“Sharing with the people of the community was unforgettable”, says Adrián, a 32-year-old computer engineer. For him, San José de Mashpi, located in the northwest of Pichincha, was an unknown place before January 19th. He describes that arriving in such an exuberant territory, together with two colleagues from the company Salud SA, was very special, “an opportunity to learn and admire the work we are doing to create a sustainable landscape.”

Photograph: Children of the Mashpi community playing and learning with volunteers
Credits: Diana Troya

A trip to become children again

The volunteers in this trip were responsible for entertaining the community children while the adults were engaged in activities of social interest with some of the Fundación Futuro members.
“We tried to make it a fun evening for everyone with some fun activities”, explains Adrián, while he remembers that Mashpi’s children were affectionate and open to meet the volunteers and participate in the activities they organized. “It was the little ones who infected everyone with that joy”, says Adrián, who not only remembered his childhood, but also claims to have connected with his “inner child” by sharing music and games.
For Adrián it was very special to see how a group of children asked for their faces to be painted. He comments that while the children played hide and seek, they boasted their colorful faces to their friends. Then, they returned with their faces washed to be painted again. Their eyes full of mischief remain in his memory. Appreciating the innocence of those curious ones and seeing how the world still surprises them was the best gift that volunteering gave him.

Photograph: Adrián Guadalupe, Fundación Futuro volunteer
Credits: Diana Troya

What does it mean to be a volunteer?

“For me, volunteering is to be thankful for what I have and what I am by serving those who need it the most”, says Adrián Guadalupe. For him, the phrase by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “he who does not live to serve, does not deserve to live”, inspires him as a volunteer.
“Fundación Futuro awakened, even more, my desire to help with an open heart and the willingness to collaborate in everything I can”, says Adrián when he shares his experience.
He loved seeing a community that has grown so much and being able to play with the children gave him a taste of the energy of San José de Mashpi. “I could vividly feel the guidance provided by the foundation to the people of Mashpi”, says Adrián, clarifying that it’s not a relationship of dependence, but a joint work that contributes with ideas that strengthen people.
“I am very grateful to be able to give testimony of the work of the foundation. I always look for spaces to be reciprocal with people, continually being willing and humble to learn something new”, concluded Guadalupe, recommending his colleagues to participate in this experience.

Photograph: Child of Mashpi participating in the volunteer program
Credits: Diana Troya

Who is Adrián Guadalupe?

Adrián Guadalupe works as Webmaster at Metropolitan Touring and is a certified Coach as well. He is responsible for managing the entire web infrastructure of the Metropolitan Touring products, such as ships, hotels and new projects. He has been with the company for a year and it was his first experience as a volunteer at Fundación Futuro. He previously participated in other volunteer programs, collaborating at a nursing home, an association that helps people with Asperger syndrome and several hospital centers.

Fundación Futuro aims to facilitate the construction of a corporate sustainability culture in the Futuro Group. Through the Corporate Volunteer Program, it strategically involves the Group’s companies and their employees.