Since my last post, I've been adjusting to my internship at La Usina. So far, I feel very comfortable in the office. Everyone is very friendly, and they have been willing to help me whenever I have had any doubts about my duties or assignments. The office is very small (there are only nine employees and four students, including me), but I think that it makes for a close-knit work environment.
Since my first day on the job, I have begun to take on several interesting projects. Aside from researching potential funding options like the Soros Foundations, multiple embassies, and the Ford Foundation, I have been editing two applications for grants. The first application is for a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). My organization is applying for funding from this organization because one of their projects, called "Education as a Path to Freedom", falls in line with the criteria for the IADB's "World of Solutions" grant. The grant is essentially for organizations committed to using technology to benefit people with disabilities in some fashion. Through "Education as a Path to Freedom", La Usina will use distance learning education and other special teaching technologies (like brail software) to help 50 students with disabilities graduate from high school. I have been working on modifying my company's application for the grant by editing an English proposal that they had previously written up.
The second application is for funding from the Finnish Embassy. The Embassy of Finland in Buenos Aires offers funding to various NGOs that foster community development, sustainability, human rights, etc. This project has been a bit more challenging because I have been translating their application from last year into English. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed the work because it has given me a solid opportunity to learn more about my organization and some of the specifics of the Spanish language.
Needless to say, work has kept me pretty busy. I haven't found it especially hard to connect with my coworkers, but I am still slightly timid about asking them to steer me in the right direction. My main supervisor only works in the office two days a week, and I sometimes find myself wondering what to do with my time. I think it's going to take a little bit more getting used to, but I am gaining confidence and becoming more comfortable day by day.
I've had a rough cold since I last posted, so I've really tried to take it easy after work. I am feeling much better today than I have over the past few days, so that's a good sign. I have still found time to explore the huge expanse that is Buenos Aires, often by walking without very specific plans and stumbling upon something very interesting. Among the sites I've discovered over the past week: the botanic gardens, La Feria de los Mataderos (a gaucho fair), Palermo Viejo (a quiet neighborhood with cobblestone streets and dozens of shops and restaurants), and an indie rock venue.
Homesickness is something I haven't really brought up, but I don't even worry about it any more. After the first week or two I really began to miss my Memphis summer, but I've kept in touch with my friends and family via Skype and I haven't been upset about losing 100 degree heat since. I guess it was totally natural to miss home, but I'm glad that I'm growing evermore comfortable with my surroundings here in Buenos Aires. I really hope to travel to Uruguay and other regions of Argentina soon, so hopefully I can take a couple days off to do so.
Chau! Until next week!
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