I`VE NEVER BEEN TO AFRICA

My first experience in social work was a compulsory afterschool activity. It involved looking after children with unfavorable situations and helping them with their homework. It was an enriching experience, but I wasn’t happy with the little perspective I was able to give these kids, because of my short experience. Little did I know that this experience would be followed by many more in different NGO’S, in different countries, leading up to this; Más Por Ellos.

Slowly I learnt how these organizations work; the feeling of personal satisfaction which they give you. If I had to choose something, I would stick to the people that one meets in these type of projects; people that teach you how to value what really matters. Yes, this is what has made me write this. It’s difficult to recount or sum up all these experiences, but I can point out one which really made me want to make of these activities a part of my life.

It happened last year in Brazil, where I was studying architecture with three friends. Whenever we could we took some time off to travel. We would grab our backpacks, and dive into the adventure. Throughout these trips, we were lucky to find the organization: Un teto para meu pais (A roof for my country). This NGO provides module homes for helpless families in marginalized areas of South America. In Brazil they work in different ‘’favelas’’. The idea of getting to know a ‘’favela’’ from the inside, attracted me immediately.  I had no doubt I would sign up and offer my help.

We started off from Sao Pablo to Guarulhos, a small colony surrounded by different favelas. We settled in one of the schools in the community, and the people couldn’t have greeted us better. The plan was to live there for a few days and help in the construction of some houses. My experience was incredible, and from it, I took home many positive things. On the first day we met the different families we were going to help, bringing us closer to the inhabitants of the favela and witnessing their happiness whilst thanking us for our work. We were going to build them a house, but most importantly, we were going to give them a home. Their reaction gave us more strength and eagerness to start the construction.

During the following days, we worked hand in hand with different members of the favela. The cooperation of their community surprised me greatly. How could people that have nothing, offer their help and their time, whilst people that have everything, and therefore helping means less to them, don’t do it?

However, it wasn’t all hard work. We also had time to talk and hang out with the neighbors. We were invited for lunch at a different house every day where we lived the culture and customs of such a damaged community. It was an unforgettable experience.

I know Alvaro since I was a kid, and we always talked of our ideas and ways of seeing life… We mentioned it very often; some day we would build something together, but we never even thought it would be something so incredible. We embarked in another project, and I say ‘’another’’ because we had already tried the ‘’entrepreneur world’’ with an event business which never really took off.

I fell in love with Mas Por Ellos from the very first moment, and it took me less than two minutes (literally) to decide to form a part of the project. We began to take our first steps and built a strong, compromised team who really felt the project and defended it. We began polishing the idea, how to make it sustainable, how to involve technological innovation, how it would work…etc. In order to compare with professionals from this area, foreign to our organizations, who would be able to criticize our project, we participated in different entrepreneurship contests. This is how we have been improving day to day to reach this point and there is a lot more to come!! ‘’A lot more to come’’ which will be received with hope and desire to work, and if I can confess, with a little bit of fear from time to time. Thankfully, to soothe these brief moments of fear, we have all of you who from the outside, trust in this project and support us. Thank you!

I’ve never been to Africa, and this summer, finally, I will go. We will keep writing from Kenya, but our plan is to use this time over there to buy land on which we will build an orphanage and a school. I’ve never been to Africa, but everyone who’s been only tells me how easy it is to fall in love with it, how it has something different to everywhere else, how magic it is. I’ve never been to Africa, but I’m off!!!

Mesos