“What do you want for your birthday, golden oldie?”, an overseas friend asked. I thought about it… for a while. For sure no ‘stuff’, how the hell am I going to carry all of those meaningless things along on my travels? They don’t even fit in my backpack. So what do I want? I went down the mental list:
- Happy - check
- In good health - check
- Enjoying life because I am doing what I want - check
- A bunch of people that love me in different places in the world - check
… You know what, I don’t need anything. I am satisfied.
The exact moment this thought manifested itself clearly into my consciousness I passed a woman on the street of Buenos Aires, breastfeeding her newborn. All of a sudden I knew exactly what I wanted. I want this woman to be able to think the same, some day.
An utopian mission perhaps… I might be a dreamer. But then again, if I keep on thinking about such things as being ‘too big’ and individuals having no power whatsoever to change large-scale phenomena, indeed nothing ever happens. Start narrowing it down and look inwards to see how you can be the change you want to see in the world.
That’s how I found Fundación Sí,
an organization focused on helping the socially deprived, like the many homeless people on the streets of Argentina. Whereas in my native country most homeless people are in this position because of a drug addiction, in Argentina it’s mainly because the costs of life are way too high and the wages are too low… if you can find a job to start with, because there aren’t too many. Prices rise every week. While being here I noticed the average pay is about ¼ of Western European salaries and right now basic things like food and especially clothing are more than double. There is no government aid, no social security. If you drown in the costs you have no one to count on… almost no one. A situation like this luckily also causes people to join forces to help the most needy.
So instead of receiving gifts, I asked my friends and family to make a donation to support this admirable work.
On my birthday morning I arrived at their headquarters, my own donation of converted steem dollars clenched in my fist. Your donation.
Monetary support makes a big difference, but actual going out there to help in person was another contribution I felt was necessary to make. Amidst the vibrant activity of all kind of helpers a friendly guy explained to me they were working on a project restoring and re-painting wooden toys, meant to be handed out to homeless children. Did I have any artistic skills? A little flashback stormed through my brain, reminding me of that one time I accidentally painted a considerable part of the university campus blue after I dropped 15 liters of paint out of my clumsy hands… and those 6 years of highschool art classes in which my compassionate teacher rewarded my pathetic artwork with a just sufficient 6/10 because “I tried so hard”… “Yeah sure, bring it on!”, I shouted.
8PM, ready to meet up for the nightwalks! Another project Fundación Sí is organizing are nightly strolls around town to take care of the homeless, both in a material and social manner. An incredible amount of volunteers had gathered together, after which one passionate coordinator divided them in groups of 3-4, each with a trolley full of hot soup, food, clothes and warm blankets.
Every group (about 15) were covering a different area where many homeless are known to have found their spot. While driving to our area I repeated the words of Jesu, the leader of the project, in my head: No photos (obviously), don’t just drop off the food and leave (start a conversation!) and don’t talk to them standing up while they are sitting down… we are all humans, we are equal… by looking down on someone, even when you’re helping him, you establish an inequality and disturbed balance of power. The first group of people we met were four old ladies, settled down in big plastic bags alongside the hospital. The fire in their eyes lit up when they saw my fellow senior-volunteers arriving and they immediately approached giving hugs and kisses.
[That’s right, I forgot about that. In Argentina people give each other 2 kisses as a general greeting, no matter the gender. I was surprised to find my doctor kissing me after a check-up in the hospital, as well as the woman I bought bananas from. Well, I was about to be kissed all over that night, because I spent the entire night baking a ridiculous amount of cupcakes (see opening pic), hoping the people on the streets of Buenos Aires would enjoy a little treat… They did. I even got some true birthday serenades for the occasion.]
In total we spent a considerable amount of time with about 15 homeless people, actually sitting on the ground to hang out with every single one of them… eating, drinking, exchanging conversations, sharing a laugh... Instead of throwing some food or money in front of their feet and taking off we bonded as fellow human-beings, as friends. One of them grabbed my hand and said it had been weeks since someone asked him how he was doing, or even looked him in the eyes.
This was by far the best birthday party I ever experienced, full of beautiful people and overwhelming life stories. To hear the success stories of this organization, motivating some of these people to eventually build confidence and help them crawl out of this situation by providing them the right tools, restored my faith in humanity, if only a little bit.
Without realizing it, you already helped this organization by upvoting my previous posts and enabling me to give a donation.
But if you want to donate directly as well, click this link and be awesome:
If you just want to make those damn cupcakes, that’s fine too. Here you go:
- Heat oven on 190 degrees (US friends, this must be about 374 Fahrenheit).
- Mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork.
- Grab a bowl and mix the bananas with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 0.5 cup of vegetable (could be coconut-) oil and 0.5 cup of cane sugar. You can add 0.5 cup of raisins, cranberry’s or walnuts if you like, but I was too lazy to go and buy them.
- Mix in another bowl 1.5 cup of all-purpose flour, 0.5 cup of oat flakes, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon baking powder and 0.5 teaspoon baking soda.
- Mingle it all together, throw it all in cupcake holders and put it in the oven for like half an hour.
- Let it cool down a bit if they’re still STEEMing.
Woohoo, you actually baked something! (and vegan too, ssshht no one needs to know)
Thanks for reading.
Wow, I am so impressed and inspired by your pos! Nowadays most people don't really NEED anything materialistic, but still they buy more and more. Instead of realizing that helping others can bring much more joy to you than getting a new toy or a new handbag ever will. Thank you for sharing your experience, and by that, inspiring others to do the same.
and spending even this special day, your birthday, with such a task, is even more amazing.
Many people wouldn't even think of that!
I'm also so happy that a platform like steemit has made it possible to make such a change already. 'You being able to donate your converted steem dollars is very inspiring!
Kepp up the great work on your travels, people everywhere are suffering, and I'm looking forward to learning more about your new adventures.
Thanks a lot for the kind words! It was a very special day indeed. Unfortunately this post didn't get the same attention as my first 2, because I want to donate the money I raised again... but I guess that's life, hypes come and go ;) I just keep on Steeming and see what happens haha.
I spent my last birthday sipping jelly shots off potatoes. Different worlds.
I'm confused haha, why potatoes?
Isn't it obvious? Because potatoes are awesome!
That's why my cat is called Kartoffel. (oooohhhh my poor cat that couldn't travel along and is adopted by my father)
If your cat is really called Kartoffel you deserve way more upvotes! Maybe I need a cat. I will call it "Aardappel" in your honour.
nice pics
Thanks a lot! Simple phone-shots, but you get the idea ;) Couldn't make photos of the nightwalks, as of course many homeless don't want their photo taken in the situation they are in and I wouldn't feel comfortable anyway haha. Hope you enjoy my next blogs too!
What an incredible way to spend your birthday! Incredibly selfless :)
It's pretty incredible to see the big hearts that some members of the Steemit community have.
Thanks for being my 20 questions focus for today :)
Thanks for interviewing me Wade!
Wow! Great that you help those who are less fortunate.
Also, if you like cooking, you should check out the #steemianfoodnetwork. Some fun things going on there (p.s. I'm bias, I'm a member) :)
Haha, yes I'll have a look! I'm a big foodie
Wow! What an incredible gesture for your Birthday! Painting toys for children and all.
In the future I wanna be like you :)
Btw, accidentally painted you university campus?? ;)
Yes, my (blue) ghost will always be present there haha... I was volunteering to help preparing an event, helped a bit more than they bargained for ;)
Haha! Or maybe subconsciously, you just like to leave your mark? ;)
You know what they say about Leos?
Actually, I don't :P I'm a Leo too, I just hear the rumors. :)
Between you and me, that little blue car in the picture... Did you keep it as a souvenir?
Something tells me you like the color blue. Great job by the way, this is inspiring! I hope someday you can bring us some stories about the people that are working there or the people you helped...
Bedankt for the nice read! :)
Maybe I need to also share some recipes :)
Go for it :)
Happy Birthday, from Belgium. Mensen zoals jij zijn de toekomst. We have to leave the matrix of economy, producing and consuming, that is based on exploitation and where only a small part of the people can profit, the rest have to work like slaves or have to live in poverty. I wish I could do more, but I left the matrix longtime too, and have my projects too. Lots of joy and keep the courage to live your life in good karma.
Thanks for a great and very inspiring post! Cannot agree enough with the rest of the people here that this is an amazing and very thoughtfull way to spent your birthday! I'm currently in Buenos Aires for the next couple of months and you surely inspired me to give Fundación Sí a helping hand! Thanks for the great post! Keep up this way of travelling!
Kind regards
Rebecca
Yes, super easy! Enjoy :)