Director's Note

It is quite an honor to be writing my first article as Executive Director of VE Global.  I have spent the better part of the last three weeks meeting with the Directors, Volunteers, Institution Heads, and Friends of VE Global and have been struck by the energy, passion and motivation that thrive within each individual associated with this organization.  Luke Winston and the rest of the VE Global team have built a strong support network of people and organizations throughout the years that are strongly united by the common goal of serving the underprivileged children of Santiago, Chile.  As a new member of this team, I am excited to help the organization grow with the passion that is present today.
My volunteering in Chile began 12 years ago, in the north of Chile in a small desert town; to this day I can still remember the excitement of winding down the dirt road, into the desert valley.  We had traveled to a small town named Pachica, located in the heart of the Atacama Desert, to work with students in an agricultural boarding school.  It bewildered me to imagine that an agricultural school could be located in what appeared to be a forgotten valley in the driest desert in the world.  Without regard, or at least any noticeable griping, for the unrelenting desert sun, our team of volunteers enthusiastically worked, supported and motivated one another each day of work.  During the day we repaired and constructed new facilities, while in the afternoons I was afforded time to run around playing soccer or participating in various activities with the students.  Even in the toughest conditions, these children had a hope that transcended this desolate valley in which they lived.  The hope that I witnessed in each child and the determination that each volunteer embodied is what I now see in each child, volunteer, social worker, and staff member associated with VE Global.
The VE Global momentum is building here in Santiago and it can be felt by each member of our ever expanding team.  Based on the work of Luke, the current and previous Directors and volunteers, and the many other friendships that have developed along the way, the VE Global team is on course to even greater accomplishments; new projects are sprouting from our volunteers and directors to better prepare the children for school, sports, arts and the world outside of their communities.  I am excited to be a part of this community that reflects the values and enthusiasm that I came to understand from the children and volunteers on my first trip to Chile. 
I look forward to sharing with everyone our yearly objectives and projects in the coming weeks.  We have a lot of work ahead of us, but even more good to be done!

Sincerely,
Brooke Lloyd
Executive Director

VEGlobal (VE) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing equality of opportunity to Chilean children and ending cycles of poverty and child abuse. Volunteers come from around the world to form a citywide team working daily in 14 independent orphanages, community centers and schools in Santiago. We develop and implement a variety of programs in education, recreation, culture and resource management. VEGlobal Network is our network of volunteers that have left Santiago but currently continue their service from North America, South America, Europe and Asia. VE has no religious affiliation.

Inside VE Global 

How does one say goodbye?

How does one say goodbye? How does one make sure that every child, friend, or place that has touched his heart knows how much they have changed his life? Four and a half years ago I was forced to ponder this question more than ever. That was before the adventure called VE truly started, and before I finally let the flood that is life carry me where it would. That question seemed big then, but now it seems almost impossible to grasp.
As with more than 200 volunteers before me, the time has come to say goodbye, and with a despedida come memories. The early days of living in Hogar Esperanza, waking up early to drive the little members of my new family to school. The first months filled with dreams of something bigger for them and others. The trips around Santiago finding new partners seeking to create a brighter future for the children they serve. Five years feels like five lives as I fly over the experiences, joys, obstacles, failures and successes of my time in Chile.

Yet the sadness in leaving is overcome by the pride and joy of what we have created. The dreams and idealistic debates have turned to concrete action accompanied by even bigger visions for the future. A website turned to a rush of volunteers, who created an organization and took its mission to touch the lives of 1,000 children. VE now exists on two continents and provides 70,000 hours of opportunities, love and positive role models each year.

My biggest fear in leaving in my first year was that my work would quickly dry up and whither away in the sands of time. As I prepare to leave in four days time, I smile as I say to myself, "We finally did it." The VE team is stronger than ever, and the last month of work with our new Executive Director, Brooke Lloyd, only makes me more confident in the quickly growing success of our work. I can only think that in one year's time our impact will be twice as significant as it has been in the last four years.

But still, how do I say goodbye? The answer, I have come to believe, is that I don't have to. Yes, I am leaving Santiago, but, as I say to our volunteers, "once a VE volunteer, always a VE volunteer." Time will surely bring my feet back to these shores, but our work in Chile is only the beginning. Our global network of supporters and volunteers continues to grow, and I am excited to join you in cheering VE's work from all corners of the planet. Someday VE will be there too.

A new class, june 2008

Everyone comes to Santiago for different reasons. Since arriving one month ago, we have gotten to know volunteers from different countries, from different backgrounds, and with different life experiences. The decision to travel and commit time to volunteering is a personal one; some come to VE to gather new experiences, some to continue their work with children, while others are here to break free of their routine lifestyles back home and get out of their comfort zones. Regardless of the backgrounds and reasons for being in Santiago, all of the volunteers are somehow able to unite and function as one unit – as one person with one vision. The past experiences of these people, good and bad, all play a crucial role in the larger group effort. The “VE Vibe” –or- “la onda”, was apparent upon our first interactions with the volunteers. The excitement and passion of everyone involved is inspiring. Imagine a workplace where everyone is there not for money, prestige or accolades, but simply because they wholeheartedly believe in the mission that they are charged with working towards -this is something special.

From the beginning of our arrival, all of the new volunteers were excited to get to know the children and the institutions. It wasn’t long until we had the chance to see the relationships between the volunteers and children. After a fun week of orientation and preparation, we finally got to see the children in action! The relationships that have been formed between the volunteers and children were made evident recently while visiting an after-school program.  Within seconds of the volunteer entering, the children swarmed their beloved “tio”, wrapping their little bodies around him, sitting on his feet, screaming his name. They know that with this person, and with the volunteers in their institution, they have trust, support, and love. Regardless of the volunteer’s motivation for being there, and regardless of the child’s circumstances, it is then, at that moment, that a connection has been made, something has changed, and VE has served its purpose.

 Projects

emotional education

By Susana Capell (Spain)

To know how we feel, what hurt´s us, what offends us, what we enjoy -- in short, everything that impacts our state of mind -- is worked out in the Emotional Education Project. It's important to have the resources and tools to cope with our emotional world, so we can live in a state of balance and harmony, know how we are, recognize the things that affect or damage us and know how to face them, and channel them in a positive way.

In the shelter Aldea María Reina, an Emotional Education project is being developed among 40 girls between 13- and 22-years-old. These youth have suffered a violation of their rights and liberties, in some cases even suffering psychological, personal and physical abuses.

The project is designed with a global framework, including every aspect of girls' daily life. By exploring both the present and the future, we are attempting to shed some light on the following subjects: self-esteem, self-expression, self-conception, affective links, socialization, impulse control, self-signification, attachment, abandonment situations, instances of physical or psychological abuse, emotional therapy,... basically every aspect affecting the emotional side of each teenager. The work intends, as much as is possible, to help the girls overcome emotional obstacles and to remove themselves from the social risks in which they might find themselves, with the goal of building emotional linkages and improving their socialization process.

The objectives set forth in this project for each girl are, firstly, personal and integral development; secondly, preparation for the future and vital signification; and finally, emotional education.

The activities that will be initiated in order to reach the mentioned objectives are diverse.  That being said, all the activities are designed to be dynamic and interesting for the teenagers, and to engender a sense of openness, creativity, and singularity. Some examples of the activities are: musical therapy, musical creation, Hatha Yoga and relaxation techniques, dancing, feelings and colors, group dynamics, body and emotional expression, non-verbal communication, motor skills games, debates about current events, film showings followed by discussions, and self-reflection.

This project is based in the Socioconsctructivist and Significative psychological perspective, working with the Communicative Action methodology. It proceeds through dialog itself and dialectic action with each teenager, all in a spirit of cooperation.

A repair day to remember, anakena

On June 14, 2008 over thirty volunteers gathered at Colegio Anakena to participate in a renovation project aimed at improving the resources and structures of the school.  With the help of these volunteers and the generosity of Scott Doores, Voluntarios de la Esperanza created a beautiful new computer lab, provided a newly painted wall for the kids to design and cover with a mural of their own, and reconstructed the deteriorating structures on the playground.
Anakena, a school for children with special needs, had only three working computers and a play structure in desperate need of attention prior to this project. Several volunteers worked on making the environment safe and clean, factors which are often taken for granted, while others built a new roof and redesigned the structure in order to ensure sustainability and durability. In addition, near the entrance of the school, many volunteers scraped, sanded, and repainted a large stretch of wall intended to be a blank canvas for the students to display their own art. Finally, in the adjacent room, Scott Doores and his two sons worked many hours to design and implement a beautiful new computer lab complete with nice counter tops and flat screen monitors. Working with them was our computer savvy volunteer installing all of the software on each of the new computers and preparing them for internet access.
All of the volunteers worked long and hard to reconstruct a safe and pleasant environment, and were rewarded with a delicious spaghetti lunch from the tias (teachers) of the school who described this event as “a gift from God.” The director of the school was moved to tears in thanking Scott Doores, his two sons, and all of the volunteers for their generosity, time, and extreme efforts in making a dream come true.

VE Around the Globe

How our friends see us: Quique

By Pablo Maldonado (Spain)

A year ago I was preparing myself for my exams in England.  It was warm already, but I was living under the constant threat of the rain. It was during this period when Quique told me that he was going to Chile to be a social volunteer. At that point he was in Geneva, working for a big multinational company.  I met Quique more or less seven years ago, and I had the good fortune of having a great understanding with him from the beginning, which allowed us to have a sincere relationship.

I remember that the first sensation that I felt was pride. There he was, a guy in his early twenties that had managed to join a big multinational corporation, with an incredible salary and working in one of the most important cities in the world. And he was leaving everything in order to go to Santiago de Chile and lend a helping hand. Without a doubt, Quique surprised me again.

I guess that I told him to be careful, that he should think about it, that he didn't need to go to the other side of the world to help people, that there were closer neighborhoods where his help could be useful as well, but I now recognize that I said these things out of pure egotism. I didn't want him to be away for 6 months (then 12 months).

As I said, the first thing I felt was pride, I remember that I spent more than a week telling everyone that I had a friend rejecting a life of extreme comfort in order to go to Chile as a volunteer, working with children, helping. Certainly I was excited for him.

Since then lots of things have happened, we were together in Spain for several months and we had time to talk about his volunteering. Only he himself can explain why he did it, not me. My view is a different one, the view of he who stayed at home, carrying on with his life, envying the initiative of my friend, and missing him almost every day.

Now I have learned that if everyone did a volunteer program, not necessarily going to Chile for a year but something as simple as working in your own neighborhood for fifteen days, the world would be a better place. Quique realized that and decided to jump in head first.

He had lot of chances to have a great experience, that is, that he could have a six month experience helping children in Santiago to smile a bit more often.  But it was even better, when he was about to come back he was offered to stay for six more months. I think it was then that the pride that I felt previously became admiration.