Building bridges
Emerging Leaders: Empowering Irish Youth to Explore and Connect with Latin America
About us
We are a small group of college students studying at Trinity College Dublin.
In October 2022 we travelled to Santiago, Chile and experienced first-hand the devastating poverty felt by over 201 million people in Latin America.
Throughout our time there, we developed a clearer picture of the situation in Chile and the challenges faced by the people living in the Chilean shanty towns.
While constructing emergency housing for a Chilean family, we gained insight into the unique and effective approach that TECHO brings to solving the problems of Latin America.
Their emphasis on communication and relationship building creates an environment where people can get the help they actually need.
They don’t just throw money at a problem. The TECHO volunteers are competent, effective, reflective and compassionate individuals. The warmth and good nature that they bring to the communities nurtures a genuine close bond with the communities they serve.
As a group, we refuse to partake in charity tourism and prioritize working only with ethical, responsible and impactful charities. Our work with TECHO in Chile demonstrated to us that they are a charity of this sort.
Context
The struggles of Latin America are too often overlooked by those in more developed countries. After working with the impoverished, hearing countless stories of love and hope amidst suffering and witnessing their dire circumstances, we could not arrive home and simply forget what we had seen. So, we set about organising more experiences for aspiring student volunteers. We now aim to support other Irish students who feel inspired to work in South America and help them open their eyes to the destitution felt beyond our shores. Our aspiration is that the volunteers return with a heightened sense of compassion, engage in fundraising efforts in the future, and gain a stronger understanding of the challenges of poverty so that their actions become more aligned with promoting social justice.
The problems faced by Latin America seem unsurmountable; however, with the help of organizations like TECHO with volunteers of their calibre, substantial and transformative progress can be achieved. At the same time, the emergence of a new generation of Irish leaders who understand the struggles faced beyond our shores will undoubtedly steer us towards a brighter and more compassionate future. It is essential, however, that we receive your support in order for TECHO to carry out their impactful work and for this new generation to flourish.
What will the resources be used for?
However, we need your help to make this program a reality. Our fundraising efforts help us provide students with the resources they need to make a real impact on the communities they serve.
Every donation helps ensure that students have a safe and meaningful experience abroad. Every Euro will go directly to supporting this program and will help make it possible for students to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will change their lives forever.
Whether you can give 10, 100, or 1,000 euros, every contribution makes a difference and brings us one step closer to our goal.
By supporting our efforts, you’re not just helping the students, but you’re also supporting our vision of a more connected, empathetic, and just world. Furthermore, beyond paying for basic necessities (transportation, housing, food), all fundraising will go towards the materials needed for building emergency housing in South America.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Your generosity would mean the world to us and to the families and individuals we serve.
If you’d like to learn more about the project or how to get involved, please send us an email at cooperation.eu@techo.ie.
Please help us to continue our mission of making a difference in the world, one volunteer at a tim
Santiago de Chile
We are TECHO
TECHO (teh-choh) is a youth-led non-profit organization that works in informal settlements to create a just society without poverty. Today over 200 million people live in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. No proper home, no potable water, sewage, or electricity access. Our mission is to change that reality, working to create system-changing solutions to end poverty and shape a future we all want to live in.
