Volunteering: What to expect? Who is it for?
It seems like an easy enough question.
On one hand, maybe you’re a student or a mother or maybe just an average person with a full-time job. Volunteers come from all walks of life. Maybe you’re going for adventure in a different country, maybe you want to give back to the world, and maybe this will add a humanitarian tinge to your resume. Hopefully, hopefully, everyone who volunteers at UBECI also wants to contribute something positive to the lives of these children that they will be working with.
You arrive there, and maybe you are like me. Sure there are the negative aspects (that are amusing at times). The altitude makes walking and breathing at times difficult. The air isn’t the best quality in the world. The buses are crazy and ladies, you probably receive cat calls at least 3 times a day. But what did you expect, really? I’m sure you’ve done your amount of research on a country before going there, right? You probably have seen the pictures. Quito is really not all that different from a typical capitol of a developing country. Besides, if everything was perfect, why would you even need to go there to volunteer? And besides, Quito is a beautiful place. How often can you walk out of your home and see the mountains rising directly before your eyes? How often can you be out and night and accidentally mistaken the citylights as stars? The food is also delicious (even for the squeamish).
But then again maybe it just doesn’t work for you. Things are not going well.
Regardless of what happens, there is a rule of thumb that every volunteer should follow, and that is:
Never bring negativity to the children. You are doing humanitarian work in Ecuador. Great, have fun. But every one of us must always keep in mind that we are temporary guests in this country, that we are part of an ongoing process of healing for these children, and that children retain the effects of almost everything they experience whether directly or indirectly.
Because we are only here temporarily, what’s wrong with a bit of unpleasantness every now and then? I personally didn’t experience any of that during my stay and I would say that any discomfort experienced is more often than not self-created. But in a course of a lifetime, what does it matter?
On the other hand, that temporary unpleasantness that you have to deal with? It is an ongoing lifestyle for the children. The time you spend with them is supposed to relieve them of that. Many of these children have learned to trust you, and even more of them have learned to see you as someone who will accept them and love them despite their circumstances.
What’s more is the staff at UBECI, many of whom have dedicated their lives to helping these children. These are people who will sacrifice time, money, and energy almost unconditionally to bring a better life to these children. We are volunteers who are walking into a system that matters, deeply, to everyone involved. It is a moving experience for those of us who can become part of this system and help make it what it is (because volunteers ARE important). But for volunteers that cannot, it is the least we can do not to be imposing and make it worse.
Knowing the field and its intricacies and actors is important before working in it. What I have written above is something that I think every volunteer should keep in mind. It /can/ be a good experience for everyone.
Some of you may think this is obvious, and that’s good. Unfortunately it is not an infrequent occurrence that someone comes along to make the volunteer experience an unpleasant one for everyone. Hopefully we can avoid that.
Who is volunteering for? Everyone. For the experience for the volunteers; for the help for UBECI staff; and for the hours of positivity, for the children.
(Most importantly, though. It’s for the children. Because really, if you just wanted to visit Quito, there are many other ways of doing so.)
:D
Organizational Structure
So I evidently have not been keeping up with updates as well as I should due to school and midterms, but it’s great to be able to do so again.
First of all on behalf of Byron and all the staff at UBECI, I would like to thank everyone who has responded to the previous post and have donated money to UBECI. Your dedication, time, and efforts are important to us and we appreciate it very, very much.
So here is the explanatory post for how the donation process takes place. There are 2 ways of donation, one that is tax deductible and one that is not. Here is an example of how the UBECI network works:
**My mistake: the name of the USA branch of UBECI is called “The UBECI Foundation”, not organization.
UBECI Ecuador is surrounded by many smaller satellite organizations that contributes to its funding. This chart is not comprehensive as it does not include other non-US based organizations that also contribute to its functioning. However, my role in this shebang is to simplify the communication process. All questions can now be sent to one designated place, and all information (relatively updated) can be found in one source.
So basically all donations sent directly to Byron via paypal to donations.ubeci@gmail.com are not tax deductible. However this donation is immediate and is important to UBECI in the short run. Donations to UBECI can also be given through The UBECI Foundation, a tax-exempt legal non-profit in the United States that can provide you with the receipt. This organization is run by Archie Jarman and funnels money to UBECI generally on a monthly basis. The donation is not immediately usable in the field. To give directly to Byron, you can donate via paypal to donations.ubeci@gmail.com. To give a tax-deductible donation, email Archie at archiejarman@gmail.com.
I hope this doesn’t confuse you. We are currently trying to simplify this process and I will definitely update everyone when that happens. Meanwhile, I hope this explanation is sufficient. If not, please do not hesitate to contact me via comments here, or via email to donations.ubeci@gmail.com. I reply pretty much within 24 hours.
Now, in terms of package donations (ie, non-monetary). Because UBECI is an international organization the mailing can get very frustrating. The rule of thumb here is that if you want to send supplies to UBECI please let us know first via email (again, donations.ubeci@gmail.com). This is the best way to avoid any confusions because we can help you with the process on a personal basis.
If you want your donation to be tax deductible, please email Archie (archiejarman@gmail.com) as he is the representative of UBECI USA that is able to provide you with the receipt you will need.
But if you really don’t want all that hassle and if you really don’t care about tax-deductibility, please read the following:
Receiving packages in Ecuador is free. However, the package cannot exceed a maximum of 2 kg in weight. Any extra weight is taxed and charged to UBECI, making heavy packages very expensive to receive. This process is also very time consuming.
Instead, we would appreciate it if all packages sent to UBECI are kept below 2 kg. If your donation exceeds this amount, please divide the contents into multiple packages, all within the weight limit of 2 kg.
As I’m writing this I’m starting to realize that this really needs to be somewhere permanent and easily accessible. It also needs to be way, way, way simpler. So I will definitely come up with a revised, simplified, user-friendly version in the late future.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
Dear Visitors:
If you are reading this message, I hope it is because you care about UBECI and its work, and wish to learn more about its current state. I think you have the right to know—especially now, when we need your help more than ever.
To be frank: UBECI is in a rather desperate state. Because it is a non-profit organization that is not religiously or politically affiliated, UBECI receives no funding from the Ecuadorian government or any special interest groups. The main sources of funding come from grants and volunteers, both of which have become increasingly difficult to come by with the current economic crisis. Often, Byron and his family have had to draw upon their own savings and capital to ensure that UBECI projects can continue. The money goes toward the staff salaries, rents, utilities, and other operational expenses. UBECI operates on around 1800 dollars every month, although this is situational. For a non-profit, that number should not be daunting, but it is no easy amount to come by.
As of now, the operational fund for the month of September is difficult to obtain, and that is why we are turning to you, volunteers of past and present, for help. Here is what you can do:
1. Promote UBECI, let people know about the volunteer opportunity it has to offer. My personal experience has been incredible, and I highly recommend this organization for people to gain travel and humanitarian work experience. You were there too, once, and I can only hope that your experience was as memorable as mine. Please pass the message on to your colleagues, to your friends, your classmates, and your family; share your experience. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please leave a comment on this page, the UBECI facebook page, or simply send us an email at ubeci.volunteer@gmail.com. UBECI pays for its rent with the volunteer fees, and a continuous flow of volunteers is extremely important.
A document that you can possibly use is here.
2. Donate via Paypal.
This paypal account is directly connected to UBECI’s bank account. Donations to UBECI receive tax-exemption status. Please remember to email donations.ubeci@gmail.com to notify us if you wish to receive confirmation.
3. Donate by check. Send this directly to the UBECI office. Please make all checks payable to Byron Salvatierra, who legally handles all UBECI funding. If you are doing this, please also email at donations.ubeci@gmail.com so Byron will know when to anticipate your mail. The address of the UBECI office is:
UBECI Volunteer Organization
Huacho E2-56 y Jose Peralta PB1 – P.o.box 17-02-5259
Quito, Pichincha – Ecuador
4. Fundraiser. Start a mini fundraiser, spread the message and try to appeal to people around you that may be interested in donating to this very worthy cause. Remember, you are a social network and how you use it can greatly benefit the children in UBECI’s projects. If you need any materials for an event, please do not hesitate to contact us at ubeci.volunteer@gmail.com.
We understand that this is only a short-term solution, and I am currently working with Byron to make UBECI self-sustainable. We hope that while UBECI can benefit from donations, it will become capable of generating its own income that is necessary to the continued survival and success of its projects. (I realize that I am speaking of it like a semi-sentient robot/animal/creature, and that it is potentially creepy. Sorry!)
But this is a very important short-term step and it is near impossible to do without you. The funding for September is absolutely necessary! Anything you can do, big or small, would mean the world to us.
And if you want to become part of the long-term solution for UBECI and help it become self-sustaining, please contact us at ubeci.volunteer@gmail.com (or a comment here!). We would love to work with you, and are currently in great need of extra hands.
UBECI’s financial statement for the month of July is downloadable here, for those of you who wish to learn more. Both Byron and I will be available to respond to your questions, comments, and suggestions.
Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read through this.
Jazzy
A message to everyone from Byron
Greetings from Ecuador and your UBECI family,
As you know our vision here at UBECI is to offer hope where there is no hope, and to work with children that no one else will work with. We very much appreciate your help and dedication to this vision during your stay in Ecuador. As we look back in the past year we can see that UBECI has been successful in providing hope to families, and that many possibilities have become realities.
I started this dream of hope in 2003. During that year we served 30 children in Santa Isabel, and during 2008 we have educated and supported over 450 children in the 3 markets and Santa Isabel. Our efforts have resulted in our granting of 15 educational scholarships to children who otherwise would have no hope to continue their education.
But now we need your help again in order for UBECI to continue the dream of hope. Most of you have worked with our professional staff; a nonprofit organization like UBECI must be legal and operate on funds like any other business. As you know, UBECI doesn’t get any money from the Ecuadorian government and is therefore currently dependent on donations. Your help is necessary for us to continue working toward the hope that we represent. We ask that you reach into your hearts, talk to your friends and family, and help us continue providing opportunities to these children.
Actually, Jazzy is currently our UBECI social networking representative. She is going to help us build the UBECI network and we trust her to handle funding. Please support us and a big thank you again for your continued support.
If you or another donor need a confirmation for the donation just send an email to donations.ubeci@gmail.com and let us know. We will be very happy to send you a letter confirming the donation.
Of course, you can contact me or Jazzy at ubeci.volunteer@gmail.com.
Byron
Related News
This doesn’t completely relate to UBECI, but I think it’s something that every humanitarian organization should promote. I always am incredibly happy to see people use the internet as a way to support causes, and sometimes all that is required of internet users is a simple click. It’s basically effortless and (although I’m not the greatest example) should be done daily. In this case, when what is required of you personally is minimal, the success of the endeavor is based on how widely the message spreads and how many people are willing to do that little. An accumulation of small efforts for big changes. And so these organizations are only as strong and weak as participants, and their respective social networks.
I can ramble on for days about this because I am fascinated by the idea of political/humanitarian/interest related mobilization, especially ones that are based on the internet. Nevertheless, I have personal blogs for that stuff…. so without further ado, I present you with a list of sites that if you visit every day–which would be fantastic but probably not realistic–would be wonderful. These are only sites that I regularly frequent and I may be missing quite a few. If so, please let me know and I will add more.
1. http://www.givoogle.com/
2. http://www.freerice.com/index.php
3. http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/
Please pass these along. Thank you. :)
Welcome
A Quick Introduction
My name is Jazzy and I was a previous volunteer at UBECI. I am currently handling most of the online social network affairs (at least for the English-speaking part) for UBECI because I pretty much live on the internet. My job is to make sure that information regarding UBECI is accessible to all who may be interested, and to serve as a point of contact for those who would like to contribute. Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any questions you may have.
What is UBECI:
UBECI is a non-profit organization located in Quito, Ecuador that coordinates volunteers to work on its social projects, designed to provide aid and support to local impoverished families. The projects range from street children work to afterschool programs, and frequently works with at-risk children to offer them a chance at a better life. The organization is run by a small but dedicated staff, and has, to this date, worked with over 240 children.
More Information
UBECI was created by Byron Salvatierra, who has always wanted to carry out social projects with the focus of at-risk children and their families since he was a teenager. In 1995, he started working in a social organization as a street mentor and, since then, has worked in programs in a variety of areas, including boarding, health, student scholarships, and academic reintroduction, summer programs and, in the volunteer program, internships and exchanges.
In 1999, Byron created UBECI as a project with the objective of bringing help where there is none and to carry out recreational activities for children and families during established holidays, like Christmas, the International Day of the Child or the International Day Without Violence.
In 2003, UBECI created its first direct-attention program close to Quito, Ecuador’s capital, for social and educational support with the focus on children and families in the countryside. In 2004, we created the “I Play, I Make and I Learn” programs that focus on the child workers in the markets and on the streets of Quito. In 2005, we started the Intervention, Rescue and Education Program with a focus on the dangerous childhood encountered in the streets.
This is not a formal blog, and hopefully will be at least semi-enjoyable to read. :] Please also excuse the layout for now.
