Pictures!

Cupcakes in the park (by Yvonne).

Christmas party 2011 (by Yvonne).

More Christmas party pics in Flickr.

Happenings of December 2011

OUTING- meet 1:15pm this sunday/SALIDA- reunirnos 1:15pm este domingo

Hey everyone,

This coming weekend on Sunday we are going to be going with the pibes to the Natural Sciences Museum by Parque Centenario, to see some dinosaurs! It should be a fun outing; a chance for older volunteers to see the pibes again, and new volunteers to meet them.

The information you need- we will be meeting infront of the Congreso (building on rivadavia 1800) at 1:15pm this Sunday (10 April). From there we will go and pick up the pibes to then take them to the museum!

SALIDA- meet 1:15pm este domingo

Hola a todos,

El fin de semana que viene nos vamos con los pibes al Museo de Ciencias Naturales cerca de Parque Centenario a ver algunos dinosaurios! Debe ser una salida divertida; una oportunidad para los voluntarios mas experienciados a ver los pibes de nuevo, y los nuevos voluntarios conocerlos

La información que necesitas- nos reunimos enfrente de Congreso (rivadavia 1800) a las 1:15pm este domingo (10 Abril). De alla iremos a buscar los pibes y llevarlos al museo.

El evento para recaudar fondos el viernes pasado

Hola a todos,

Gracias a todos los que llevaron amigos al evento del viernes en Pagana, para recaudar fondos para el club. Recaudamos 500 pesos y tuvimos la oportunidad a hablar con bastante gente sobre del club. Ahora podemos usar el dinero para sopotar nuestras actividades con los pibes. 

La idea es hacer un evento distinto cada mes para recaudar fondos. Voy a continuar buscando lugares donde podemos hacer eventos y pensando en ideas nuevas. Por favor, avisenme si tienen algunas ideas en el aspecto de nuestras actividades.

Hi everybody, 
Thanks to everyone who invited friends to the event on Friday in Pagana to raise money for the club. We raised 500 pesos and we had the opportunity to talk to plenty of people about the club. Now we can use the extra money to support our activities with the children. 

The idea is to do a different event each month to raise money. I will continue looking for places where we can do events and be thinking about new ideas. Please, let me know if you have any ideas in this respect.

Evento para los pibes/ Event for the kids

Hola a todos,

Estoy haciendo un evento para generar fondos para el club en Pagana Bar (Vincente Lopez 2134, Recoleta) este viernes 1 de Abril. La entrada sera 35 pesos y incluye 1 frizze. He creado un evento en facebook entonces por favor, si puedes ir, ve y uñe el evento.
Si tienen preguntas pueden enviarme un mail a esta direccion mowazzy_d@hotmail.com o la direccion que puse en el evento maisie.davies@hotmail.co.uk. Y por favor, inviten tus amigos!!! Necesitamos lo mas gente posible. Para cada entrada de 35 pesos, recibemos nosotros 20 pesos.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199306106756739

Podamos distribuir volantes la misma noche, mientras esta pasando el evento para decir gente en la calle que deben ir! Y tambien, debemos distruibir volantes en los dias antes. He disenado un volante - si quieren ayudar por distribuirlos, enviame un mail a una de las direcciones arriba. Tambien seria genial si pueden distribuirlos entre amigos, en tus escuelas/universidades/

trabajos etc.

Por favor, necesito voluntarios para ayudar durante la noche el viernes, avisame si pueden ayudar!

Gracias!!

Espero que nos veamos alli a la fiesta!

Hi everybody,

I am doing an event to raise money for the club and it will be Friday 1st of April in Pagana Club (Vicente Lopez, 2134, Recoleta). The entrace fee will be 35 pesos and it will include a frizze. I have created an event in facebook so please if you can go, take a look and join the event. If you have any questions please send me an email to this address mowazzy_d@hotmail.com or you can send it to my other address maisie.davies@hotmail.co.uk. And please, invite your friends! We need as many people to go as possible. For each entrance fee of 35 pesos, we receive 20 pesos.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199306106756739

Perhaps we could distribute fliers the same night, whilst the event is happening to invite people in the street to come. Also, we should distribute fliers in the days before Friday. I have designed a flier and can send it to anyone who wishes to help if they send an email to the above email addresses. It would be great if you could distribute them between friends as well as in your schoosl/universities/workplaces etc.

Also, I really need volunteers to help me during the night on Friday - if anyone would be able to help out please send me an email!

Thanks

I hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Maisie

Sigamos buscando/We Continue looking

Hi everyone,
unfortunately our plans to open the club in conjuction with the Pibes de Playon have fallen through, as a result we are still looking for a new place for the club. Don't worry, we are looking as hard as we can to try and find a new place for our pibes, and hopefully is won't be long until we can get the club running as usual! Despite our lack of a new home, we are still meeting and seeing the pibes; a new outing with the pibes will be posted in the near future, and more news as to the progress of our search!

Hope everyone is well,
Rafa

Hola todos,
desasfortunadamente nuestros planes para abrir el club con los 'Pibes de Playon' se vino abajo, por lo tanto todavia estamos buscando un nuevo lugar para el club. No se preocupen, estamos buscando por todas partes para intentar encontrar un nuevo lugar para nuestros pibes, y ¡esperamos que no pase mucho tiempo hasta que el club comienze a funcionar normalmente! A pesar de que nos falta un nuevo hogar, todavia nos estamos reuniendo y viendo a los pibes. Publicaremos una nueva salida con los pibes en nuestro blog, y más noticias sobre el progreso de nuestra búsqueda!

Espero que todos estén bien,
Rafa

Nuevo lugar para el club / New place for the club!

Lucie and Rossi went to speak with Christina, the director of a cooperative for work in la Boca called Los Pibes del Playón: (http://pibesdelplayon.blogspot.com/ ). They were put in contact with her through the Sustainable Tourism Network of la Boca and Barracas (http://www.redbocabarracas.org.ar/ ).

"Los Pibes del Playon" makes alfajores with young adults in the neighbourhood, gives craft workshops, promotes small enterprises, they have a lot of projects... They receive subsidies from the city government. With these subsidies, they have a place in which to serve snacks and.... where they give workshops for the kids in the neighbourhood (eg puppet workshops.)

Christina suggested to us, while we apply for registration and subsidies in order to have our own place, that we could do our activities with them in their snack area. They are open from Monday to Friday from 16h30 to 19h. The idea is to go there to do our activities once and we will see how it goes.

So we have very good news, we can resume the activities of the club!

Now we have to organize and decide when to start. The idea is to organize committees to share the work and to be more effective in managing the club. We have to build several small groups that would take care of the blog, emails, preparation of workshops and the club timetable, planning meetings, organization of trips, organizing fundraising events, legal issues, the accounting ...

So, Lucie proposes to hold a meeting on Wednesday 9 March at her house again. It is important that you come to this meeting so we can see how best to organize ourselves.

***** Please tell us when you prefer to meet: at 11h, at 14h, at 16h, at 18h? *****

Lucie’s number: 11 61 22 66 22 Lucie’s address: call her or send us a message

Thanks!

Club Union de los Pibes

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Hola a todos !

Espero que estén bien.

Ayer con Rossi, fuimos a hablar con Christina, la directora de una cooperativa social de trabajo de la Boca que se llama « Los Pibes del Playón »: http://pibesdelplayon.blogspot.com/ . Me puse en contacto con ella por un mensaje que mandé a la Red Sostenible de turismo de la Boca y Barracas que les aconsejo (si quieren hacer una visita interesante de estos barrios y conocer más las iniciativas sociales, culturales, económicas de los vecinos): http://www.redbocabarracas.org.ar/

“Los Pibes del Playón” fabrica alfajores artesanales con adultos y jóvenes del barrio, da talleres de artesanía, fomenta microemprendimentos, tienen un montón de proyectos…. Reciben subsidios del gobierno de la ciudad. Con estos subsidios, tienen un local que sirve de merendero y…. donde dan talleres a los pibes del barrio (taller de títeres).

Christina nos propuso, mientras saquemos la registración y subsidios para tener nuestro propio lugar, hacer nuestras actividades con ellos en el merendero. Están abiertos del lunes al viernes de las 16h30 hasta las 19h. La idea es ir una vez ahí a hacer nuestras actividades y vamos probando.

Así que tenemos una noticia buenísima, podemos reanudar con las actividades del club!!!!

Ahora nos tenemos que organizar y decidir cuando empezamos. La idea es organizarnos en comisiones para compartir el trabajo y ser más eficaz en la gestión del club. Tenemos que armar varios grupitos que se encargarían del blog, de los mails, de la preparación de los talleres, la planificación de las reuniones, de la organización de salidas, de la organización de eventos de recaudación de fondos, de los temas legales, la contabilidad...

Entonces, les propongo hacer una reunión el miércoles 9 de marzo en mi casa otra vez. Es importante que vengan a esta reunión para saber como nos organizamos,

***** dígannos cuando prefieren que nos veamos: a las 11h, a las 14h, a las 16h, a las 18h? *****

Mi número: 11 61 22 66 22

Llaménme o mandénme un mail para saber la dirección

Besos

Lucie

Un submarino con los niños en la Estación Constitución

El miércoles 23 de febrero, nos encontramos con los voluntarios en plaza Congreso y recibimos a dos nuevas voluntarias, Myrte y Sarah.

Mala suerte, llovió justo el día que habíamos planifica el pic-nic!!!! Decidimos igual de no suspender la salida y en vez de ir a un café con los niños. A los niños, les gusta mucho ir a un café, porque es una oportunidad que nunca tienen. Les hace sentir grandes y les da el sentimiento de estar incluidos en actividades reservadas usualmente a la otra gente.

De Congreso, fuimos a Constitución y de allí caminamos para ir a recoger primero a Katie que estuvo contentísima y se pegó a Rafa en seguida. Después, fuimos a recoger a los otros niños en el conventillo: Mickaela y Martina, Nicolas y Jessica, Jacob, Mauricio, Natalia, Matias, Brian… Entre los voluntarios y los niños, éramos algo como 20 personas.

Con los niños, volvimos a la Estación de Constitución y nos sentamos en un café ubicado en el entre-piso. En el camino, dimos alfajores a los niños para que les compartan con los otros niños de la estación. En el café, los niños pidieron un submarino mientras los voluntarios tomaron un café. Algunas voluntarias habían cocinado tortas de chocolate ricísimas y llevado bolsitos de cereales que compartimos entre todos.

Jugamos, los niños sacaron fotos, dibujaron, escribieron… Fuimos varias veces en grupitos al baño y cada vez era un evento… y una oportunidad de correr en todos los lados…! Evidentemente, los niños estaban encantados como también los voluntarios, un gran parte de los cuales pasaban tiempo por primera vez con los niños. Para los voluntarios más antiguos, fue un enorme placer de volver a ver a los niños después de tanto tiempo!

Los niños se portaron como ángeles aunque dejamos las mesas del café en un quilombo total!!!! Al fin, acompañamos los niños hasta su casa respectiva.

Gracias a todos los voluntarios que participaron de esta salida muy linda con los niños! Y quedamos con la idea del pic-nic para la próxima salida!

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A hot chocolate with the kids at Estación Constitución

On Wednesday 23 February, we met with the volunteers in Paza Congreso and we welcomed two new volunteers Myrte and Sarah.

We had bad luck – it rained just on the day we had planned to have a pic-nic!!!! Nevertheless, we decided not to postpone the trip and instead we went to a café with the kids. The kids really enjoy going to a café because it is an opportunity that they rarely have, if ever. They can feel grown up and they can feel included in the activities that are usually reserved for other people.

From Congreso, we went to Constitución and from there we walked to go and first pick up Katie who was thrilled to see us and immediately started to play fight with Rafa! After, we went to pick up the other kids from the conventillo: Mickaela and Martina, Nicolas and Jessica, Jacob, Mauricio, Natalia, Matias, Brian… We were about 20 people altogether, between the volunteers and the kids.

We went back to Estación de Constitución with the kids and we sat in a café. On the walk there we had given them alfajores to share with the other kids who live and beg in and around the station buildings. In the café, the kids had a hot chocolate while the volunteers had a coffee. Some of the volunteers had baked wonderful chocolate cakes and other snacks to share with everyone.

We played games, the kids took photos, drew pitcures and wrote... We made several trips to the bathrooms and each time it was a bit of a mission... and an opportunity for the kids to run off in all directions! It was obvious that the kids were as happy as the volunteers to be on this outing. For many of the volunteers it was the first time they had spent time with the kids. For the volunteers who have been around a little longer, it was a great pleasure to see the kids again after such a long break.

The kids behaved like angels, although we did leave the coffee table in absolute mess!! At the end of the day, we accompanied the kids back to their respective homes.

Thanks to all the volunteers who participated in this lovely outing with the kids! And we still have the idea of a picnic for the next outing!

Visita a los niños y búsqueda de un lugar !

Las actividades de Club de los Pibes siguen a pesar de que no tengamos un nuevo espacio todavía. Primero, gracias a todas las nuevas voluntarias que se sumaron a la reunión del viernes y que nos acompañaron esta semana!!!! Gracias Sioned, Siobhan y Elisabeth! Nos da mucha motivación para seguir adelante ver que el interés de voluntarios de todo el mundo sigue surgiendo!

Luego de la reunión de voluntarios del viernes 11 de febrero, decidimos organizar un PICNIC CON LOS NIÑOS EL MIERCOLES 23 de FEBRERO EN EL PARQUE (A LAS 11h00). VAMOS A COMER, JUGAR, HACER ACTIVIDADES Y PASARLA BIEN CON LOS NIÑOS!!!

Si te gustaría venir con nosotros, contactanos en:

uniondelospibes@gmail.com

Entonces, el miércoles 16 y el jueves 17, en el sol y el calor del verano bonaerense, fuimos a visitar a los niños para avisarlos del pic-nic, con flyers, alfajores y chupetines…! Nos encontramos a las 11h00 en la Plaza Congreso al frente del monumento grande. De allí, tomamos el colectivo n°12 hasta Constitución donde compramos los alfajores y los chupetines. Seguimos caminando hasta Montes de Oca y luego hasta el conventillo donde viven una parte de los niños. Tuvimos el placer de ver a Mickaela, Nicolas, Jessica y a otros niños de allí que invitamos al pic-nic.

Descubrimos un local al lado del conventillo que es para alquilar. El local es chiquito así que no sabemos todavía si vamos a instalarnos allí. Fuimos después a la casa de Mauricio, Javier, Ariel y Brian. Encontramos a Brian y le dimos el flyer, pues a la casa de Alexis y nos encontramos con su abuelo que estuvo muy alegre con la idea del pic-nic! El jueves, continuamos nuestras visitas y fuimos hasta la Boca. Seguimos averiguando para un nuevo lugar.

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A visit to the kids and the search for a new home!

The activities of Club Union de los Pibes are continuing despite the fact that we have still not found a suitable new home. First of all, thank you to all the new volunteers who came along to the volunteers’ meeting last Friday and to those who accompanied us this week!!!! Thanks Sioned, Siobhan and Elisabeth! The continued interest from new volunteers from all around the world gives us great motivation to keep going!

Following the volunteers’ meeting of Friday 11 February, we decided to organise a PICNIC IN THE PARK WITH THE KIDS ON WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY AT 11H00. WE’LL EAT, PLAY, DO ACTIVITIES AND HAVE A GREAT DAY OUT WITH THE KIDS!!!

If you would like to join us, contact us at:

uniondelospibes@gmail.com

So, on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th February, in the sun and summer heat of Buenos Aires, we went to visit the kids to let them know about the picnic, with flyers, alfajores (cookies) and lollipops...! We met at 11h00 in the square at Congreso in front of the big monument. From there we took the n°12 bus to Constitución where we bought the alfajores and lollipops. We continued on foot to Montes de Oca and later we reached the ‘conventillo’ (*) where some of the children live. We had the pleasure of seeing Mickaela, Nicolas, Jessica and some others of the children from the area and we invited them to the picnic.

We also discovered a place just next to the conventillo that was for rent. The place is quite small so we are still not sure if we will set up the club there. Afterwards, we went to the house where Mauricio, Javier, Ariel y Brian live. We met Brian and we gave him the flyer. At Alexis’s house, we met his grandmother who was very happy at the idea of the picnic! On Thursday, we continued our visits and went to la Boca. We continue our search for a new home for the club.

Rossi distribuyendo el flyer a los niños / Rossi giving flyers to the kids

Primer encuentro de las nuevas voluntarias con los niños /

The new volunteers meet the kids for the first time

Maisie, Lucie, Rossi y Sioned al fin de nuestro recorrido en Barracas y la Boca /

Maisie, Lucie, Rossi and Sioned at the end of our visits to Barracas and la Boca

Gracias a Maisie por las fotos! / Thanks to Maisie for the photos!

Próximo encuentro: el lunes 21 de febrero a las 16h en Almagro, para cambiar el proyecto del club y preparar el pic-nic.

Next volunteers’ meeting: Monday 21st February at 16h00 in the Almagro area. To work on the mission statement documents of the club and to prepare for the picnic.

* Conventillos is the name given to the tenements/shared housing that is characteristic of the neighbourhoods of Barracas and La Boca and are where most of the kids who use the club live. Conventillos tend to share a common, central outdoor patio, off which doors lead to small rooms and private quarters. In San Telmo, for example, the large, grand mansion houses were partitioned and converted into conventillos. In La Boca, the iconic, brightly painted Conventillos of the Caminito pay homage to the housing hastily built by immigrants and dock workers in the early 1900s. These original conventillos were made from from scrap metal and wood salvaged from old ships and then brightened up and decorated with left over paint from the port. For our kids, the reality of living in today's conventillos, in some of the most deprived areas of Buenos Aires, is sadly less colourful and visiting them at their homes makes us realise how important the activities and support of Club Union de los Pibes is for them.

Fundraising in Finland

THANK YOU JENNI!!! for organising a great fund-raising event in Helsinki, Finland in order to help our kids.

The event took place in January 2011 and the money raised was split between three charities chosen by the organisers; Club Union de los Pibes in Argentina, Long Way Home in Guatemala (http://longwayhomeinc.org/en/index) and OCEAN Nepal/Ramro Shati orphanage in Nepal (http://www.oceannepal.org/).

It's always amazing to see so many of our volunteers doing so much for the kids at the club, even when they are so far away! We cannot begin to express how much it means to us to know that when a volunteer leaves to go home, they carry with them a place in their hearts for each of the kids and the club.

Everyone at Club Union de los Pibes sends huge thanks to Jenni (who will be coming back to volunteer again in March), to her friends in Helsinki and all the wonderful people involved in making the event a success. In fact, Jenni says it was such a success that they hope to make it an annual event!

It was a great event, there were 7 Finnish rock bands playing! Great people all of them.

The event was held in a bar/restaurant called Villi Wäinö.

There was also an Instant Tattoo company selling instant tattoos.

All the profit from the event was also donated to the three different voluntary organizations.

GRACIAS!!

Raise your glass to the kids of La Boca!

You have enjoyed the festivities of the Holiday Season and you welcomed in a Happy New Year.... now join me, and all the volunteers at Club Union de los Pibes (The Kids’ Union), and raise a glass to the children of la Boca!

You can start 2011 by making a positive difference to the lives of the kids of La Boca; click the buttons below now and donate the cost of a New Year’s drink to celebrate a brighter future for the kids of Barracas and La Boca with Club Union de los Pibes. The proceeds of donating your drink will go towards renting a new home for the club and towards activities for the kids.... and it might even help you keep that New Year's resolution you made!

You can donate in any currency with your debit/credit card using the PayPal donation buttons below. You do not need to join PayPal to use these buttons; look for the link near the card symbols on the left of the page that the button takes you to. (See notes below about Gift Aid and matched giving.)

Donate your glass: 2.50 GBP (approx 3.50 USD / 15 pesos)

Donate your bottle: 10.00 GBP (approx 15.00 USD / 60 pesos)

Donate a round from you and your friends: 25.00 GBP (approx 35 USD / 150 pesos)

Don't forget to ask if your employer runs a matched giving scheme. If you live in the UK, you can add Gift Aid to your donation: insert the message "This is a Gift Aid donation" in the optional message box on the confirmation of payment page.

If you’d like to make a donation of a different amount please use the buttons on the ‘donate’ page of our blog; http://uniondelospibes.blogspot.com/p/donate.html

More, less, whatever you can manage - we're all working together and it all counts!

Send a link to this page to your friends and family and ask them to join you in raising a glass to celebrate and support a new year of new possibilities for the kids at Club Union de los Pibes.

*** Our current fundraising total stands at 1106.27GBP: 69% of our target ***

***You and your friends can help us reach our target ***

Thank you for your support and Happy New Year!

Volunteer for free in Buenos Aires in 2011

Happy New Year from everyone at Club Union de los Pibes!

We wish all our volunteers and supporters - past, present and future - all the very best for their adventures and aspirations in the coming year. It is solely thanks to your continued efforts that Club Union de los Pibes will be able to help improve the lives of the kids of Barracas and La Boca during 2011... and beyond.

Club Union de los Pibes is your family in Buenos Aires. We have lots of experiences to offer you and we are looking forward to hearing from you!

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"I really enjoyed my time volunteering at the club. I was able to get to know some really amazing kids, a lot of great people from around the world and actually improved quite a bit with my Spanish. I liked the volunteering experience with the club because I was able to see how a community volunteer organization works and how it impacts the kids that are involved. It also helped me figure out my skills as a volunteer and what I'd like to improve on in the future."
Hannah Fox