Some may call me over confident, extreme optimistic, maybe even naive, but see, I like my optimism. This optimism deeply rooted in my nature is what makes me believe in many things, amongst them, the ideal of Ecuador Mi Pais.  

Sometime ago, while starting to build the dream of Ecuador Mi Pais, I was asked why would I care for others instead of dedicating my full time and energy to care for my family and those who are really part of my world? Why would I do something that I am not required to do, instead of leaving it all to those who are supposed to be working “for the people”, i.e. the government? Well, the thing is, I want to believe that if we decide to act, our hand may influence and impact the near future of many in a great way. So, I believe it is from all of us that little by little, something bigger may be built. After all, criticizing poor government performance, poor political strategies to win followers, etc, has not given the desired results either, as to correct the failures we complain about. 

And yes, most times I read or listen to the news I also have a feeling of disappointment, as it happens to many, but I have chosen to believe that those bad news are starting points for what can be transformed in an inspiring journey. So, in trying to overcome disappointment when reading the newspaper and discouragement of those who do not support our cause – or for what matters, any cause – I find that just as there is so much negative information to discourage us from fighting the good fight and investing our time to favor others (political crisis, economic crisis, natural disasters, pandemic viruses and some other really bad news), if we look a little beyond what the headlines say, we can find so many encouraging and inspiring stories that will awake the desire to keep believing and to give our best.  Take for example, the great artists singing for the fight against poverty (see http://www.playingforchange.com/ very nice videos) , or those who actually pay just to get the opportunity to volunteer at a campaign in a third world country (see http://www.i-to-i.com/), or those fighting for the rights of those more vulnerable (see http://www.amnestyusa.org, Volunteer Leadership Opportunities), and so the list goes on and on full of people donating their time, their money, their knowledge. So I smile. I smile because there is still people who have faith in humanity and I want to be like them. I want to help make a difference through Ecuador Mi Pais.  

Now here we are, we may not have great voices to sing for a change or enough political influence to alter the course of government decisions, but we are concerned about the future, and that concern leads us to act in support of what we believe.  And the truth is that each one of us can give a little something to help bring the change we need, and I keep finding people who wants to give it all, so my faith remains intact. 

Despite discouraging news, despite bad economies, despite the lack of free time, I keep believing in the ever lasting generosity of people who give as much as they can. I keep believing that if we put our time, our ideas, our courage, the generations to come will find a better world to live in.  A place where people will have their basic needs as human beings satisfied, and that amongst those, education will be one, to teach children to think, to dream, to create, to build a better country for everyone around them. I keep believing that volunteering may be the key to transforming the future of a society or of a country as a whole. This is the dream that makes me believe in Ecuador Mi Pais and that keeps me going, even though the direct beneficiaries are not part of my family and even though I am not required to volunteer.

Vanessa Bustamante

When I first started as a volunteer for Ecuador Mi País I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my life, with my work, and with my skills. My paid job at the time was completely boring, meaningless, monotonous, but paid the bills. I knew I needed a challenge. I knew I needed a change, but my monthly paycheck was like an intravenous needle that was barely keeping me alive drop by drop without letting me live fully. When I found Ecuador Mi País I knew I found the solution. Working for this Organization would allow me to have the excitement of taking decisions, have work challenges, find new co-workers, new friends, and help people with my work; thus changing my life and the world in the process.

The options when I first joined the Organizations were not much, but I knew that the organization needed a presence in the Internet. I had some technical skills working with databases, utility programs, and had done my thesis for my MBA in electronic commerce, so I had an idea about how websites work, but I had never done one in my life. Anyway, that was my challenge! I signed up to create the first website of the Organization and to put it in the Internet. I have to admit that I was lucky, or as the famous writer Paulo Coelho puts it: “when you do things for the first time, the universe confabulates itself to let you succeed”.

We collected one dollar per person at the first meeting of the Organization and bought the domain. Later, Roberto Andrade came up with the first design of the website, and I had a friend that had a server, so I asked him if we could borrow some space to have our first website online. To make the story short, I got a copy of an html editor and not much later I was managing and maintaining the official website of the organization that was live to the world. It was like a dream come true. I had all the challenge that I needed and I felt that I was doing something meaningful for me and for the kids from Ecuador that cannot go to school because of lack of funds. A few months later we were able to collect donations through the website and were sending money to Ecuador to fund education projects.

Then, I got so interested in the work that I was doing for Ecuador Mi País that I decided that I needed to pursue a Masters in Information Systems. That is how I immediately applied, got accepted and enrolled for a Master ’s Degree at George Washington University and a few months later I got the opportunity to start my own company based on the new knowledge and skills that I had. Obviously I took that opportunity.

At that time, the economic depression came and my entire division at my paid work was closed, so I was laid off. However, Eruditos, the company that I just created was starting to sell and I got a scholarship at the University, so losing my job was completely uneventful. In fact, at last I had the feeling that I had been able to pull that intravenous needle from my body and I was starting to live freely and fully.

Bernardo Darquea