friends surprised me with a party. I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such lovely people and to be able to be part of the team working for the youngsters here in La Quiaca!
All volunteers who came were all really fun and everyone who works at Voluntario Global is lovely – I can’t wait to come back again!
Hi! I'm Kim and I’ve just finished volunteering at Voluntario Global as the Responsible Tourism Co-ordinator, working with the volunteers to help them get the most out of their stay in Buenos Aires. Working in the office of Voluntario Global was a very interesting and rewarding experience, giving me the opportunity to see how the organisation is run and get to know everyone who works there. When new volunteers arrived I helped with their introduction meeting, where we explained about the organisation and projects, as well as giving them tips on how to survive in this big city! Following the presentation I took the volunteers on a tour of Plaza del Congreso, explaining about the buildings and history around the plaza. One of the best aspects of the volunteering experience was organising weekly volunteer activities…from football matches and tango shows to experiencing the BA’s great night life or seeing Oscar winning Argentine films, there was always something to do in this buzzing city. Overall it was fantastic, the volunteers who came were all really fun and everyone who works at Voluntario Global is lovely – I can’t wait to come back again! Check out photos of our events on facebook!!
Back in 2006 Bernadette Hoste saw a Poster of Voluntario Global at her Spanish classes in Buenos Aires. She applied through an email. Since then she has come back every year for a couple of months, to volunteer at Voluntario Global. Her first day started off in Villa Soldati. In 2007 she continued working in La Chispa, in order to help out and teach the students. In the following year she gave English classes to the kids at the same place.
She started a project in February 2008 to collect money through her friends and family in Belgium, France and England. This can also be seen on her website, which was created two years ago: www.la-chispa.org. Bernadette enjoys teaching and continued doing this the last two years. She started giving English classes to many different students and also preparing them for their upcoming exams. In addition she went to the home in Beccar, helping out with the younger kids.
This year she also went to the Kindergarden in J.L. Suarez and had great fun playing with the little ones and helping with handing out lunch. In 2010 she already helped out at the kindergarten and therefore wants to enlarge her project to collect funds, not only from family and friends but also from other people. For that, she will soon make her project “official“. We wish Bernadette all the luck for her new project and are looking forward for her coming back next year.
Cinemas across Buenos Aires are now showing *Invictus*, a Clint Eastwood film about Nelson Mandela and the troubles he faced when first coming into power. Although your personal opinions on the film may vary, one message remains clear: despite being set directly after the abolition of apartheid, in the film the entire South African nation is united through an international rugby match against Australia. We can use this example to highlight the importance of recreational activities in bringing together groups of people. Indeed, this is something Voluntario Global does on a daily basis as VG international volunteers interact with more marginalised groups in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It goes without saying that Nelson Mandela's achievements are nothing short of remarkable, and in the years following his presidency we have been able to witness progress in other previously divided nations. For example, Evo Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president and is now able to offer equal treatment to this group of people that had been neglected by all the country's previously unrepresentative leaders. As history progresses we shall see instances of many more incredible stories, in which disadvantaged people defy all odds and achieve success, be it in the political sphere or elsewhere. We at Voluntario carry out this mission too. Although the people whose lives we change may not be the next great politicians to serve their nation, we always strive to help them fufill their potential. We believe that social differences should not hinder social equality and through our diverse projects we try to make our vision a reality.
...continued... Wednesday. We left San Pedro for La Quiaca, a quiet town on the Boilivian border. Despite the 6 hour journey ahead, we left in high spirits apart from Gloria who cried for leaving her town. After stopping at a 60ft Jesus statue and having lunch, we were back on the bus and ''treated'' to German's pole dancing to ''Like A Virgin'' by Madonna. Seriously. Later on we passed through the beautiful mountain range of Quebrada de Humahuaca. Photos can't really do justice to the breathtaking landscape, after a quick photo opportunity.
We soon arrived in La Quiaca and the Comedor Verdurita where we were greeted by Antonio and Anita the co-ordinators there. They were very friendly and nice people, they had organised it for us to stay in a local hostel. Hot showers and sleeping in a bed felt like a great luxury so we were very grateful. I was really enjoying my time and felt a part of the group, especially when Mario mentioned it at dinner. Thursday was another early start and the usual fight for the shower. After breakfast in Verdurita, the 1st meeting began but not for long as the kids arrived to eat. When introducing ourselves to them, I was told to do mine in English...predictably the only parts they understood were ''Comedor'' and ''La Boca''. It was marginally better in Spanish. After lunch and helping/doing some English homework, we had an interesting tour around a pre-Inca site. Later on we were able to start again with the 2nd meeting. The highlight for me was meeting a young man called David who exemplified how to improve your own situation on your own hard work. He started from scratch making and selling bread in the area about 5 months ago and he now sells 70 kilos of bread a day, (although I don't know Jujuy was so bread crazed) but his idea of working for what you want and not asking is the only option for me.
Friday was a relaxed day, no meetings, no video recording. We left the hostel early and after saying goodbye to Antonio and Anita at Verdurita, we made the short trip to Villazón, Bolivia to do some shopping at ridiculously cheap prices. I filled my bag with the usual gringo tat and we were back on the bus heading home. There was a general review of yesterday, what I said seemed to go down well which was pleasing especially as they understood me. Nadia said she was very pleased with the week had went generally and it was worth the 4/5 months of planning. I felt more and more involved in the discussions as the week went on and felt that gradually I became more of a compañero than a volunteer which was obviously very pleasing. Even La Negra threatening to kidnap me and hold me at the Comedor was nice. We arrived back at the Comedor on Saturday afternoon, tired from the trip but very pleased with how the week went. It was a great week, getting to know the compañeros from Los Pibes and meeting new people in Jujuy. Most importantly I hope I helped in getting information sending volunteers there in the future as there is a need for them.
Hello. I'm Matt and I've been volunteering for Voluntario Global for 3 months. I've spent most of my time in the ''Comedor Los Pibes'', a social political organization in La Boca. I recently spent a week in the beautiful province of Jujuy with 11 compañeros from the Comedor under the catchy title of ''Comunitarian self management for the exchange of knowledge''. The idea being to exchange information and ideas between the Comedor and the sister organizations there. I went for Voluntario Global to look into possibility of volunteers working there. I'll try and give you an idea of how the week went.
We left at the barbaric time of 8am on Sunday to cover the 1,600 km to Jujuy from La Boca. Having worked there for a few months I felt comfortable in the group although more as a volunteer than a compañero, for this I was a bit unsure about how the week would go but they were very welcoming and friendly, especially La Negra (not as racist as it sounds) who continued to call me ''Hello'' until Wednesday. Sunday was basically the journey and Argentina's finest service stations, it ended well with celebrating popular compañero Pedro's birthday.
On Monday we arrived early in San Pedro and at our temporary home of Romina Fernandez, the co-ordinator for Comedor Los Pibes San Pedro. The first of many many meetings began soon, I had been charged with video recording the week for the Comedor which can best be described as learning by error. The meeting went well with a good exchange of ideas and after lunch and a walk around the village, the 2nd meeting began. It was again productive but a bit of a stretch at 3 1/2 hours, people were literally falling asleep at the end which is usually a good time to call it a day. In the evening we celebrated dia del niño with the towns children and some unbelievably dressed clowns, after some delicious home made empanadas, we were about done and the 1st day was over. The solidarity and generosity between the groups was something I quickly noticed, be it opening their house to us and feeding us for free or Los Pibes donating a computer or a projector, it was touching to see such humble people prepared to share so much.
On Tuesday we went to Tupaj Katari in the capital city San Salvador. Tupaj Katari is similiar to the Comedor in that it fights for social justice whilst also providing a service to the community. It made a good impression on me, I found them driven and intelligent people based on the principles of ´´action and talk´´. Perro Santillan, the Tupaj Katari leader and a prominent Argentine militant also stressed the importance of solidarity. After a tour around the town and its beautiful countryside, and creating a panic by going for ice cream without telling everyone. The meeting began, it was again positive but more so the assembly later on as there was a heated debate with where our compañeros spoke passionately about their work. It was an unusually passionate meeting but for this reason, successful. We returned to San Pedro pleased with the days work. For the 1st time in Argentina, I felt I had arrived in the true Latin America today. For a province where 40% of the people live under the poverty line, the problems and injustice were brutally clear, I think any volunteer would feel enthused and motivated working there.
To be continued next week…
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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