Invitation to a Conviven event at "Casa Natura" on nov. 29th
For larger view click on the image!

Teaching English, Adrianna G. 2009

After arriving in Buenos Aires, with nothing but a few friends and a 3-month lease, I began a search for places to volunteer and came across Conviven. Though the one hour bus ride can be a bit tiring, the "trek" is awarded with a bustling center full of heart and energy.

I began my volunteer experience by accompanying the center on their summer trips to pools and parks. Not only did I meet other volunteers from numerous international countries, but I also met children ranging in ages from 4-15 years. Their interests in my background sparked conversations about music and impromptu English lessons, as well as the opportunity for me to learn about them and their lives. I remember fondly a young girl from Peru who had also recently moved to Buenos Aires. We shared our stories and feelings of moving to a different city.

With the start of the school year, I have been teaching English classes for the past few months, to the youngest class of students, ranging in age from 5 to 11 years old. With other volunteers helping out in the classroom, we have begun to teach these young and absorbent minds about fruits, animals, hobbies, transportation, and art. With almost no teaching experience, I have helped to feed their interests to learn English and witnessed young minds soar!

Adrianna Gluck [ New York]

Transforming the Conviven Center......

So the work on the kitchen at Conviven has finally begun. The builders have moved in and started the task of renovating a much worn down kitchen. It has begun with enthusiasm from all quarters: Carmen, the "housekeeper/cook/guardian of children and building” is over the moon about a new kitchen from which to work from, the volunteers can see the new beginnings of an essential part of the Conviven center and the children look on with bemusement at the dust and banging. Walls have been knocked down, and a start has been made on redoing the plumbing system.

The grand plan is for a new sink, for ceramics to be placed around the kitchen and sink which will make cleaning and hygiene far easier to deal with. There will be new work surfaces and cupboards. A ventilator is going to be installed and the very antiquated gas pipes are going to be dealt with by a gas specialist. There will be new lights and plugs also put in.

To help the cause of the kitchen we wore white and sported great hats last week at a fundraiser party at Bella´s house. It was a great success and 1700 pesos were raised. However starting to renovate a kitchen is no mean feat and it is clear that a kitchen is made of two parts. The actual room, and the objects that make it up. There is a pressing need for a new oven as the present one is far too old. So if anyone could donate towards that or even has an oven to give we would be very grateful. Equally Carmen has pointed out that there is a need for a door with a lock to the kitchen so that children don’t wander in and get hurt.

The kitchen at Conviven lies at the heart of the center, and so any help would massively improve the children’s experience whilst they are here, and of course aid Carmen’s task in looking after them all. The volunteers are awaiting the day when they can get stuck into pots of paint and decorate it. For the moment however, this big project has finally begun.

By Miranda Lerner, Volunteer.

Summer Holidays

I wanted to pre warn new volunteers in plenty of time that the big summer holidays start here around the 16th of December and last till the beginning of March. Most children in Buenos Aires will leave the city for some of this time to avoid the heat and get some fresh air. Even the kids from the villas who come to Conviven for english classes will get a chance to go to summer camps which are organized by the state. They tend to go away to camp in January so this is why there will be no volunteering opportunities avaliable in this month. If you are planning a trip here and wish to volunteer please keep this in mind.

Volunteering without a Fee

Dear Future & Present Volunteers:

Just wanted to give you an update on the status of Conviven’s Asocacion Civil (for those of you not familiar with the term it’s the official registration to become a certified NGO). We have a hearing with AFIP on Sept. 30th and will be given a Tax ID number and thirty days later will find out if all our paperwork has been approved. Marcelo Dreon, an attorney who works with Conviven, is assisting with this legal process and without his support we would not be able to get this done this quickly and inexpensively. He’s been a star. Since we are only one step away from becoming independent, Valmir, the dedicated head of Conviven expressed his unhappiness of working with registered NGO’s who charge people to come to Argentina to volunteer. In fact he has always opposed this practice but accepted volunteers from organization like Help Argentina, BA Volunteers and Coined because Conviven simply needed their support to recruit volunteers and donations.

It’s important that everyone who has worked with Conviven in the past and for those who are considering working with us in the future to understand that the organizations mentioned above charge volunteers over $300 to place them IN organization like Conviven. However those organizations only end up receiving 1/3 (33%) of that fee and sometimes they get nothing. Now that we are on the road to independence we no longer will accept volunteers from Help, Coined or BA Volunteers because Conviven and Valmir strongly disagree with the practice of charging Volunteers. With that said, I want you all to realize that Conviven cannot exist without Volunteers like you. Our Volunteer coordinator, Bella, has been diligent about recruiting Volunteers who reach out to us directly through this blog and the main web page and so far it looks like her efforts have secured a steady flow of new Volunteers.

We want to take the opportunity to thank the past volunteers for their support. They spread the word of Conviven to friends and family and support Conviven through their own donations,

Without your generosity we would not be able to continue providing the services and support to the community of Ciudad Oculta. And it is important for new Volunteers to continue the tradition of supporting our initiative at Conviven so that we can continue to help and touch the lives of the less fortunate. Your support through Volunteering is much appreciated and your financial support is also welcomed. Without donations our organization will not survive so please help us with as much as you can.

I can provide bank instructions for donations so please feel free to email me at atsalas@gmail.com. As soon as Conviven has the official Asocacion Civil status we will open our own bank account and set up a Pay pal and Dineromail account to make it easier for you to donate.

Again, thanks so much for your support.

Alexandra Salas

Advice from a departed volunteer.

 

Tuve la suerte de pasar cinco meses en Conviven. Fueron cinco meses inolvidables… Podrían haber sido aburridos, podría no haber aprendido nada pero no fue así. No fue así porque no quise que así sea, pasé mucho tiempo trabajando por “Conviven”, preparando clases, pensando en lo que seria interesante aportar…Porqué pienso que es algo que hay que hacer para realmente aprender de esta oportunidad que no está dando de ser voluntarios en otra parte del mundo. Comprometerse. Para construir una relación de confianza con los niños y otros voluntarios del Centro, para aprender de ellos aun mas que todo lo que podemos aprenderlos… 

 Podría haber hecho mucho más pero no menos. Porqué si hubiera hecho menos no hubiera tenido este sentimiento de orgullo a ver mis alumnos disfrutar sus clases, no hubiera podido establecer tan buena relaciones con personas que fueron las personas claves de mi estancia en Buenos Aires tal como Carmen y todos mis pequeños estudiantes…

 Participar en este programa nos da la posibilidad de encontrar gente especial, de vivir experiencias inolvidables y pienso que no hay que gastar esta posibilidad supuestamente por “falta de tiempo”. Estos niños son cada uno especiales aun si para darse cuenta de eso hay que primero conseguir su confianza y su interés porqué claro a su edad a veces es difícil tener tanto interés en aprender inglés o otra cosa pero justamente ¡¡eso es el trabajo de los “profes”!!
Bueno eso es el consejo que quiero dar a los futuros “profes”: ¡¡Que tengan paciencia e imaginación que estos niños se merecen la pena!! ¡¡¡Hay muchas cosas interesantes por hacer con ellos más que clases de inglés pero hay que tener mucha voluntad porqué no es siempre fácil organizarse!!!

 ¡¡Suerte y que disfruten su experiencia tanto como yo disfrute de mi estancia en Buenos Aires y sobre todo en Conviven!!

Marie, from France

 

 

Wishlist

Every person who volunteers in a community center will have moments of, "If only I had this one other thing!" Sometimes they are simple conveniences or small improvements, and some are essential for carrying out daily activities, but most are things that could dramatically improve the classrooms and quality of lesson plans and classes. The things we wish for don't have to be new, and many things that people discard for their own use would work well for us. In case you have anything or know anyone who might, here's a list of a few of the things Conviven wishes for:

Musc equipment for the young-
Amplifiers of 80 watts, microphones, batteries, light, CD music player, lights for theater plays, acoustic panels, sound mixing board.

Circus work shops-
CLAVAS, juggling balls, swings, flags, unicycle, trapeze, SLINGAS, ropes and fabric, stilts, rings, colorful clothes, foam mattress, rubber flooring(16 sq. meters, each sheet 1x1 meters), ALAPARGATAS slipper shoes, and any other kind of circus materials-- Our dream is to be able to get a structure of 10 meters in height to allow air acrobatics.

For the kindergarten (2-5 years old)-
Learning games, rubber flooring, bags, tooth brushes, color pencils, soap, misc. games, seesaw, slids, tricycle, playpen, baby changer, medical kit, lice killer shampoo and comb, swim wear, goggles, towels, flip-flops, heater, pen drives for computer, USB.

Primary-
Notebooks, shoes size 29-40, school bags, paper for binders, clay, glue, paint, scissors, rulers, rubber erasers, pencil sharpeners, tape, blocks of paper, black pencils.

Computer stuff-
Software: learning programs and educational programs.

Games for kids (6-12 yrs)-
Footballs, volleyballs, basketballs, sports shirts, football shirts, swimwear, towels, backpacks, goggles, sleeping bags, tents, camping mats.

Others-
A projectors to play movies for whole community, 2-4 laptops (used or new, but with DVD), digital cameras for juvenile hall, educational videos for juvi prisons, paint for external works, cleaning products, toilet paper, kitchen rolls, rubbish bags, bug repellent, deoderant, kicthen utensils, writing paper and envelopes, blank CDs, computer speakers, hard disks, one television, three portable stereos, telephones, copy machine, fans, video cameras, memories cards for digital cameras, clay oven for ceramics.



We know this is a large list and we can't have it all, but if you have something we could use, or know anyone who might, we will greatly appreciate any and all donations.
Pease contact us at our conviven web page or me directly at - switchfakee@hotmail.com
Thanks Bella