And, in many cases, that's nearly the truth. We write our yearly donation check and feel the satisfaction that we've done our part to make the world a better place. But, we know it's not the whole truth. We often undervalue our personal investment in solving social issues because we see only the enormity of the problems. Our own efforts look feeble compared to what assistance a few thousand dollars can buy.
Volunteers work on a construction project in Calderon, Ecuador.
Children enjoy getting to know the volunteers. A bucket brigade makes the load easier for all. Global Volunteers believes that our personal efforts, not our dollars, make the difference in the long run. Our founding philosophy emphasizes that to truly enable self-sufficiency, we must demonstrate our belief in local peoples' ability to solve their own problems through the methods they have themselves devised. I just returned from our fifth team to Calderon, Ecuador, where our partnership has enabled a foundation of community women to secure government land to build a new day care center.