A Novel Corporate Experience - an Interview with Rabobank Team Leaders

When Rabobank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program chose to work with Bridges to sponsor a week building homes in Nicaragua, Karen Basu and Jennifer Carbone, both employees of Rabobank in New York City, became the official organizers of the trip.  The two women, who were friends prior to the trip, were the life blood of this service week.  They raised money, recruited and prepared volunteers as well as secured financial support through Rabobank’s CSR program.

Why did a major international bank choose to organize their service program through Bridges to Community? Among the various reasons were that our program allowed the Rabobank employees to volunteer as a whole group, encouraged team building and was in a Central American country that was safe, in need of help but was close enough for a one week trip.  Rabobank also received a strong reference for Bridges from their Deputy Regional Manager who was familiar with our reputation.  Initially over 50 staff members expressed interest in volunteering but due to a variety of factors, it narrowed down to a diverse group of 21 people that ended up on the trip building homes in the community of Nindiri.

Although Karen and Jennifer tried to prepare their volunteers in advance of the trip they found that reality set in when they arrived in Nicaragua.  Most all of the group were taken back when saw the devastating poverty and conditions in the area.  However, each person in their group played a different but significant role at the building site.  Some interacted with the younger children drawing with the crayons and paper they brought down while others played soccer with the young adults.  There were also some volunteers that concentrated on particular parts of the construction – for example, one person dug a drain almost exclusively for the women’s latrine.  But together they built two strong, earthquake and hurricane resistant cinder block homes for two grateful families.

Appreciation for basic living needs and the ease of life that their own families experience was only part of the expression of the corporate helpers.  The group was especially impressed with the amount of responsibility that the young people of the community had.  While their own children were still playing and going to school, the Nicaraguan youngsters were helping to carry bricks long distances in the heat and working to build their family’s house, often caring for little ones at the same time. 

By the end of the week, every one of the Rabobank group was touched.  The opening ceremony while meeting the families impacted some while the house dedication affected almost the entire group with emotions demonstrated by all. 

“While we were saying our goodbyes to the Bridges’ staff in the Managua airport, I didn’t want to leave,” tells Karen Basu, “When traveling in the future I will always try to incorporate involvement with the local community.”

 “It was an amazing experience to lead this group – all the smiles and tears at the end of the week – were worth all the responsibility,” states Jennifer Carbone.

Jennifer and Karen are currently organizing their second trip to Nicaraguawith Bridges for the fall 2010.