Managing the Tech Startups Series - No.4 Gabriel Aldamiz-echevarría

Make noise. Make more noise. C’mon more noise! When you are an entrepreneur loudness and being talked about is better than being secretive (not in all cases, so don’t start attacking). But it makes sense right? You want to be known, you want to be talked about. (Specially a social entrepreneur, you want brand awareness)

Gabriel Aldamiz-echevarría is in that for sure. He is the founder, with his wife (you see, it is important to have the support of your family they can even provide the idea) of Chicisimo.com.

And as a seasoned entrepreneur (Saktec Robotics and Strands) now he is leveraging all that knowledge, experience, expertise and contacts in order to grow with Chicisimo. (A brief side note: What is Chicisimo? Well it is a social platform dedicated to fashion. That’s it. Trés Chic! right? chic-isimo. It allows women share their own personal styles, brands, colors and styles. And obviously others can discover them, interact, and use as reference). 

The importance of making noise? Chicisimo has managed to be talked about in the Wall Street Journal, Vogue, TechCrunch, TheNextWeb (talking about the business model), ModaES (talking about chicisimo.pl and chicisimo.de) EliteChoice (talking about the value of insights for the fashion industry), EU-Startups (talking also about the new domains in Germany and Poland) among many others.  And once you start the noise you should go louder.

Well, from that conversation with Gabriel Aldamiz-echevarría here are 5 points I consider relevant either for a tech start-up or a social-entrepreneurship start-up:

1. Understand your business. Being cash strapped forces you to understand your business. You have to be very mindful of the resource allocation. They are scarce.
2. Jorge Mata also mentioned it. Scalability is the name of the game. Investors are looking for growth opportunities. And Gabriel stressed it: “You can have thousand ideas but you need one that scales.”
3. Appreciate the value of a community. Belong to a community. When you start a company, as an entrepreneur, most likely you’ll be on your own. So find a community to surround yourself with.
4. Dig deep into your contacts. Networking can be used both to leverage your name or as a competitive advantage. Be careful and respectful with your contacts, nourish the relationship, and understand your audience.
5. Empathy. This relates to the two previous points (and posts with Julio and Iñaki). A community involves everyone (family, friends, acquaintances, potential investors, mentor, etc) seek for their support; and in order to do that, develop enough empathy to know their interests, motivations and tune your message accordingly.

Business as usual, here are two post that I like from the session with Gabriel: one from Fabio Gastaldi and one from Radek Jezbera. Plus Enrique Dans' post.

Managing the Tech Startups Series - No.3 Iñaki Arrola p. II

What about entrepreneurial experience? On part one, there was a question on the air “Maybe Guerson, Sammy, Daniel, Jacobo and Martin can share what they are experiencing now (or fairly recently) in terms of work-life balance".

Iñaki Arrola starts on his blog post: “¿Para qué quieres ser emprendedor? ¿Quieres ser Mark Zuckerberg? ¿Y quieres serlo por crear un Facebook o por la vida de su fundador? “// since he hasn’t replied about translating his post, I’m just going to translate this bit: “What you want to be an entrepreneur for? You want to be Mark Zuckerberg? And you want to be like him to create a Facebook or because of his (Mark Zuckerberg) life?”

Well, Iñaki is an entrepreneur to be happy. That’s what he loves to do. And he has the mental strength and determination (plus support from his loved ones: spouse, friends & family) to pursuit, relentlessly, success each and every day.

“Nobody is thinking about the users” - Iñaki recognized. And once an opportunity aroused, Iñaki decided to solve a problem. Premise: Offer to the customers with coches.com, an easy, reliable (trust is a must) and clean way to quote a car online. Don’t you worry about doing some similar to what is already out there, many times (more often than not) there’s nothing new under the sun. And it’s just a matter of exploring opportunities.

Coches.com might be a follower (for the time being, I'm sure they’ll be leaders in a future) in terms of market share or traffic within their sector, but they are a bench mark (a poster child if you will) in terms of finding opportunities and giving the customers what they want.

For what it is worth, I have to say Iñaki has succeeded so far because he is doing two things, all entrepreneurs should learn from. First of all, he has the ability to transmit a dream, and in doing so he investing in persons and talent (not a project) creating a fun place to work. Money isn’t everything, there’s passion & fun (ask Julio Alonso). And secondly, he has learnt the importance of having a healthy work – life balance; that has kept him “grounded”, focused and human. But most importantly: happy. And that is the way an entrepreneur should be in order to convey a dream.

Well, from that conversation with Iñaki Arrola here are 5 points I consider relevant either for a tech start-up or a social-entrepreneurship start-up

1. Gauge right-timing. Remember: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity” (still don’t know who said it) Focus on the opportunities, not the problems ahead, and be prepared to use those opportunities.
2. Have a healthy work life balance. Again: “When embarking in a startup it is very important to have the support of your family and closest people. Otherwise it’s twice as hard.” 
3. Money isn’t everything. Hum? Interesting, and I hope people understand the importance of this. You are investing in people, their dreams and their passions. 
4. Reputation is critical. Trust takes a lot to build and can easily be destroyed, so offer value and content. For coches.com that means verifying each and every car, and offering a clean, transparent UX (user experience) website. For an NGO it means being coherent.
5. Be happy. That is the bottom line. That will make you wake up every single day with a purpose.

¿Do you want to be Mark Zuckerberg?

PS. Here is Iñaki's account of the session. How cool is that!

Managing the Tech Startups Series - No.3 Iñaki Arrola p. I

I was just doing some research to learn more about Iñaki Arrola our guest speaker in the "series" (by the way I think it's becoming a very cool project this thing of "Managing the Tech Startups"). And while reading some of his own posts in his personal blog I came across with his latest.

First of all I'll ask him today if I can make a translation of it because it's really worthy, and I think people will enjoy reading it. (Iñaki can we translate that post for the English readers?) And secondly, it got me thinking.  That's why this post will be in two parts (including a conclusion from today's discussion).

I'm seeing my classmates of foodiesquare.com (see, now I remember to write it correctly) and the rest of entrepreneurs or "I want to become"-entrepreneurs at IE, also I remembered the time I opened the family coffee shop in Mexico, and when I tried unsuccessfully to launch a technology based luxury membership program. But all the MBA students as well, including me, that are less than two months away of returning to the work force that moves the world (or at least we are betting on it) and that with all this new knowledge, experiences, friends, contacts and hunger (to grab the world and own it) are trying to decide a path. We should be very wary to balance work and life. And that's what Iñaki stresses in a very compelling way. So, IE fellows I know we all (warning, wrong generalization coming) want six figures salaries in exciting companies with fancy titles positions but pause and think the cost to our personal and family life, before making a rushed decision.

Maybe Guerson, Sammy, Daniel, Jacobo and Martin can share what they are experiencing now (or fairly recently) in terms of work-life balance.

More to follow...

Managing the Tech Startups Series - No.2 Jorge Mata

Well, well, well. Here we are again., the infamous"Managing the Tech Startup series". This entry might be a little different because it is written at two different times and then all mashed up. The first part was written on the AVE on the way to Valencia (Friday), and the second part after an interesting session with Jorge Mata (Tuesday).

Who is Jorge Mata? slight cough, according to some "a professional fundraiser" a potential investor, but he calls himself a successful entrepreneur.  (Just added: Daniel Couto offers a very comprehensive look of Jorge Mata’s profile in his blog)

In this session we discussed various aspects of fund-raising. From entrepreneurship and watermelons (yes, the fruit); luncheons with wine and tapas, or (warning, stereotype coming) sandwiches & a coke Palo Alto-style (for the record, Nicolai enjoys nice luncheons and he's American); cultural & ego clashes; the importance of foodiesquare.com on our lives; to the relevance of tuning your message to suit your investor. Jorge was very keen to stress out the importance of building trust & reputation with your investor, using pertinent and timely communication. And that money is always green.

Well, from that conversation with Jorge Mata here are 5 points I consider relevant either for a tech start-up or a social-entrepreneurship for-profit start-up.

1. Ego matters. Entrepreneurship is a matter of ego in the end. Either making a lot of money, or doing something people will talk about or change things. Achtung! Social entrepreneurs: “business angels” also look to satisfy their “do-good” ego. For-profits are a not a fad.
2. First valuation is critical. It is very important to have a correct first valuation when you are looking to sell the company. You don’t want to sell cheap or sell a “big chunk” & end up working for $500,000 nothing.
3. Look for synergies. Have your ego in-check. Yes, your ego is important but sometimes you have to put it aside and find synergies, partnerships and bring people on-board that will add expertise., knowledge and reputation. Leverage your relationships. Bring “gray hairs” to the table.
4. Scalability is the name of the game. Investors are looking for growth opportunities. And in the words of Jorge: “I don’t want ideas to invest, I’m looking for companies to invest”. 
5. Learn how to gauge right-timing. A classmate (if someone knows who was, please let me know) wrote: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. Well, in that sense Jorge said: “if a VC asks for your money it’s not a good sign. You are looking for a partner willing to take the risk”. So don’t rush things!

This post is dedicated to my South African friends of Enke: Make your mark

Managing the Tech Startups Series - No.1 Julio Alonso

Last week I began a temporary series in this blog called “Managing the Tech Startups”. All these lectures are very interesting, especially to entrepreneurs and geeks “techies” (I’m both) but I see an opportunity in trying to link all this knowledge to the social entrepreneurship sphere.

As our first guest speaker we had Julio Alonso, an avid blogger and currently CEO & founder of Weblogs SL, the leader company of weblogs in Europe and Latin America.

We discussed several topics including: bootstrapping (Bootstrapping Your Startup), the use and value of analytic (e.g. Julio uses real-time information using Google Docs and Google Analytics; Enrique Dans offers a complete summary – in Spanish though) and how the commercial side of blogging works (Jacobo Molins discusses more about professional blogging and fundamental differences with magazines in his blog). A catch phrase in the session was: “turn parachuters into church-goers”. 

Well, from that conversation with Julio Alonso here are 5 points I consider relevant either for a tech start-up or a social-entrepreneurship for-profit start-up.

1. Realize that there’s a shift on the way your consumers engage with the web. (Blogging has a future? There’s a whole discussion about it out there, so make your own conclusions. “"It always has been an embarrassing word," The Awl's Choire Sicha said. "First it was embarrassing because bloggers were these dirty, horrible people, and then it was embarrassing because our grandmas have blogs, God bless them.") 
2. You better have support from your family. When embarking in a startup it is very important to have the support of your family and closest people. Otherwise it’s twice as hard. 
3. Money isn’t everything. In that sense I’d like to add: three factors lead to better performance and personal satisfaction: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Your staff better be passionate about what they are doing. 
4. Your target audience is no geographically constrained. In this day & age your target audience potential donor can be anywhere. The barrier is language. 
5. Reputation is critical. Don’t abuse your consumers. Trust takes a lot to build and can easily be destroyed, so offer value and content. (e.g potential donors, they need to believe the organization is doing excellent, transparent, trustworthy work, and that it will continue to do so).

There are some unanswered questions (Guerson Meyer has some interesting ones) but evidently there was not enough time (for foodiesquare.com it was really worthwhile LOL) so I’ll post them here:

 - with the incorporation of new reader technology (e.g. iPad) can blogs benefit to enrich their content?
 - as people spend more time on social platforms,what efforts is Weblog currently undertaking to deviate traffic to their blogs?

Managing the Tech Startups Series

2+4=1

Yesterday, my last tweet of the day read this: “2+4=1 #AT&T buys #TMobile for $39billion. Twice size of Sprint 1/3 larger than Verizon. Cheap way to improve coverge. SideWinner: #Apple nice”. 

So, what this means? It means that AT&T (no. 2 carrier in USA) has agreed to buy T-Mobile (no. 4 carrier in USA) from Deutsche Telekom.  This deal would create the largest carrier in USA and promised to reshape the industry, bringing together AT&T’s 95.5 million wireless subscribers with T-Mobile’s 33.7 million customers; AT&T will become roughly one-third bigger than Verizon (currently no. 1 in USA) and twice the size of small Sprint. 

Source: NY Times

The name of the game is “economy of scales” by being number one. Since both AT&T and T-Mobile operate on the same technology (GSM) in terms of operation it will be a seamless transition for the customers. Plus it is a “cheap” way to improve the coverage of AT&T (a weakness it has caused some trouble in customer service). The deal would also provide significant cost savings, roughly $3 billion a year for the new company.

Expect the deal to by heavily scrutinized and to come with some detractors. Especially since the deal would leave just three major carriers in USA: AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel. And that it might hurt T-Mobile customers with more expensive rates from AT&T.

The side-winner if the deal is finished is Apple. Even though it might take a while to come up in the product portfolio, T-Mobile customers would have the option to buy an iPhone. And tapping into T-Mobile 33.7 million customers is something Apple is very keen to do since it’s losing the battle of smartphone platforms versus the fast growing Android from Google.

Attention App developers and Entrepreneurs (like Jacobo Molins & Guerson Meyer)! Prepare yourselves for an epic battle for platform dominion and a larger customer base. Opportunities will abound.

Deconstructing The Social Enterprise Dilemma

 
“Globally social enterprise has grown from sporadic innovation in isolated organisations to a recognised cutting-edge field with its own body of knowledge and best practices”. 


Follow my Enke friend Tafirei Mangezi's take on a HBR article "Can you help Solve these Social Entrepreneurs Challenges?"

Preparing for the Social Enterprise World Forum this year in Johannesburg. "The discussions around enterprise development and social entrepreneurship haven’t  been nearly as accessible as they could be, so how bout challenging all these so called big thinkers to simplify the message for the masses." Follow the link...

Managing the Tech Startups Series

[rumbling drums]

Have you ever wondered: how to increase traffic to your blog? What defines a successful blog in terms of traffic? What tools can be used to increase it? and foremost, how can you monetize it?

Well, apparently Julio Alonso, an avid blogger himself, has a trick or two under his sleeve and can provide a very useful insight. He is the founder of Weblogs SL, the leader company of weblogs in Europe and Latinamerica.

He loves his blog Merodeando, but he loves even more his clients' blogs. Weblogs SL has over 40 specialized weblogs that generate over 14 gazillion million unique monthly users. Yep, 14 million, verified by Nielsen. (15.8 January 2011) Oh did I mention Weblogs SL also provides consultancy services to companies that want to manage their brand on the blog sphere.

As part of our Managing the Tech Startups guest series, Julio Alonso will be the first one. A couple of questions come to my mind:
 - with the incorporation of new reader technology (e.g. Ipad) can blogs benefit to enrich their content?
 - as people spend more time on social platforms,what efforts is Weblog currently undertaking to deviate traffic to their blogs?
 - can you help Jacobo Molins blog have more traffic?

Today (March 16th) we have a meet&greet (yes... like rockstars) so send your questions around 13:30 CET or @565 beat (that's to 90's) my twitter @pabesteves

Managing the Tech Startups Series

At the beginning of my MBA program I had a lecture by a interesting fella. He arrived with a fancy presentation, some cool videos about Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and start talking about the importance of brands and technology. Later I found out he was Enrique Dans, and who he is.

Now that my MBA is approaching its conclusion I find quite cathartic to end it having a complete course with Enrique, plus I love fancy presentations and cool videos and shiny lights. To my surprise and glee this elective course is not going to be your typical course and will be more of an experiment (so says our brave teacher).

So, now that the blog (my blog) has shifted into more of Social Entrepreneurship, Corporate social investment, Social Responsability, LeaderSHIFT and devoted to the amazing people that I have met that are making a difference, I find interesting to approach the class having that in mind.

Amazing ideas and projects come from design thinking, creative innovation and melting pots.

So let's see how we make an impact and a difference.

Great minds think differently

From Ruth Orbach of Enke. Make your mark

After an amazing brain storming session with our Enke friends.

Great minds think differently

By ruth from Enke.

"...On Friday the enke team piled out of the office and into the car and headed out to Eldorado Park in Soweto. It was an early start; all team members were on the road by 6.30 a.m. ..." click here

South Africa Emzingo Internship

IE Business Press Release:

MBA Students Find Social Value in South African Immersion

Students arrive at business school with the desire to have an impact on society, to make a difference in the world.  This term, a group of International MBAs at IE Business School have the opportunity to do just that - with an internship in Johannesburg.... more here

South Africa Emzingo Internship Jessica Nadolski

Excerpts from Jessica Nadolski's "MBAs Beyond Borders: The Emzingo Experience in South Africa"

 

"How the Emzingo Experience Changes You

Emzingo has helped us have a powerful and practical experience during our MBA.  We have made our "International MBA" truly international.  Through the structure of the team, the cultural and educational sessions, and the personal experience of addressing social issues in a 3rd world country, we are now fully engaged in changing ourselves to become change agents out in the world.  Emzingo has created a program that delivers the opportunity and the power to learn, experience, and grow into a global leader.  

The first day in South Africa, Andrew took us to the Apartheid Museum.  I think for many of our generation, it is sometimes hard to understand how people can hate so much based on so little.  For most of us, we read about things like Apartheid, the Holocaust, and we wonder how it can happen, and how it can take so long to stop it.  In the world that we are living in now, there seems to be no excuse to not be informed or to not take action against what is wrong.  But we as we learn about events from the past, I am hopeful that we will develop enough courage and respect for all people and cultures to avoid future events of such magnitude.  So that our children never have to set foot in a museum designed to educate them about the horrors and actions of their parents.  But then you begin to think about the smaller things, like what we are seeing today in South Africa. How do we address it?  How do we change it?  How do we begin to engage others to want to change it?  How will we lead ourselves, our companies, our communities to have a global impact?

Many people around the globe sit in such impoverished conditions, yet we all go about our daily lives unaffected.  Its not to say that we don't care, or aren't concerned.  But we tend to develop an "out-of sight, out-of-mind" mindset.  You get up, go to work, take care of children and the house, run errands, maybe support a local NGO or charitable organization - but the situations that are facing millions of people around the globe, such as poverty, poor health, lack of resources, lack of proper medication, violence - do not become part of your own reality.  The experience with Emzingo has begun to change that mindset.  We are living in this reality, working directly with the people facing these situations.  Without this first-hand experience, would we ever have really been able to take it all in the same way?  Personal experience and social interaction is so powerful.
 

Emzingo has made this experience personal, powerful, and hopefully perpetual - something that we will all take with us when we go.  We will take a new view of each other, a new view of the reality of the world in which we live and our role in changing it, a new perspective of the social sector, and a new mindset that will enable us to jump head-first into the ocean of possibilities and challenges of bridging the roles of private and public sectors.  I have faith that we will all engage this new mindset in whatever job we hold, in whatever company we work, and in our interactions with others so that this personal experience goes global and the change becomes viral."

  - Jessica Nadolski 

South Africa Emzingo Internship Jessica Nadolski

Excerpts from Jessica Nadolski's "MBAs Beyond Borders: The Emzingo Experience in South Africa"

Thanks Jess!

"What happens when you take 13 MBA students from a top international business school, representing 12 different nationalities, and immerse them into the South African culture?  To be honest, chaos!  We have had moments of frustration that pierce the laughter...personal interactions with some of the most impoverished communities in the world...wild animals that have forgotten their role in our picture-taking tour...and moments of high emotion and personal reflection in this 3rd world country which is as challenged as it is enchanted. 

 On Working with NGOs

....At times the goals are unclear, or the organization may not know exactly what they want or need.  And it is our challenge to understand their needs, deal with the ambiguity of the situation, and provide them with an end product that is both practical and sustainable.  For some of us, this is our first consulting role.  It is very different coming into a situation, being careful not to point out shortcomings, but rather focus on selling a beneficial solution in a non-threatening manner.  

It requires the use of a different skill set, one which we have not used much during our team interactions during the MBA.  So practicing and building our negotiation skills and mastering the art of persuasion to inspire and accept change is fascinating.  For some of us, the working conditions facilitate a business-like approach to our communication and teamwork.  For others, who are working in impoverished neighborhoods, lack the infrastructure that is typically present and therefore must become more resourceful in their approach.

On Continuous Change

... How does an experience like this change you?  It is difficult to tell exactly.  Sometimes you can feel it, sometimes others can experience it, but usually it is a continuous process.  This experience is some ways is a catalyst for a certain type of personal change that we all desired.  Sure we all wanted to experience South Africa in terms of wildlife, culture, and beaches.  Yet there was something grander driving us to seek and accept this challenge brought to us by Emzingo. 

Andrew and Ramon selected 13 individuals who are all fascinating and dedicated to learning, experiencing, and reflecting.  We have created a unique team dynamic and are sharing an experience, full of ups and downs, that will shape our personal lives and leadership styles.  Experiencing this type of culture, poverty, and working environment first hand will have a lasting effect on each of us.  And although it may not yet be clear how we are changing as individuals, it is clear that what we have seen here, what we are doing here, will have an impact on our lives and the lives of the individuals with whom we are interacting. "  --Jessica Nadolski

More to come..

 

South Africa Emzingo Internship Andrew Bonfiglio

From our Emzingo friend and founder:

“…essence of authentic leadership: find something you are passionate about and then inspire others to join the cause.” - B. George, True North

After having our last Emzingo Group, January 2011 program session this afternoon, I think it is fitting to share one of my favorite quotes. It has been an honor and privilege to work with such talented individuals and incredible organizations in 2011.

Thanks for everything!

- Drew

South Africa Emzingo Internship

Amazing Memories...  thanks guys.

South Africa Emzingo Internship Carlos Rosa

Photograph and quote from my colleague, friend and Emzingo fellow Carlos Rosa ín the Emzingo Group NexGen Official Blog.:

“I chose this picture because I think that it shows perfectly the most emotional moment in my life....”

Follow the link.

South Africa Emzingo Internship Lisandro Macarrulla

From my friend and Emzingo Fellow Lisandro Macarrulla in PUSH organization. Soweto, Johannesburg.

"Throughout my life I felt that I was one of the few people (in my circle) who really had his feet on the ground and knew the reality of life, and this Emzingo experience in PUSH (Persevere Until Something Happens - an NGO in Soweto that works with people with HIV/AIDS in the local community) has proved me wrong. I felt after that I had spent my whole life living in a bubble - that things I saw at PUSH didn’t exist.

I chose this picture because the girl’s eyes, her smile, her whole body and face transmit to me how I feel about life now. Even though she might be infected or affected by HIV/AIDS there is always hope and joy in life and that - at some points - can be kind of blurry and confusing but at the end just one smile can change your world. Photograph (http://emzingogroup.tumblr.com/day/2011/03/07)

On few occasions in my life have I heard people saying “that it is impossible to change the world”, I honestly believe that is true, it is impossible to change the whole world, but what I learned throughout my experience at PUSH is that each person in this world lives in his own world and if you help to change just one person, believe me, you can change his/her world.

PUSH and Emzingo, Thank you for this amazing and unique experience I will always remember it!"

-Lisandro J. Macarrulla

South Africa Emzingo Internship Dina Haddad (PUSH)

From my friend and Emzingo fellow Dina Haddad.

"Today, as the program comes to an end, I can feel a mixture of emotions of happiness and sadness that fill the hallways as we all pack to leave Stay City (our home away from home while living in Johannesburg).

The past six weeks have made us all experience something that cannot really be explained. The most amazing of all is the passion we were able to feel throughout these six weeks.

As we were heading back from our final day at PUSH, I was filled with an inner feeling of satisfaction – knowing that even though it was just a presentation of our recommendations, we were able to help people at PUSH look at things in another perspective which will help the organization take big steps to develop and grow its operation and reach out to the needs in the community of Soweto.

Working at PUSH for six weeks was one of the best experiences of my life. My first few days, I couldn’t grasp the fact that we will be surrounded by people and children who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.  But today I see a story behind each child, each caregiver and each individual at PUSH. And with all the harsh realities they live with, they still face everyday with a smile, with an aim to live and laugh their troubles away.

I will miss our rides to Soweto every morning, the colorful fences and umbrellas that wait for us at PUSH, the great lunches that were cooked for us and most importantly the children who arrive one by one to have lunch and start preparing for their activities.

We have been blessed to have an experience that opened our eyes to the things we take for granted in life.  We end this program feeling happy of our experience, our accomplishments yet sad to be saying goodbye."

- Dina Haddad, January 2011 Emzingo Fellow

South Africa Emzingo Internship Vicky Hughes (KYP)

From one of the most amazing people in the world, my friend and Emzingo fellow Virginia Hughes:

"Memorable moments in South Africa I have millions…and this is one of them.

Holding this baby, after watching 400 kids waiting to be served the only meal they have in the day, I ask myself: why is it that some people like me are so lucky and these kids since they are born have a future that is so hard to face?

Thinking of all the things I have, a house, an actual home, a loving family that encourages and support me in every moment of my life, a school to where I will always belong, decisions to make because I actually have alternatives…and having so many more things that I am not even conscious I have…this makes me realize that the day I was born, I had a gift.

I see every day 400 kids, who are hungry and dirty, who don’t have a mom who takes care of them, feeds them and wraps them when they are cold, or a father  who gives them advice and makes them feel safe….and I think, what can I do for them, how can I share my gift with them? I feel frustrated, they are too many, and poverty has gone too far…

But then, after 5 weeks in KYP I think that every minute you give to them, even if it is just a smile, it is worth for them just because it is happy moment for their lives.

This is one of those moments.  The baby sleeps in my arms instead of on the floor where he was, I sing to him and make him feel special at least for some minutes….and once again I think it is worth."

Thank you Vicky, I have learned so much from you. Pablo.