This is the final part of the interview with Anielka who has been with EI every step of the way.

How is a typical day, or week?

A typical Monday:

I arrive at the office at 8 a.m. I start the computers, read the mails, and answer when needed. Later on, I review the report from the prior week in order to learn what we need to do during the current week. I write up on the wall board what we need to finish, whether it is the completion of the database about the program’s sponsors, translation of the letters written by the children to their sponsors, filing of the records of the children’s activities, mailing the materials of the Program Sponsor, visiting homes, visiting a school and chatting with the teacher, gathering the reports on the assistance we have facilitated, updation of the medical reports, etc.

We prioritize each of those issues based on their importance. Once we know what we need to do, we decide on how and when to do it, (time table), in such a way that the volunteers and I know what each will be doing.

To wrap this up, if we need to work at the office, then we put on some music and we go to work! At l2 or l2:30 we have an hour for lunch. The volunteers leave since they only work part-time. I return to the office and work until 5 p.m. If we need to go to visit the barrio we grab our bottles of water and go visit the children. Usually, after we visit the barrios we talk over the accomplishments we observed and difficulties we found in some cases and how we can help if it is within our mission scope.

How did you like your visit to United States?

It was one of the best experiences I have lived all my life. Thanks EI!!!

How does the health program work?

Tickets from partner organization Clinica Alabama are purchased when we need them. Then, we distribute the tickets to the children in our program who are ill. They are then able to use the ticket to go to the clinic and receive care and medicine.

These tickets are managed by a mother who belongs to the Board. If a child is ill, the parents or guardians need to go to this mother’s house, fill a form with the child’s information, and the symptoms the child has. Once the form has been filled the ticket is handed over to the person and then they can go to the Clinic to receive both medical attention and medication. At the end of the month we compile the filled forms and then we prepare a monthly report.

How does EI work in unison with Pronat on their English and computer classes? 

The Pronat’s director advises us when a new term starts, usually by calling me to a meeting. They inform us that there is space for 10 to 15 girls according to availability they may have. We then review our list of participants, look girls who meet the requisites set by Pronat and who are good candidates to be in those classes.

How does the program “Sponsor a Child” work? How are the children selected? How do you decide the conditions for them to remain within the program?

The program “Sponsor a Child” uses a database that has information about the children and their sponsors. Here we have registered those children who have a sponsor and how many are without one; when a child has a new sponsor; when a sponsor decides to renew the sponsorship. Kathy sends me a mail, then I update that information on the database, I write up the date the scholarship begins or is renewed, and then I prepare the time table of when the sponsor will receive the “Welcome” packet and the children’s activities for a period of one year. In this way, on a monthly basis, I know what activity needs to be reported to the sponsor.

The sponsors are assigned to the children still waiting for one, according to the database, but if there is a child who may be ready to be sponsored but is missing school too frequently or has poor grades, I rather have him/her on standby since he/she may not be a good candidate to have a sponsor, after all. This type of child could leave the program and the scholarship right in the middle of the year, and that is not good for us.

There are conditions to keep a child in the program: if the child is not meeting the requirements, shows little interest, he/she cannot stay with us. At the end of the year the staff makes an evaluation which contains several factors such as school attendance, behavior, grades, interest from the child and his/her parents.

If we think the child had a difficulty which can be overcome next year, then we prepare a special contract on which both the child and his/her parents write down their own goals. We keep a follow-up of this child. If after given this opportunity, the child still does not show improvement then he/she will be terminated from the program without any further options to come back as participant in EI.

Which are your favorite job’s responsibilities?

My favorite responsibilities are:

The “Sponsor a Child” program.

The Home visits.

The visits to Costa Rica.