SANTIAGO MAYOR

We started seeing a movie it was Toy story. We and the kids really enjoyed the movie it was really funny, and the movie had a good message, we talked about the movie and what it meant, the kids seemed to understand what it meant. After that they played with puzzles, and later we gave them something to eat. We went out to the park, we gave them paper bags, colors, wool and glue, and with this elements they would do a puppet, we gave them all the indications, theyre drawins were really intersting, they had a good imagination doing this and they had a good finish.

santiago mayor

We began with a game, it was hide and seek, that was really entertaning and we also we played with them. Later we sang some songs, we let them pick and also we give them ideas of songs. We put music and they began to dance, we dance too, they were really good and it seemed that they really liked to dance. Later the kids wanted to paint so we gave them some papers to paint, some draw theyre familys, a tree a house.
After that we read them a story it was ugly duckling, we made them funny voices and they enjoyed it. And then we went out to the park, they love to go out and play. After this we went to the classroom and they ate theyre lunch.

Santiago Mayor

This day, when I arrived the kids were painting fruits and they were focus in what they were doing, I talked with one of them and asked him what was his favorite fruits,he was a bit shy but answerd me the question.After this they played with balloons they really enjoyed playing with this and they laugh a lot.Later they ate and after that, we went out to play soccer, it was really great seeing them play and having fun.

COGNITVE SURPLUS

Last class, we saw a video were we treated many topics, like consumism, and a new concept for me, cognitive surplus.
The man in the video,Clay Shirky's, said that cognitive surplus, is the excess of knowledge that many individuals have here in our society. He says that this cognitive surplus is very big and that by the new technolgys we have created is much easier to expand this knowledge. So here he makes a reflection about how many potential we have if we cared to use our cognitive surplus, instead of wasting time watching televition we could use internet to interact with others and expand our knowledge.

My personal reflection of the video
I think that what he says It´s true, we all are worried to consume instead of give, the televition is the biggest relax for many people, because like he says, you dont really do something, so I agree that instead of wasting time doing nothing we could use other technologys like internet and interact with others, to use that cognitive surplus, that you have, to expand knowledge and help others. I think that with the apparition of internet, there have being a lot much more interaction between people of all the world, you can meet any person of any society, so if its easier to interact you should take advantage of it.

Has it challenged you to think about your activities and how you spend your free time?
Yes, because what he says its true, I am more a consumer than a producer, I spend my time watching t,v, and well I use internet, for homeworks, and talking by messenger, but I dont care of giving to other people.

Are you primarily a consumer or do you produce and share as much or more than you consume?
I am primarily a consumer like I said, I worry more of fulfilling my necessities, instead of looking to produce and help others.

Does it help you appreciate the social action you are doing for this class?
Yes, I should take conscience that they are people that you with all the advantages that you have, for being more lucky, can change the lives of many, if you put enthuasiasm on it.

Santiago Mayor

Two weeks ago I went to a new place to do my social labor. It was in the school Santiago Mayor, they gathered children with little possibilities and that doesnt have much income to give them classes and also to give them lunch. Here they make many acvities with the children. When I arrived, I saw kids between 2 to 10 years old, sitting in their benches painting some pictures. Then we played a game called el "ahorcado". After this, we gave the children their lunch, it was yogurt with cereal. Some of them kept it, but a friend of mine said we should make them eat it, because they can give it to another people. After this we gave them puzzles and then we went to play to the park. It was a nice experience working with this children and I am happy to know that they are in a place that can eat a nutritious meal and give them materials to work.

DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA

Last class we saw a couple of videos that showed us, how the way we eat can harm ourselves and the ecosistem, and the world itself. It was directed by Jhon Robbins son of the owner of baskins and robbins, that leaft the family bussiness to take social action about whats happening in our ecosistem and our diet.
It showed, the way our food is made, how eating meat or chicken in a large amount has affect our ecosistem and our health. Because the people who does this things only cares about making money and the benefit of themselves and dont think about how is harming others and these are things that many people doesnt know about.

I read chapter 6 of our book that was about the investigation of truth, it starts telling us the desire of knowledge us humans have, "we gain an understanding of the mysteries of the universe" we all want to know and understand human nature.
By understanding we can take concsiousness about “the organic unity of the human race”. By taking knowledge of whats happening in our world and take action about it, can make a change in our society.

I think we can relate this chapter to the videos, by looking that many of us didnt knew this things, how our diet has affect our health and ecosistem. The milk for example, I didnt knew the fat that it had and that is the one that I consume every day and doesnt really help me.
So know that I have the knowledge of it, ¿ would I do something about it?, I can think about it, but in the moment I probably wouldnt do anything. I should take more care about eating more healthier, eat less fat to take care of my self. And knowing that it harms our ecosystem I should take more consciousness about what I should eat more and less.

So here we can see the role of individual, if we are social responsible and knowing all of this, we would have to take care of changing our way of eating It is really hard, but it would change a lot of things. Like John Robbins said, “we have choices to make, healling choices” if we choose the right path it would change our world.

Class

So in this class we separated this kids in groups of ages, I and one partner of my group were assigned with 13 kids of 9 to 10 years old. We were with another girl that also was helping with the kids. So we give them drawings  and we had to share the colors  we had, then talk about what they were drawing and give them a sense. The kids talked to us about when they behave bad like when they lie and they know that it is bad.

Later we taught them a song, and asked them to write on it the letter of the song. So I helped some of the girls to write it, there were like two girls that didnt know how to take a dictation, they knew the letters but they didnt know how to put them together as a word. I helped them and then we finished the class.

New place: Nuevo Guayaquil

Last Saturday my partners and I went to a new place called Nuevo Guayaquil, the coordinator of the group change us to this place. It was a little bit far than the other place we went, we arrive in a church, I think, where a lot of kids were sitting in chairs talking to each other, some of the parents where there too.

We started doing some dynamics, we sang and dance with the boys and girls that were between 3 to 12 years old. They seemed to enjoy it.

VIRGEN DE LAS NIEVES

Last Saturday was my first day of social action for this class. We went to Virgen de las Nieves in the cooperative Valerio Estacio. We went for a large road and get into the invasions that are in the mountains, there the bus left us in a market and we my group of 3 and two other guys, alone went for the search of kids. Immediately we saw a boy that run after Isabel Álvarez one partner of the group and hugged her. They met last year when she came to give them classes. We told them to get they’re friends so we walked a long way looking for them. To be honest I was a little scared at first walking alone with my little group in that ambient. So we gathered a couple of more kids and returned to a market were we bought a coke for them. I was amazed of one boy of like 6 years old that climbed a mountain really fast and returned first to the market.

There we sat and I started talking with some of the children that were from 6 to 10 years. I met I little girl of 8 years old, asked her friend that if her father gets drunk, she responds that no, so the girl starts telling me that her uncle sometimes gets really drunk and hits her cousins, and that she is scared of him, that sometimes he gets really mad and starts yelling people. She fortunately has they’re parents that doesn’t hit her but she feels bad for her cousins. I also met Luciano, Emily of 6 years old, she had a notebook were she wrote things. Then they asked me to draw them something in that notebook. They were really happy when I drew them a bunny, a chicken, a dog and taught them how to do it. Then they started askingm me to draw more things that were a bit harder like a shark or a horse, but they seemed to enjoy it.Emily then starting drawing houses that we can see in this picture.

It was a nice experience we arrived at 2:30 and the bus returned at 5:00. This first visit was to know the kids and next Saturday at 3, we told them to return at that hour for the classes we’re going to give. The class will be about values and god through art.

It was pleasant to know all of these kids, and get to know their way of living. Must of them have a lot of risk factors around them that can get them to a bad road. We can make a change teaching values and distracting them from the bad road they can get into.

About my class: Society and the role of individual

This semester in the University Casa Grande I´ve been tested with a new class called Society and the Role of individual. This class has the objective, I think, of making us more socially responsible in our society, to be conscious about what happens around us and that we are part of the problems that our country suffers.

What has been interesting for me?
This class has introduced us people that can be considered socially responsible and people that I didn’t knew could be so helpful here in our country, there are people that are interested in helping others. The one that I liked a lot was the De Todas because they give a lot of opportunities to women and are really worried about their personal aspects. There are other 2 organizations that we have met in this class that are very interesting too and focus in children and young adults that can change our society.

What I have learned
That we are part of the problem here in our society and we have to take the responsibilities, because if everyone is interested in doing something about what’s happening it can change our world.

I think that I knew all about this, but I didn’t really do something about it. In this class I have the opportunities to make more social labor and now that is an obligation, It´s like sort of a motivation and that can make me do it, and still be happy about it because when you get to know this people you’re going to feel good to help them and knowing you can make a change in their lives.

VISIT TO THE FOUNDATION "DE TODAS"

Me and my group made an interview to a client of DE TODAS, a cooperative that helps women with very low income to make they’re own business and also in managing it. This cooperative gives credit to women without a lot of legal process and it benefits more the clients than to the cooperative, its a place where the women can develop a lot of aspects and it focus on preparing them to be better persons and professionals. This client was alone when we got there and was very nice. Here is the interview:

NAME: Betty Arroyo Ceballos

¿For how many years you have been with DE TODAS?

For 3 years 

¿How did you meet this corporation?
They visit my community and they presented me they’re credit programs, I worked in my church in another foundation and I wasn’t interested at the moment. A time later my daughter joined DE TODAS and showed me the brochures, I got really interested and in that moment I decided to join the cooperative. Now with the pass of time, they hire me and now I’m the inspector of this cooperative.

¿What attracted you more about this foundation?
The training, they worry a lot about the business development, about your personal development and in your self steam. This cooperative is also preoccupied in teaching you how to manage your own business and it also helps in the familiar context. Something that also interested me about DE TODAS, is that it focuses in preparing the women and it gives lot opportunities to us.

¿How much credit does DE TODAS lend you, its something specific or you ask for it?
Is something specific the income grows depending in the plan of inversion, it starts with 100 then it increases to 300.

¿How was the beginning of your business, it prospered at once or was something gradually?
At once, now I have a foundation called “SHADDER”, I work as a trainer where we make manual activities with recyclable materials. 

¿What was the reaction of your husband when you joined DE TODAS and began your business?
At first they think you are crazy, when he sees me with bottles or materials that seem garbage, but then he began to get interested and now he brings me materials and it’s also a family business now. 

 I think this interview showed me that there are still good people trying to help those who are needed the most, I think this is a good cooperative that can change the lives of many.

Making a relation in what we have learned in class I think this is a group that are socially responsible, and is going very near to maturity stage, because they don’t only worry about themselves but they are very concerned in the well being of society. There aren’t many things like this in Ecuador and I think that if other people concern more about others and begin to take place as part of the problem of how it is our world, it can improve the way our country is and move on to the maturity stage which will be ideal. It gives support to women that don’t have much opportunities and it worries about others instead of benefit themselves.