Education Argentina Project #7483

Help underprivileged children code their future

by El Desafio Foundation

Help underprivileged children code their future

Project Report | Feb 9, 2012
Getting ready fof 2012 kick off!

By Mario Raimondi | Director

End year event 2011

It's summer in Argentina and in humid Rosario temperatures are reaching 38 degrees Celsius. Children are still in school holidays and there is not much activity in the city, everyone is having some relax time in the beach in Brazil or Argentina coast. But for us is completely different.

We've rented a new place of 190sqm in where we are gonna be able to receive 3 times more children and have much more programs for the community. We are working on the renovation of the place together with local architects, engineers, designers and experts that know how important it is to create the right environment to stimulate the kids. Renovations should start end of February and we should be ready by end April.

Our activities however have already started, and the children will come back to the program 1st of March. We are thrilled to know more children will join, it''s a nice mix of adrenaline and excitement.

Last year ended the best possible way. The children making and editing digital videos that later on were shown in our end year event in front of 400 people. This is a very special moment of the year for the kids and families, where they can show their work and achievements. It's also a good way of building bridges between the society in Argentina, bringing them all together and encouraging to connect in a new way. The public reacted very positive to the work done and we've gained support and donors.

2012 starts quite challenging and we are ready to go, and we would like to thank you for your support and ask you to please stay tuned. We can't succeed without your help!

Armando waiting to start the show

Links:

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Nov 9, 2011
Thank You - Update 3rd quarter 2011

By Jorn Wemmenhove | Co-founder & Creative Director

If you support our 'Garabato artistic workshop' you might have received the biggest part of this message already, but I want to share it with you -supporters of our e-learning program- too!

Normally we end a project report with thanking you, but this time I would like to start with it: thank you so much for your support, you are truly making the difference!

I co-founded El Desafío when I was 20 years old. As a Dutch person I was shocked by the poverty I came across when visiting Argentina, and felt it as my duty to do something about it. People told us to not even start, because it seemed impossible to even create the smallest change, but we kept on going and the results are proving we were right. Changing the world is not an easy job, and often you feel a bit alone, but more often you realize to be part of the 'army of the good'.

Last week Mario - the other co-founder - and I attented the Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit in London. Laureus is an organization supporting 'sport for good' projects all around the world, including our sports project. We met so many inspiring people doing great work in so many different countries, like Kenya, Ghana, US, South Africa and Argentina, and to know we belong to a group of changemakers is an honor and a great support.

Most of you I never met, but I do feel we are all part of the same team too, kicking poverty's ass, and I'm sure we will win! So that's why I want to thank you, because you are not just giving, but you, me, the great guys of GlobalGiving, we are in this together. And your support is therefore not just a gift, it means the world to us.

And more importantly, it means the world to all the children attending our programs. The e-learning project you are supporting is running smoothly. It is still one of the most innovative programs in the country, but we are currently in a process of innovation to improve it even more. Because media change, but also because we want to work more on the understanding of media: the so-called media-wisdom.

All children are rehearsing for a show they will be giving during our annual event on December, 6th. Every year they give a show for 500/600 people as part of an event to communicate to the community what we have been working on throughout the year. You can imagine the kids' excitement! We already made a great video, I will show you on December, 6th too. For some behind the scenes pictures I invite you to visit our Facebook page.

Thanks again for your generous donations. When visiting Argentina you are more than welcome to visit our programs and see with your own eyes what you are making possible.

You are probably supporting our e-learning program because you share our view on the importance of media. Last month Apple's CEO Steve Jobs passed away. Apart from a personal and family drama, many said it was a drama for humanity, because Jobs 'changed the world'. Personally I thought this was a bit too much, but he did make tools that can make the world a better place. I would like to hear from you how you think technology can do exactly this. And thanks for being one of the 'crazy ones', the ones who think different, and change the world, as said in this epic commercial.

I would also like to ask you for ideas and input that might help us grow our foundation so we can help more children. Do you have fundraising ideas? Do you have a contact who could help us out? Would you to be interested in organizing an Argentine fundraising party (we can provide with the materials and some fun ideas)? Please contact me on Facebook, Twitter or via mail: jorn.wemmenhove@eldesafio.org

Thanks a lot again and I wish you -on behalf of the whole organisation- a great holiday season!

Jorn Wemmenhove

Links:

http://www.eldesafio.org

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Aug 12, 2011
Update 2nd Quarter 2011

By Jorn Wemmenhove | Co-Founder & Creative Director

It's winter in Argentina. Normally this means that the attendance of the kids goes down, because of the cold, or because after a shower or storm the roads turn into mud and it's almost impossible to get to the school where we work. Fortunately the winter is not that cold, and the children like the e-learning program a lot, so the attendance is steady.

We have divided the children in two groups. The younger ones get classes on the basics of computing and in a very playful way they get used to the digital world. The program addresses the problems many kids have with reading and writing as well. With the older children we focus more on self-expression and media-literacy. We often take them out of the classroom and walk with them through their neighborhood taking pictures and making videos to see their reality from a different perspective. We work with these materials back at the school. This way of working is very new in Argentina, and we are striving to offer the best e-ducation in the country.

In order to promote this we are providing the teachers of the school we are collaborating with e-learning workshops. It's a real challenge, because the educational system in Argentina is very out-dated, but it's very important as well to give the children the quality eduction they need and deserve.

Your help and generous donations made all of this possible, and we are very grateful for this. In order to help more children we ask you to keep on supporting us by spreading the message or making your donation a monthly-recurring one. If you have any question, please drop us a line. Of course you are more than welcome to visit our programs and see the work we do with your own eyes. Last January on of the GlobalGiving In-The-Field volunteers Clarissa Driban visited us and it was great to share experiences together with the children.

Thanks a lot again and we wish you all the best!

https://www.facebook.com/ideamecom

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