Tag Archives: iLEAP

Hermanos Mayores in Seattle

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A few months ago, we participated in a day-long workshop with the Hermanos Mayores who were here as a part of the iLEAP Global Leadership Program for NPH.  Here Irene reflects on our day together (written in her own English!).

 

By Irene Cruz, Class of 2016

I remember the day when we arrived to iLEAP.  We just were looking for our brothers and sisters from the same country.  We were very happy to see all of them. One by one they were coming, and we began to sit next to each other.

While the meeting started we were talking with them.  The most funny part was that when the meeting began, and we did one dinamica where we needed to talk, but only in English.  So I remember that when they began to try and talk Mirna was looking me, and she coming to me and told me: do you remember when we arrived we were like them?  I just was laughing because it is true.  When we came here and the people told us that we needed to talk in English we did not know how because we were very shy, but the truth is that we really did not know anything, just HELLO AND BYE.  So I saw that we learned a lot these months.

I think that iLEAP really is a very good program. Now I think this because the first months for me was very hard, even boring just because I did not understand nothing in English. iLEAP has a lot of interesting information, and the people that work in iLEAP are prepared to teach us subjects, but not just about leadership also they teach us about the life.

They prepared very well and know how to teach the information to help us when we return our countries. Spending the time with our brothers and sisters all day was very nice. I really appreciate the time because I had the opportunity to know them. The best part was when we take the lunch. Everybody bring food to the table and everyone could take it. Everybody were siting and talking about our families, friends and school. We were joking a lot.

It is interesting when you can see that your house has more leaders, and that many people want the best changes for NPH. That each one has different ideas, but the same purpose DO THE BEST FOR THE CHILDREN.

Our FATHER always wanted that, so we need to work together and try to give the best of ourself.

We are the future of our NPH family, so we join our hands, hearts, and ideas together and we don’t let go until we achieve what Father Wasson wanted: A better life for our little brothers and sisters.

 

iLEAP Days: December 2015

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By Mirna, Class of 2016

In her own English (with some help from her NPH brother, Julio).

First of all, I want to thanks all the iLEAP crew, Britt, Izumi, Caitlin and Bao (Bao, we missed you this time!) for all these learning days.  The most important for me is learning of others and reflect about my life, in that way being a better person by serving NPH family and the society.

In iLEAP I have learned about the importance of listening with the mind, the heart, to others and connect with them by listening with the soul.

I also learned to find my leadership style by evaluating my self and evaluating my friends. Doing this evaluation I was surprising for my results, according to them I am an ‘’AUTHENTIC LEADER’’.

I am really surprising for all I have learned, I am surprised of how much my thoughts has grown, and I am surprising how I learned to find myself, because I know all this will help me to be a strong and fighting woman and reach my goals in my life.

During our last sessions we became more active learners when we went to the field. We went to FareStart restaurant. Being there we made a tour and met about the history of the restaurant, about their social work. The idea born with David Lee a person who was interested in help people, and that is what the restaurant does. In this restaurant people who do not have a home, or are living in poverty, became a professional in culinary arts. They go through three phases and at the end they graduate. After the graduation, the non-profit org help them to find job. What I learned of this is that there is amazing people helping others, and that inspires me to be a better person.

I want to finish my article with the next quote: ‘’It is always easy to blame others. You can spend your entire life blaming the world, but your success or failures are entirely your own’’ – Paulo Cohelo.

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iLEAP/NPHI Global Leadership Intensives

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by: Julio, Class of 2016 (in his own English!)

iLEAP is a non-profit organization that helps social leaders and global citizens to improve their skills and inspire them to continue their amazing labor of change in their communities. iLEAP is an international leadership training. It has participants from 20 countries around the world.

iLEAP now is working with NPH, so is having a huge impact in the life of the pequenos. The actual group of Seattle Leadership Institute is attending one iLEAP ‘s program, the group is formed by: Irene (Mexico), Suyapa (Honduras), Mirna (Nicaragua), Alberto (Haiti), Jonathan (Guatemala), and my person, Julio (El Salvador). There are six countries that could have six potential social leaders, so that’s the impact that iLEAP has in people around the world.  The program consists in develop important topics like: leadership foundation, social business, small group challenge, and so on. They have a schedule of each session. Our group has only attended the first session and we have already learned so much. It is an interesting and invaluable training; I hope this program last so long.

Their vision transcend barriers, I mean can be a bad situation people is facing, but this organization don’t have excuses for don’t do anything, instead they’re inspiring social leaders, in order to improve their performance in their own communities.

That’s it what I want to highlight, NPH has to face adversities all the time. Like government and social issues. We the pequenos need to be prepared for face these situations. What a better org to achieve that goal that iLEAP as NPH partner!

After living this program, is expected that people return to home and make more changes in their communities. I think iLEAP and NPH shares the same goal, which is helps social leaders to grew as humans. They are inspiring the people who will change and transform the world.  I invite anyone who would like to join this amazing program and meet them. I am sure you will not disappointed about learn with them! Thanks iLEAP stuff for open us the knowledge gate, Thanks to Britt (founder), Izumi (associate director), Caitlin (Global programs coordinator), Kei (Japan programs coordinator), Bao (office coordinator) and trustees, thanks all for make iLEAP possible.

Julio Cesar

NPH Seattle Leadership Institute 2015-2016

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A New Partnership with iLEAP

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– By Nelson, NPH Honduras

The Leadership Program students had the opportunity to spend five days in a special iLEAP program.

What does iLEAP mean?  iLEAP is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire and renew social leaders and global citizens through integrated leadership programs that ignite hope and transformation in the world.

This is the first time the NPH Leadership Institute has partnered with iLEAP, so I would like to share a little about this wonderful experience that the leadership students had at iLEAP.

We started on Friday, March, 27th.  We arrived at 9:30 am after a tiring week where we had fundraising activities with NPH USA.  Even though we were tired, we had the attitude to start working for the next five days in different topics, and take advantage of this iLEAP program.

First of all, we worked in many interesting topics that really caused us to think about what it means to be a good leader in our respective societies. One thing that really caused us to think about leadership was when we visited two places: Theo Chocolate and Farestart. Both of them are social businesses that are working with people to improve their lives and find the best version of themselves.

The following are our personal reflections about our week at iLEAP:

Nelson Alvarez: For me this program was helpful in many ways. By working in many topics I learned that leadership is not position, it is because whatever you are working you are demonstrating leadership, it does not matter if you work, for example, as a teacher or as a policeman you are demonstrating leadership as well. It helped me to clarify my own vision for the next years.

Lucrecia Guadamuz: I think iLEAP is a good program because it is focused on understanding yourself first and then you can lead others. The leadership concept that they teach is based in a practical and real way.

Florine St. Eloi: I think it is a really good organization which helps people developing their leadership, and to make it in practice with others and for others not just for ourselves.

Luisa Riquiac: In my own opinion iLEAP inspires you how to work in a reasonable leadership style and to make good decisions for a group not only for yourself.

Samuel Chavez: iLEAP changed my ideas about leadership and it re-opened my eyes after having a bad situation and wondering about my abilities as a leader.  Now I feel more confident about myself and I am sure that I can be a leader in different ways.

Magda Altamirano: iLEAP is an interesting program where you discovered abilities and characteristics that we have as leaders, it helps us to learn how we can improve other qualities and help others.

And a reflection from Kara too…

Kara King: For me, it is exciting to embark on this new partnership with the wonderful folks at iLEAP.  Since the first year of our program here in Seattle, Britt has been a guide for me in developing the program.  It is good to be working together, for I have seen their good work over the past four years and feel so grateful to have our emerging NPH leaders experience the iLEAP way as well.  I think we are all looking forward to dreaming together and seeing how we can make our partnership even stronger next year.

~ ~ ~

As you can see this program was helpful for all of us, the leadership program students, in different ways and I am sure that we will share all this knowledge with our brothers and sisters of NPH.

Thanks to our NPH family and our new iLEAP family for making this possible!