We have been volunteering at a wonderful organization called Fundacion Arte Del Mundo, often times refered to as La Biblioteca Interactiva, or just ‘The Bib’. One of the perks of volunteering for 2 months at the same location is the relationship we’ve made with the children the foundation serves and the other perk is definitely meeting other amazing volunteers. Below is story of one of the days at The Bib, told by American volunteer Sheila.
Sports Day
Sports Day, held on May 20, provided the children of La Biblioteca Interactiva with an opportunity to get out of the foundation and enjoy the nature that surrounds Baños. More importantly, it allowed the children to partake in group activities which stressed teamwork. The children during the outing benefited from the volunteers organization and enthusiasm. The way in which the outing was planned and organized reflects the dedication of the volunteers and volunteer coordinators.
Sports Day at Fundacion Arte Del Mundo
I worked as a referee, along with a couple other volunteers. During the meeting to determine what each volunteer’s role would be, I was a bit confused as to why we needed multiple referees. This became quite clear once the games began. It was difficult to not laugh for the entirety of the races at some of the children’s blatant attempts at cheating. The dedication to their team was hilarious and adorable.
Video created by Alisha
The organization of the volunteers paired with excitement from the children created the most fun of atmospheres. The teams were broken up into groups of about six or seven, headed by a volunteer whose main job was to get the kids fired up for their teammates. The volunteers soon learned though that the kids needed no extra motivation to be as loud as possible for their teammates. One of the most memorable aspects of Sports Day stemmed from this. The bigger kids helped out the smaller ones, while the smaller ones exerted the most impassioned and pure excitement for their teams.
Sports Day, like any good sporting event, was a rollercoaster. While it appeared one team about halfway through the event would take it all in the end, it soon became clear that it was anyone’s guess as to who would be the ganadores. The last of the events came down to a tie-breaker situation. Emotions were high, perhaps most evident in little Melanie’s jumping up and down for the entirety of the tie-breaker. Writing this some time after the event, it’s difficult to even recall which team won. This I think is indicative of how great of a day it was for the children and the volunteers
Sheila McNair
Sheila is a graduate student pursuing a Masters degree in library and information science at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. She plans on working in an academic library setting with a focus in user services. Sheila choses to spend the summer volunteering, and currently finds herself with Lainie & Miro sharing experiences at Arte del Mundo in Banos, Ecuador.
Sheila has traveled throughout Europe and finds herself for the first time in South America, where Sheila can utilize her knowledge of the Spanish language.
Sheila blogs about her volunteer experiences here.
Images from Sports Day
**All photos by Lainie Liberti
Lainie Liberti is a recovering branding expert, who’s career once focused on creating campaigns for green – eco business, non-profits and conscious business. Dazzling clients with her high-energy designs for over 18 years, Lainie lent her artistic talents to businesses that matter. But that was then.
In 2008, after the economy took a turn, Lainie decided to be the change (instead of a victim) and began the process of “lifestyle redesign,” a joint decision between both her and her 11-year-old son, Miro. They sold or gave away all of of their possessions in 2009 and began a life of travel, service, and exploration. Lainie and her son Miro began their open-ended adventure backpacking through Central and South America. They are slow traveling around the globe allowing inspiration to be their compass. The pair is most interested in exploring different cultures, contributing by serving, and connecting with humanity as ‘global citizens.’
Today Lainie considers herself a digital nomad who is living a location independent life. She and her son write and podcast their experiences from the road at Raising Miro on the Road of Life.
