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!!