A woman in the front row raised her hand. “I can’t drop mine off until December 28. Can I still bring them?” Yannina said, “OK, the deadline to drop off muestras is December 28.”
I wondered if that deadline would actually be observed. I have heard many comments around the office about artisans not getting products (from muestras to product orders) in on time, but I’ve also wondered if it’s because deadlines don’t seem to be enforced. They seem kind of like the traffic laws in Lima – they are mere suggestions instead of actual rules people obey.
December 28 was a pretty busy day in the office. Artisans had been bringing muestras in every few days, but on December 28, the doorbell rang constantly.
It also rang constantly on December 29 and 30.
The first two weeks of January were pretty busy too.
Artisans would bring in packages of product samples to show Yannina, who would suggest changes in color or design based on what she thought would sell better. Sam enjoyed getting a chance to see the muestras come in and see how artisans had incorporated his suggestions during the capacitación. Yannina would frequently consult with him about pricing and design.
By mid-January, we learned that instead of shipping muestras to Germany ahead of time, Yannina and Mario planned to bring the muestras in their suitcases. I wondered if that meant they would accept muestras up until the last minute, or whether they had a new cut-off date.
We left for Argentina and enjoyed a two-week break from volunteering. We returned to find muestras still coming in, mere days before Yannina and Mario were to leave for the fair.
I can understand that Manos Amigas wants to give artisans every opportunity for success by putting their muestras in front of potential buyers. I am continuously impressed by how Yannina puts the artisan first. She clearly lives her dedication to them. She hasn’t just given some artisans second chances, she’s worked with them long past the point I think most would. Once she told us, “This artisan is a single mom and doesn’t have any other financial support for her daughter. I need to be looking out for her daughter to make sure she can get into college, even if her mom isn’t as focused on that goal.” That is admirable. I’m not sure I would have made the same decision, given all the facts and circumstances. I suppose it is good that no artisans are depending on my generosity for their livelihood.
But, even if you are totally dedicated to giving the artisans every opportunity, are you justified in complaining that the artisans are bringing in muestras late if there is no penalty or ramification for doing so?
I can hear Sam in my head, saying, “Is this something you should really worry about?” I know, I know. I’m not the one traveling to Germany. I’m not the one having to process the muestras. So isn’t this an example of something I should note regarding how Manos Amigas runs and simply move on with my projects?
Perhaps… except that the floating deadline has caused some consternation in our household too.
At the same time as the muestras were coming in, Sam and I needed to make another product catalog. Mario gave me the project and his specifications the first week in January. He emphasized its urgency. To find the product images, we would need to comb through 250 folders, once, to see whether there were any images that fit certain parameters and place them in a new catalog. Not difficult, but time-intensive.
To make a long story short, we went through all 250 folders four separate times and processed photos only to find out later that Mario had moved around photos, added or deleted files, or otherwise rendered all of our work useless. Talking with him about it, proposing solutions, and letting him know why moving files meant that all the work we’d done was now pointless, all proved futile.
I finally just decided I was done with the catalog and went back to another project. Sam, admirably, really wanted it to be completed on time for the fair and started over a fifth time after Mario said he was really, really done. I don’t know that I believe Mario but since it’s not a project I’m working on anymore, I need to not worry about it.
Another thing that frustrates me is that we are not exactly on their radar. I genuinely think they like having us here and they have certainly included us, kindly, in Christmas celebrations and other family events. But then there are things like cell phone numbers. All of their numbers changed while we were in Argentina. After trying unsuccessfully to reach Yannina and Mario for several days, we ran into Christina and asked what was going on. “Oh, all our phone numbers changed. No one told you?” No….
Similarly, their emails all changed about six weeks before we started volunteering with them and we also weren’t notified… while we were wondering if we should panic that no one was responding to us and we didn't have any way to phone them. We came to Manos Amigas once before we started volunteering and met Christina. We even asked about emails. "You sent Yannina several emails? I wonder why she hasn't responded." We didn't find out about the new emails until we started volunteering with them. On one level, I understand why – we aren’t on their radar. On another level, it freaked me out – we MOVED TO PERU to volunteer with them; please keep us in the informational loop!
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to be here and learn more about fair trade, exporting organizations, NGOs, another organizational and societal culture. But I won’t deny that I’m perplexed and annoyed.
I suppose much of my frustration stems from the fact that I am not in a position to make organizational changes. I am very much a problem solver (as is Sam) and we see a lot of things, small things, that could be tweaked to make a huge difference. Yet providing that sort of advice is not our role... unless, of course, if we are asked for our opinions or given organizational management as a project. I would fall over in excitement, I think, were we given that opportunity, but I'm trying to learn that our solutions have a place within our conversations instead of hoping that we will actually get to implement them.
I wonder if it is common for volunteers in overseas stints - or perhaps full-time volunteers anywhere - to feel similarly. So it goes.
I suppose much of my frustration stems from the fact that I am not in a position to make organizational changes. I am very much a problem solver (as is Sam) and we see a lot of things, small things, that could be tweaked to make a huge difference. Yet providing that sort of advice is not our role... unless, of course, if we are asked for our opinions or given organizational management as a project. I would fall over in excitement, I think, were we given that opportunity, but I'm trying to learn that our solutions have a place within our conversations instead of hoping that we will actually get to implement them.
I wonder if it is common for volunteers in overseas stints - or perhaps full-time volunteers anywhere - to feel similarly. So it goes.
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