Editorial

How many times do we feel we are plowing in the sea? As if the problems we are facing were of such magnitude that no effort is enough. There is a natural disproportion between our ability to “perform” and our desires to have a better planet, country, and community.

“Sometimes we feel that what we do is just a drop in the sea, but the sea would be less if it lacked that drop.” Not only did Mother Teresa of Calcutta say so, but she demonstrated it with her life. We are neither as holy or as sensitive as that little (great) woman, but each one is part of the whole.

These drops are each one of the individuals we form and accompany, the many volunteers who join us each day to give us a hand, our allies, and what I see in each one of the Trabajo y Persona team.

That awareness of our BEING for each of us has to go hand in hand with enough attention in order to CONNECT with everything (good and bad) that our reality calls us and provokes us to DO. If we lose one of these three pillars, the consequences are terrible: doing just for the sake of doing leads to fatigue or violence if we are not connected to our needs and the needs of others, but if we connect our doing with reality it is possible that we discover the meaning of our being. The true awareness of our being and its connection with reality allows us to do everything with meaning and purpose.

After living these first two months of the year 2018 and having found so many people in search of meaning in this dramatic reality we live, I saw the value of every drop in the sea and the responsibility we have to meet, identify where we can collaborate and work together.

This awareness of the value of the drop in the sea is even better understood when Mother Teresa herself tells us that “what you do I can not do, and what I do you can not do, but together we are doing something beautiful for God… you in your place, in your work, and me and the others, each one of us, in work, in life is where we have promised to honor God.”

When we begin to love and value more this relationship between our being (transcendent connection), our doing (working), and its connection with the reality we will then be able to generate places of freedom and hope for all.

Alejandro Marius
Trabajo y Persona presented its programs and method to the Bigott Foundation team

On January 31st, a conversation was held between the founder of Trabajo y Persona, Alejandro Marius, and the team of the Bigott Foundation, in order to present the operation of this association, the Emprender 360 model, and the scope it has had as trainers of women and young people in Venezuela.

Educating young protagonists
 

On February 16th, the Más Ciudadanos Organization offered the “Human Person” class, as part of the Programa de Formación “Jóvenes Ciudadanos” (“Young Citizens” Training Program) aimed at students of the San Vicente de Paul School in Maiquetía, Edo. Vargas. In this class, Carlos Monsalve, as a representative of Trabajo y Persona, let the young people know the mission of the organization, its method, and concrete examples of what citizens can do through their abilities for the common good. 

Trabajo y Persona: nine years forming protagonists of the common good

On February 20th Trabajo y Persona celebrated nine years forming protagonists of the common good with a meeting that allowed us to remember allies, collaborators, and other people who have given their heart to the work of the NGO. Thank you all for making this mission possible: to promote the value of the Trabajo y Persona in Venezuela!

Accompaniment: Motivating to entrepreneurship

On February 22nd, the first activity of accompaniment of the year “Motivando an Emprender” was held at the facilities of L’Oréal Venezuela, for graduates of Emprendedoras de la Belleza y Formación de Formadores (Beauty Entrepreneur and Training of Trainers) from Maracay, Barquisimeto, and Caracas. It was directed by Anel Maldonado, Director of Human Resources at L’Oréal Venezuela, who offered the present self-knowledge tools with the aim of enabling them to respond to the environment and their customers.

Antequera Parilli & Rodríguez and Trabajo y Persona initiate partnership to promote entrepreneurship

 

The law firm specializing in Intellectual Property, Antequera Parilli & Rodríguez, the Ricardo Antequera Parilli Foundation, and the Civil Association Trabajo y Persona signed on February 28th, an agreement for the development of cooperation programs and projects aimed at education for work and entrepreneurship, to the benefit of vulnerable populations in the country.

Trabajo y Persona team receive emotional support workshop

Welfare in adversity is an emotional support program for Ashoka Fellows and their teams, organized by Ashoka and conducted by Facilitate specialists. It has twelve hours of training distributed in three modules that seek recognition, expression, and responsible management of emotions in our current Venezuela.

– Victor Manuel Vetencourt, graduated from the 4th cohort of Conduciendo Tu Futuro (Driving Your Future), started 2018 in his new job as a mechanic assistant at Servinorte.
– Our Emprendedora de la Belleza, (Beauty Entrepreneur) Yowarka Torres, completed her Physiotherapy studies. Congratulations!
–  The Emprendedoras del Chocolate (Chocolate Entrepreneurs): María Josefina Fernández, Emma Torrealba, Marifé Mata, Trina Reyes, Nohelia Oropeza, Marlene Briceño and Verónica Prieto, began on February 23rd the Degree of Science and Technology of Cocoa and Chocolate at the Central University of Venezuela. Great success girls!
– Our Emprendedora del Chocolate (Chocolate  Entrepreneur) and founder of Chocolates Kirikire, Nancy Silva, is a speaker at the Degree of Science and Technology of Cocoa and Chocolate at the Central University of Venezuela. We are very proud of your growth, Nancy!