Activity Abounds at Ipe (Thursday, 9/19/13)

Nine work days into my CSC assignment, Hajira and I are well on our way writing our final deliverables.  This morning, Toni invited 3 members from the community who specialize in fundraising for NGOs.  Two companies were represented at this morning’s meeting: Captare and Instituto Victorio Siquieroli.  Rosana (Captare’s President & Founder),  Arianne (Captare), and Simone (Instituto Victorio Siquieroli) visited Ipe for 2 reasons: (1.) To share with IBM their local role of assisting NGOs with fundraising and (2.) To meet with Toni, understand Ipe, and determine if Captare and Ipe could have a fruitful partnership.  After 30 minutes with IBM, our part of the meeting ended and Toni gave his guests a tour of Ipe and discussed business.

Earlier in the week, Toni met with the CSC Team for a brain-storming session.  During our hour long meeting, it was challenging to keep everyone on the proverbial “same page” regarding the current topic.  I thought to myself how helpful it would be for Ipe to have a white board on the back wall of the Ipe campus (next to the gazebo) where many meetings are held.  For the moment, I tucked that idea away planning to act later in the week.  

                           

I asked Aline, (our morning college intern), to find a store in Uberlandia that sells office supplies and locate a white board.  Within 30 minutes of giving her this task, she came back with a plan.  We drove around  Uberlandia's busy, but small, downtown and after checking 2 places, we found a store selling all things required to run a business.  We found everything I felt Ipe needed: a large white board (4’ x 3’), refillable dry erase markers, and an eraser.  Also while we were there, I picked up an attendance register for Ipe’s staff. (Daily attendance tracking and employee accountability were 2 items Ipe wanted us to address during our assignment.)  Upon returning to Ipe, I shared our successes with Toni and it was apparent that he was extremely grateful for my thoughtfulness and generosity.  (Later in the week, Paulho would mount the white board on the back wall.) 

In the afternoon, a large group of 20 – 25 Brazilian elders visited Ipe.  Daniella gave them an in-depth tour of Ipe campus, shared the plans for Atelier (Ipe’s eco-fashion clothing line), and shared Ipe’s mission and key messages.  A group picture was coordinated at the end of the visit and everyone departed with smiles on their faces.    

         

There is one thing you learn at Ipe if you haven’t already mastered it in your day-to-day job:  The ability to stay focused on your immediate tasks regardless of the buzz of activity  All around you, for the entire day, Paulho and his team saw, sand, and drill, Amora (Ipe’s adopted dog and pseudo “mascot) runs around and begs you to play fetch, groups of school children are given tours, guests come and go, many locals drop off dozens of bags of clean recylables, etc. 

Toni drove us back to the San Diego Hotel at the end of a long, productive day.  Tomorrow will technically be our 3rd Friday in Uberlandia since a majority of us arrived on 9/6. 

Tapas Brasileiras Seis (#6):

=> Just a quick story and a unique perspective to end my blog for the day…  Picture this: A country boy who grew up & went to school in Pennsylvania, who has lived in Tampa for 34 years, is now in Brazil and has to drop off his laundry at the local Lave Lux Lavanderia (laundromat).  The challenging part for me was: How can I adequately communicate in Portuguese?!?!  After a couple of rudimentary sentences, the woman behind the counter proceeded to speak to me rapidly Portuguese for about 2 minutes.  I guess I said just enough correctly and she thought I was a gringo who talked (sort of) like a local Uberlandian.  As I left the lavanderia, it gave me a chuckle and that feeling stayed with me all the way back to the hotel.  

#ibmcsc brazil