Concepts like hope and joy are best reflected in the eyes and smiles of children rather than by words. At least that’s what our van load of meeting planners learned during a visit to Mexico’s Mano Amiga School, part of the City of Joy, a complex of homes and centers south of Cancun serving disadvantaged children and adults.
We were visiting City of Joy as a CSR outing that was offered to planners as a part of a pre- or post-trip to Meeting Place Riviera Maya, held Nov. 6-9, 2010. City of Joy was founded in 2000 and built the following year on a 12-acre site. It now serves 20,000 people per year and includes a women’s shelter, a home for the elderly, a hospice for AIDS and other terminally ill patients, a home for abandoned and unwanted children as well as a school for kids from low-income backgrounds.
"The families of the kids don’t have money," Hans Serrano, development coordinator for the City of Joy Foundation (Fundación Ciudad de la Alegría), explained to our group. "If the kids don’t come here, they work or live in the streets and have problems with drugs and violence."
According to Serrano, the cost for each of the 30 classes at the school is $600 per month. Groups are offered an opportunity to donate on-site.
But more than just a donation, groups can spend time in an activity with the kids. First, our group was treated to an enthusiastic rendition of a local children’s song
Chuchuwawa, accompanied by a few dance steps that we were soon invited to try along with the kids.
Following the performance, our next activity was coloring pictures of the Virgin Mary together, though the children took care of most of the crayon duties as the adults supervised. Despite a language barrier, we were able to learn the basics, like their names and ages, and definitely got a feel for their personalities—some of the more outgoing children paraded around their finished masterpieces, while others sat completely focused on achieving the best color combinations.
At the end of our two-hour visit, we took group photos and said our goodbyes. I learned that many of the planners had never participated in a CSR activity before the event, and all agreed it had been the highlight of the trip.
"My interest in visiting the City of Joy was to see how they manage the medical care for over 1,000 residents," said Don Calarco, CEO of Chicago-based MPS Remedy and cofounder of American Marketing.
Calarco arranged a private tour of the medical facilities before the event.
"My second highlight had to be my exposure to children who have very little to call their own, yet they seem to appreciate so much. Smiling faces of children in need has a way of reaching deep into my heart," he said.
He believes meeting and incentive groups would enjoy the activity.
"I would have to say that a group travel and meeting planner has to be sure to prepare their client for such a tour, and if they are up for it, then pour it on," he said. "I would include it on any familiarization trip. With the variety of planners attending, there is always a strong possibility that a great connection will happen."
That connection resonated the whole bus ride back.
