Rhythm of life
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Country: Argentina
Organization: El Desafio Foundation
Sport: Dance
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2007
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Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? The Project seeks the interaction and intsertion of children in the society through their participation in the “murga” (street band).
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? The 'murgas' are a popular expression of the region that combine dances, acrobatics, juggling and music. Through these artistic demonstrations and sports, children can unfold all their creativity and express their conflicts. The murga group established carries out activities for the community, inspiring more children to join. .
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? The children benefited by the program were socially excluded due to their context of poverty, of dysfunctional families where violence reigns, unemployment, addictions, abuses and school desertion. And in that context they are the most vulnerable, having serious problems communicate. We aims at promoting the bonds among them and to develop capacities that can help them to succeed in life.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? The idea is that through the murgas the children can bring their conflicts forward and thus begin to resolve them. Twice a week children have dances, acrobatics, juggling and percussion classes at a local school with which we work (Grandoli of the city of Rosario). We also run workshops where they recycle and create their own instruments/material for their activities, such as colors balls, suits, etc. At the end of each season they carry out activities for the community in general.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? We work as a group with a public school of the city of Rosario located near a neighborhood of extreme poverty, that has 450 students from 6 to 13 years of age. The idea is to add children gradually to the activities of the foundation (the murga among them), until reaching the 120. The school acts as link between our NGO and the community, and contributes its experience and local know-how. Also we cooperate and we share information and experiences with the municipal dispensary of the area, combining efforts.
On the other hand, our project contemplates training new professors of murga from the group of children so they can replicate at a larger scale in the future. Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. Helping children to find a path that would enable them to have a healthy childhood and to build a future with perspectives and hopes.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? The direct beneficiaries are 30 children from 8 to 12 years of age. In our first year of work (2007) we observed improvements in the children´s behaviour and attitudes that were monitored as a group with the school. Our psychologists also saw progresses in the children at the individual level. At a group level, they have been able to act in front of a public of 300 people. To carry out this the children had to make an effort and think and practice as team; what carry them to develop self-esteem, security, confidence and satisfaction by the well done work that they had never experienced.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? The murgas are very popular in Argentina right now and there is a growing demand to carry out shows at different events. There are already some established groups that have gone professional, which in the future this could open doors in the labor market.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? Manage to connect with the community and to win its confidence. Sadly these people are utilized constantly by polititians who promise solutions that never arrive. Our constancy, independence and seriousness nevertheless have achieved successful results in our first year of work.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? Our NGO has three sources of financing:
1- Fundraising events, mostly around sports, 2- private donors, 3-Sponsors (businesses, funds, etc) We are incorporated in Holland and Argentina. Our strategy consists in minimizing the operating costs carrying out partnerships with other actors (NGO, municipality, local institutions, clubs, etc) and having high standards with expenses that be not directly for the programs. We have as a norm investing a minimum of 80% of our income in direct programs. If known, provide information on your finances and organization. Recursos humanos
Voluntarios en Holanda y Argentina: 20 Profesionales pagos: 4 (psicologas y profesores de murga) Reporte financiero Voluntary staff in Holland and Argentina: 20 Professional paid: 4 (psychologists and murga professors ) What is the potential demand for your innovation? The slums of the neighborhood where we work (villa La lata) has a population of approximately 300 families with an average of 5 members each one. Nevertheless there is a new slum in the area of which there is not clear data yet. In Rosario there is a 30% of people living in poverty, in a population of 1 millon of people approx.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? To manage to increase the number of donors private/sponsors that support our activities. We are convinced that it is a matter of time, since we are a young organization and public doesn’t know us yet.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. The story began in December 2002, when with hockey players we carry out an sports event in order to collect nonperishable food, that we donated to the community kitchen of the school Grandoli in Rosario. We do not have famous people (except our ambassadors), but we have people of all the classes, of all the professions and of all the ages. Common people. We are not related to any political party, or religion.
To see a video on our beginnings, click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoTcwp1lTNQ Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. . I am an Argentine of 32 years living in Holland for the past 6 years. I study Marketing and I was a field hockey player at a highl level. At present I work at the department of marketing of NIKE EMEA and I am a coach of hockey in two clubs in Holland. In 2002 I carry out the first event with the intention of creating the foundation. In the middle of the 2007 I was a finalist of the prize social ambassadors of the NGO Help Argentina and Cancilleria Argentina, among 80 candidates.
Contact Information:
Mario Raimondi
NIKE EMPLOYEE & founder of El Desafio Foundation El Desafio Foundation (Helping children in extreme poverty in Argentina) Discussions about this entry |
Dear Mario:
Thank you for participating in this collaborative competition. We value the time and effort you’ve put forth and we would like to offer you feedback and some thought provoking questions from our Evaluation Team.
While impact to date has been small, the project model is scalable, especially if students who have gone through the program are trained to spread it further. Financial growth of the organization and the cultivation of stable partnerships have been exceptional, but the sources of growth are unclear.
Please use this input as both potential insights into your innovations, as well as constructive ideas for how to improve or grow your organization.
Warm regards,
The Changemakers Team