Reporting back: One Week In

As I had done so faithfully in the beginning of my blog, and trailed of eventually as even the most enthusiastic bloggers and diary writers can be accused of….I am checking in to give an update after my first week of work. Warning: there will be no pictures or drawings with this entery…so if you need visuals, just keep glancing up at the header.

Last Monday, May 18th, 2009, I began working as a Service Learning Tour Program Coordinator for the Foundation for Sustainable Development International. Try saying that three times fast…and then in Spanish. Soy la Coordinadora del Programa del Tour de Servicio y Aprendizaje realizado por la Fundacion de Desarrollo Sostenible…DALE LEON!

The Service Learning Tour consists of a group of 14 university studens from Stanford, who designed their own class about the history, culture and development of Argentina (why anyone would want to study that, beats me!!!!). This group of super motivated, pro-active and way too gung-ho students contracted FSD Argentina to come here and save Argentina in a sustainable way in 20 days get to see a bit of Argentina, and feel good about themselves because they think they are making a huge difference. I am not going to lie, I might be a little sceptical about their expectations, and honestly how helpful they will be (considering coming and working anywhere for just two weeks usually ends up being more of a pain in the ass for the organization than a help….) but we are working hard to make this the best experience for both the students and their organizations.

The kids will be split into three groups and each of the three groups will work with a different comedor in La Plata, in the mornings they will be planning their projects and workshops, and in the afternoons they will be on site at the comedores working with the kids and developing their proposals. At the end of the two weeks, their goal is to have a presentation of their works at the comedors and be able to show off what they have done to help the third world and be able to feel good about themselves. OK! Basta Jen, it is very positive that both the children in the comedors meet foreigners (open their minds to other cultures and ideas) and that the Stanford kids leave with a reality check but still feeling good about themselves….they are all good and wonderful things. It simply isn´t sustainable development. But then you can´t just come in and do sustainable development in two weeks, especially if you don´t speak any Spanish (not sure what some of the kids where thinking coming down here with zero spanish)….but despite my scepticism, volunteer tourism isn´t the worst thing in the world.

My job currently, is to work with the other three coordinators who are here presently, Anna, Fabian and Nancy, to contact and make arrangements with the three organizations, to find host families, to create an orientation for their arrival, to create an itinerary for their trip, including volunteer based activities and recreational activities. So basically what i am saying is, I get to plan trips, look for things to do, work closely with my coworkers (who I have known for a while and happen to all be my friends), work more closely with organizations in the area which interest me, make connections….let met tell you, I am on board for the ride.

When the group gets here (June 17th…luckily it is after my birthday because on that day, I cease to have a personal life), I am their official baby sitter. While my other three coworkers will be around and assisting me, they have the normal interns, plus another group coming that over lap for a week (from Northwestern), and I am the one hired specifically for this group. I have to be with them at all times, though I haven´t really figured out how I am going to be with them at three comedors, in three different places, all at the exact same moment…but Argentines are known for attempting such feats…which really just means they are late for everythng always.

Apart from accompanying the volunteers here in La Plata, doing translation work for most of them (the vast majority speak little to no spanish) and helping them keep their expectations and projects resonable and guided by the principles of community empowerment and sustainable development, I will also be accompanying them on their two weekend excersions outside of La Plata. One to Buenos Aires (including a tour of the city, a tango show, etc.) and the other one to San Antonio de Areco which is like the gaucho, plantation, folklore haven about 2 hours from here. FINALLY somone is paying me to travel The trips should be fun…and honestly, dispite my massive amount of scepticisim about the purpose of the program….I think it will be alot of fun, I think the students will get alot of the experience (we are trying really hard to make it as meaningful and enriching as possible)…and it will be fun to be by their side, help motivate, teach, guide and manipulate them….and it will be fun to be a cultural interpretor and a tour guide.

All in all, I am pretty stoked about all the different facets of the job, both in that is utilizes skills I enjoy using and sharpening as well as it has the potential to teach me an imense amount, and will be a really meaningful experience for me as well.