SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Chile
Young MIT Chile (Movement of the Teresian Association) has conducted volunteering experiences in different countries of Latin America during the last summer (January and February) in the Southern Hemisphere. The group, which currently has more than 95 young students, university students, and workers, has been active for over twenty years. In recent years they have promoted the work of Sociocultural Animation.
Experiences offered
- In Chile they have promoted summer and winter “Misiones” in La Serena (Region IV) and Summer Schools at "Teresa Brown de Ariztía" School in La Calera (V region).
- In Dominican Republic, the continued the work started by five young people in January and February 2014. 12 more people joined during the months from March to December.
- In Bolivia, Santa Cruz, ten volunteers participated. In Mexico, Leon, there were three.
During the year the young people are trained in leadership and animation with the idea of offering volunteering experiences. The following are the workshops they facilitate:
- Leadership I: Leadership and teamwork
- Leadership II: Leadership, dynamics, and animation
- Enneagram workshop on personality and human relationships
- Social Circus (clown, making toys, juggling)
- Body language, basic aerobatics, and acrosport,
- Trapeze, swing, hand to hand
- Cooperative games
- Laughter Therapy
- Theatre
- Yoga for children
- Storytelling
- Entertaining dance
Volunteering in Chile
Summer School
From January 5-8, 2015 137 children participated at "Teresa Brown de Ariztía" School, La Calera.. In the summer school they offered training workshops for young animators.
V International volunteering
Dominican Republic
January 25 -March 5, 2015. Facilitators in Santo Domingo: Paulina Diaz, Anto Herrera, Claudia Valenzuela and Beatriz Bravo.
- Hogar "Alta Gracia," 29 young people (14-19 years), workshops on Yoga, Enneagram, leadership and dance. "Santo Domingo" School (13-19 years), workshops on the Enneagram and leadership, and a workshop for faculty and staff of the School.
- Party: “Paula Escaño” Center: yoga and circus workshops.
The facilitators share their experience: "We are four young students, who belong to the Teresian Association . It was one of the most wonderful experiences we have experienced in our lives, we have grown a lot as people. What we loved about this volunteering experience was having contributed a little to 3 places in Santo Domingo where we trained people that will continue the work throughout the year. It is gratifying to know that what we lived in a month shall continue to be done throughout the year.”
The students are very happy about their experience sharing with people from other areas. They felt very welcome in Santo Domingo and they felt empowered to continue working for others.
Mexico
From January 22 to March 1, Camila Cares, Cristian Arismendi, and Denis Troncoso offered workshops at three different centers in Leon, Mexico.
Camila Cares recognizes that "a volunteering experience is always enriching, full of learning and personal formation, and this time it was no exception.” She adds that they had the opportunity to meet with people, learn from them, conduct workshops in rural settlements on the outskirts of the city, in areas without paved streets, without street lighting, water system and regular trash removal, but the people struggle with dignity every day for their rights. They had the opportunity to soak up the culture, customs and Mexican cuisine which people kindly shared with them. They helped children, young people, and women through theater workshops for children, cooperative games, and storytelling, among others. They emphasized the "Right to a life free of violence" which was a recurring and disturbing issue. Violence seemed obvious when children interacted with each other. Through storytelling and cooperative games they stressed the importance of family, respect, teamwork, and love.
With women of the colonies they had the opportunity to work through therapeutic theater workshops, focusing on giving them a break and allowing them to express the large and heavy work they have at hand. They also conducted laughter therapy workshops, in order to help them with their relationships to promote camaraderie, fellowship, and thus help them in their daily living.
All the volunteers felt privileged and happy for the experience. They felt welcome by the local people with open arms.
Bolivia
From January 24-31, Felipe Salas, Paula Campos, Jared Arroyo, Constanza San Juan, Rocio Diaz, Nazaret Dominguez, Felipe Avila, Guillermo Blanco, Simón Duarte and Jonattan Ureta went to “Madre India” Center in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. There they conducted workshops with youth and neighborhood children.
Rocio Diaz has been doing volunteer work for five years and she recognizes that every time these experiences are different and leave them with different feeling and emotions. The volunteers conducted workshops on cultures, games, dances, Christology, leadership, Enneagram, etc.
“At "Madre India" Center we found a pleasant surprise, children were completely different, they had other customs, but they were just as beautiful as children in Chile,” says Rocío.
With the children they enjoyed social circus workshops (trapeze, fabric, hand to hand flags, juggling), where they had several hours full of energy, joy, enthusiasm, affection, and trust. The volunteers tried to make the children aware that, through effort and continued struggle, they can achieve the things they set out to do.
Everyone was very grateful for the opportunity to go to other countries and for the acceptance they experienced. Rocío sums up her experience by saying: “I can say that I will continue volunteering while God gives me life, because this is what fills the soul with happiness, this is what is causing changes in people, going about doing good, creating ties, healing hearts."
Info.IT
Information and photos: MIT Chile