Futuro Juvenil
For two weeks now, I have been helping out at the children’s foundation, Futuro Juvenil.
Founded in 1968, the organization subsists without any government aid. The kids at Futuro Juvenil come from the poorest parts of Bogotá. Some have no family. One six-year-old girl had witnessed her Dad kill her mom in front of her.
The instant a child arrives in La Mesa, the mountain town where the kids live and grow, things begin to change for the better.
Well behaved and full of life, they wake up at 4:30 a.m. In the morning, they do chores and attend school. Later on, they return for lunch, homework, sports, and arts and crafts.
The kids also lend a hand on the farm, helping the foundation raise funds by selling the crops to England.
My role here is primarily to help in online fund raising for the organization. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
As mentioned by other bloggers, things move a little slowly in South America relative to the US. For example, it’s going to take Banco Bogota one month to obtain a debit card for receiving online donations.
I mention this not as a complaint, but as an acknowledgment of how things work here. This knowledge can be used to my advantage in making plans and setting expectations.
I am the only person in the organization who speaks English, so my native language is an asset in communication with individuals and organizations in the US and UK. Also of note, I am the only person who speaks imperfect Spanish, so I will have to do my best to overcome the inevitable language barriers.
The coming weeks will consist of learning the best practices of nonprofit marketing, developing content for the website, and making contacts with organizations that may support our cause.
The workers of the foundation have made it clear that they will provide we with whatever resources I need. They are kind, put up with my broken Spanish, and help me with any questions I have about Bogotá.
I feel comfortable here. Futuro Juvenil is an efficiently run organization – 80% of the donations go to the kids – with great people. Maybe I will be proved wrong, but it seems that I lucked out. What more could I ask for out of a volunteer experience?
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