…And almost without me realising it, a week has passed.
A week since KUBUKA Spain moved its headquarters in Madrid to a new office.
With both nostalgia and excitement, we have left behind a great phase that we have shared with AUARA, friends and collegues in this adventure that involves “changing the world”. And as I don´t like farewells, I decided to live that day as any other, clinging to the idea that we will continue meeting to keep learning and enjoying together.
In mid-2015, when I had only been 6 months working in what was then called “Más Por Ellos”, we met AUARA, a social business that was beginning to see the light, created by a group of crazy people (like us) wanting to take a step forward for those who do not have it easy. And after a couple of conversations in which we mutually passed on our energy and enthusiasm, they decided to “welcome us” in their office, as if we were part of their own project.
At that time we were a team of less than 15 people who usually met at the home of one of the volunteers, and I worked from mine. So, taking the step to have our own office excited us and gave us a push to move forward.
We arrived when there were only 4 freshly painted walls, a few tables to set up and a lot of excitement. And little by little it started to take shape, the tables had to be extended, the office was filled with people and voices, with boxes and bottles, the glass of the meeting room window became a blackboard full of dates and timetables…and overtime we started to feel it was “ours”.
In that office “Más Por Ellos” became KUBUKA. It has seen us grow in number and in professionalism. We have had endless meetings, interviews with new team members, changes in the way we work, plans, skypes with Kenya and Zambia…But above all it has given us the luxury of spending time with another group of people who have very similar motivations and concerns to ours. It has been inspiring and a true luck to share these years with AUARA, learning together, living beautiful moments, complicated ones, moments of hard work, awards, challenges, changes, passing on new hopes and dreams, and above all… growing.
Now, after two years of coexistence and with great sorrow, the time has come to “physically” separate our paths, because “fortunately” both projects are progressing. We are more and more people in both teams; KUBUKA Spain is not only made up of volunteers any more, but it has hired two people who work in Madrid every day, and in January we will be three! We have also increased the number of volunteers who want to collaborate with us, getting involved in such a committed way that in their spare time they come to work in the office. Our meetings increase in number and in length, because we also have more projects…
So, although we´ve left behind a very beautiful chapter and a team to whom we will always be grateful for and conected to, KUBUKA Spain now begins a new cycle that also entails a different way of working, renewed strategic plans that will guide us during 2018 and 2019, and a brand new office.
Our new home is in calle Génova, 21. The company Lyc Consultores welcomed us with open arms and we can not be happier!!!
We are waiting for you! Our house is your house.
Ale