Voluntourism

We often receive requests (mostly from Canada and the US) wanting to be involved in our work.  Our first question is whether the person or group wants to help our organization or volunteer overseas in one of the projects we support or organizations we have partnered with.  Almost 100% are interested in traveling and wanting to attain first hand experience in: international development; be immersed in local culture and language; and contribute to bettering the world.  Within the first few years of our launch, we would travel to visit communities and often sent volunteers to complete project site visits and/or volunteer for a day to learn more about projects and how they operate. We never sent volunteers to do actual hands on work until the past few years.  We have successfully partnered with organizations and individuals to travel to our projects and help complete initiatives or volunteer to help in the day to day activities in schools, orphanages and communities.

Lately, we have seen a rise in people traveling abroad to gain experience and see the world through volunteering. In our current research, we have learned that the term 'voluntourism' has created a global industry.  A recent article stated that:

"An entire industry has sprouted out of voluntourism as it increases in popularity, possibly equal to the increase in global inequality."

As voluntourism expands worldwide, not-for-profit organizations (including Isa Mundo) are being asked to assess whether it does more harm than good in communities by sending volunteers who are not well equipped or experienced to accomplish tasks they have been given or are looking for.  For Isa Mundo, we are committed to identify volunteers by matching their skills with appropriate activities or tasks. We will continue to optimize and evaluate this process and ensure that organizations and communities are receiving appropriate and quality volunteer service. At the same time, the volunteers are gaining valuable hands on skills while enriching their cultural experience.

We would like to share a CBC Doc Zone report that was recently shown this week. We feel that it is important that everyone watch this documentary as a starting point for discussion and determining if volunteering internationally is the right decision for current and future volunteers.

CBC Doc Zone - Volunteers Unleashed

United Nations - Millennium Development Goals

When we offiically launched the Isa Mundo Foundation in 2006, we attached our education theme and projects to one of the UN Millennium Development Goals which is to provide access to basic primary education by 2015.

We have been successful in supporting and delivering this initiative through the creation of our Isa Mundo Education Centre (IMEC) concept in developing countries.  Since our launch, we have established IMECs in the Philippines (2), Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. We hope to complete another IMEC by end of 2015 as part of our commitment to provide access to basic primary education in less fortunate students and communities worldwide.

To review the education target for 2015, visit the website at UN Millennium Development Goals for Education.

Photo Banner taken from UN Website

The HiVE

The HiVE is a co-working space located in a renovated heritage building near Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The facility has been gathering individuals and organizations to collaborate in a shared space since 2011. There has been a global trend in working in a virtual space with start up companies, individuals and organizations trying to find affordable work spaces.  Members do not just share infrastructure and amenities - they are working in a collaborative environment that was developed to turn good ideas into reality with a focus on addressing local and global issues in a creative and meaningful way.

The HiVE, as they proudly describe on their website:

" ... supports and amplifies the social impact sector in Vancouver; we do this by mixing one-part      shared-space with one-part collaboration and a dash of love. Our community is made up of over 150 individuals and organizations within the social entrepreneurship, sustainability, tech and creative sectors all working to make the world a better place"

Isa Mundo Foundation is now a part of this community of change makers and thinkers and will continue to be in the future.  The Foundation moved into the HiVE full time in 2014 and completed our first year. During that span, we were able to meet energetic new entrepreneurs, small established businesses and potential funding opportunities. We held individual and group meetings in their open concept space and and developed ideas in their "hot desks" and open kitchen.

The idea of the HiVE fits well with our focus on finding innovative ideas to complete our projects but done in a collaborative way.  The shared space concept also aligns with what we hope to build within our own projects focusing on education and child centred facilities - one of sharing resources, information and space to better individuals and communities.

To learn more about the HiVE, please visit their website at www.hivevancouver.com

Photo taken from HiVE website.

Happy New Year, Bonne année, Feliz año nuevo, Manigong Bagong Taon

We would like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone and all the best in 2015! And a big thank you to those who supported us and followed our work throughout the year.

It has been a great year for the Isa Mundo Foundation as we completed yet another year of community visits and project completions.

It was a very busy year of researching, emailing, networking, grant writing, travels, meetings, forming partnerships and project completions. A few highlights included:

• A site visit to Mexico in February to see the IMEC in Volcanes, the new facility being constructed for Pasitos de Luz called Casa Connor and being introduced to the Families of the Dump organization doing great work for children and families in poor communities.

• We completed a fundraising campaign and partnered with Red Cross to help rebuild the lives of those who suffered from the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in March of this year.

• The Electronics Recycling Association partnered with the Isa Mundo Foundation and donated used laptops and other technological supplies to support our IMEC. We are grateful for the first 25 laptops they have provided for us.

• One of the biggest highlights of the year was help organize the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group (Rovers) trip to Puerto Vallarta and to visit the Volcanes Primary School.  After more than a year of planning, the Rovers traveled in May to complete their International Service Project over a two week period.

• October brought us back to Mexico to complete our last project site visit of the year. The trip was to discuss how to support Casa Connor as they progress to complete the facility for the children and youth of Pasitos de Luz.  We also visited Volcanes to take photos for the Rovers of the completed kitchen for the school in order to feed the children along with constructing a storage facility and office space.

• We are grateful for travelers who volunteered their time to take laptops and other supplies for the foundation to Volcanes Primary School in the month of November.  

 It was a busy year and we hope to have more site visits and completed projects in 2015! Stay tuned.

Season's Greetings!!

The Isa Mundo Foundation would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and to thank you all for your continued support, advice, ideas and time given to us throughout the year.  Isa Mundo would not have had a successful 2014 without our members, funders and volunteers.

Each year brings new challenges but with support we receive from each of you, we always find a way to complete our initiatives, one project at a time.

We look forward to working with all of you in the coming year in completing new projects that will improve the lives of those less fortunate in the world.

From all of us at the Isa Mundo Foundation, we wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!!

Muchas Gracias to Volunteers

During the month of November, a number of travelers from Vancouver heading to Mexico have volunteered to take laptops to the Volcanes Primary School.  Mexico customs regulations only allow 2 laptops per person upon arrival to the country which limit the number of laptops we can bring during our travels.  With the help of travelers willing to take laptops with them, we have sent an additional 10 laptops to support our IMEC at Volcanes.

We are currently in discussions with local organizations in Mexico and Latin America on how to efficiently expedite the shipping of electronic, laptops and educational supplies to schools and child centred facilities we partner with.  This would require us to communicate with organizations, embassies and customs to find ways to work together.

Thank you again to all the travelers who volunteered to take supplies to Mexico and beyond. Your contribution is making a difference in the lives of students and communities.

Electronics Recycling Association

During our last project site visit of the year in Mexico, we were able to bring additional laptops to our Isa Mundo Education Centre in Volcanes.  Since the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) donated laptops to us this year, we have been bringing them slowly during our trips to Mexico.  We are inviting volunteers who will be traveling to the Puerto Vallarta region to bring laptops with them if possible.

We would also like to thank ERA for all their help and support. The students at Volcanes IMEC are grateful for the opportunity to access technology to improve their education.