Maria Junyent

Early Childhood Educator

  • Age 48
  • Barcelona Spain
  • Nationality Spanish
  • What defines her "I'm curious and believe life is full of learning"
Maria Junyent

Who is Maria?

Five years ago I was married with two children. I was working in a "Escola bressol" and I left my job to study German for two years, because we were going to live in Germany, for my husband's job. Finally, we didn't leave and then the pandemic arrived. In the middle of the pandemic we separated, and when the pandemic was over I started working as a house cleaner. It was my decision because on the one hand I wanted to change jobs and I wanted to join a school like TEI, on the other hand, I thought that my children needed to have a reference to be with them, since my husband had to travel. With my husband's help (because we are not divorced) I was able to train in yoga for children and in Mindfulness and Emotional Education. I created the ÀnimaNins program for schools and institutes and I have been looking for a job for almost a year. I still clean houses and a week ago I also worked as a lunchroom monitor in a school in Barcelona... My reality is that without my husband's financial help I can't make ends meet and I can't pay the rent of my house, nor the car, nor the phone... I am lucky to have people by my side who love me, support me and accompany me emotionally.

Professional Recommendation

I am creative and enthusiastic despite my fears. I am conscientious, courageous, strong and sensitive.loving in the broadest expression.resilient, compassionate, respectful, expressive, grateful.responsible, demanding, kind and sympathetic.

Goals

To be financially independent and enjoy being with my children, my friends, my family, my partner.to be able to do what I like apart from my work, write, read, draw/paint, dance, listen to music, travel and take care of myself.to be able to travel and visit my mother with my children (she lives in Colombia).professional: To be financially independent working as a TEI and to be a Wellness Coordinator in a primary and secondary school, putting into practice my program ÀnimaNins. From 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday. From September 1st to June 30th. I would like to have 14 paychecks and be able to ride my bike to work.

Maria's Present and Future

Present: I’m a well-being coordinator with my program, which accompanies children and adolescents, teachers, monitors and families.

Future: Continue training and learning languages. Expanding my program to other schools and countries. Travelling and being with my children. Spending quality time with my friends, family and future partner. Have my own little house with a small garden. Continue taking care of myself, writing, drawing, listening to music and dancing.

 

HELP Program Status

The status meter below identifies the Homeless Entrepreneur’s current HELP program stage.

Click here to read more about our HELP Program, and understand its different phases and stages.

Housing

Stage 1: Homeless Homeless people living in public spaces, external spaces or night shelters. Stage 2: Houseless Homeless people living in homeless hostels, temporary accommation, transitional supported accomodation, women's shelter accomodation. Stage 3: Insecure Housing Homeless people temporarily living with family/friends, squatting, or under the threat of eviction or violence need to advance to stage 4 or 5 as quickly as possible Stage 4: Inadequate Housing Homeless people living in temporary/n on-conventional structures, unfit housing or extreme overcrowding need to advance to stage 5 as quickly as possible. Stage 5: Dignified Housing Have a safe, affordable and clean place to call home allows one to focus on building a future as a contributing member of society.

Health

Stage 1: Disengaged & Overwhelmed Being disengaged, overwhelmed and exhausted is common for many homeless people due to the high level of stress and overall poverty being experienced. Stage 2: Becoming Aware but still Struggling Homeless individuals face difficulties with sleep, fatigue, and daily tasks, leading to stress and low self-esteem. Establishing a beneficial routine can be a challenge.. Stage 3: Maintain Behaviors & Pushing Forward Homeless people find it hard to improve their health due to poor sleep, low self-esteem, and stress. They know they should establish healthy habits, but it's tough. Stage 4: Healthy Lifestyle Once this stage has been reached, the objective is to maintain it and mitigate the risk of entering homelessness again.

Professional

Stage 1: Disengaged & Misinformed Poverty can isolate people from their community and vital information, causing division instead of unity. Stage 2: Motivated but Lacking Network Homeless individuals need community connection, accurate information, and a supportive network to stay motivated and continue personal and professional growth.. Stage 3: Entering Workforce & Building Professional Skills Building a positive network can help homeless individuals find job opportunities and develop stronger professional skills. Stage 4: Discovering True Professional Potential Knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you reach your full potential as a business professional and optimize your resources and time for a happier, healthier career.

Training

Stage 1: Outdated Training Many skills that one has learned become obselete due to technological advances, which means that one must accept a new professional reality. Stage 2: Basic General Training Building basic general knowledge, skills and competences allow one to enter the desired professional sector for an entry level position or as an intern. Stage 3: Intermediate Sector-Specific Training Focused sector-specific training can lead to career growth within or outside an organization. Stage 4: Advanced Sector-Specific Training At this stage, the professional has proven he or she is competitive in his or her sector and has the opportunity to open doors for #HomelessEntrepreneurs in earlier stages

The HELP program consists of three phases:

Phase one, which lasts for 12 months, is divided into 7 stages, where each Homeless Entrepreneur (HE) is assigned a coordinator and nine managers (covering the following areas: professional development, education, health, housing, finance, legal, communication, sales and general assistance).

Communication

Presentation Skills To introduce oneself well, use clear structure, strong material, the right tone, and control body language. Negotiation Skills Learning how to communicate, persuade, plan, strategize and cooperate allows one to reach a compromise and attain her or his goals faster. Business Writing Skills Efficient business writing skills will allow one to provide relevant information in the right style, which is clear and easy-to-read, within the right context. Influencing Skills Positive behavior can influence others to change. Cross-Culture Communication Having a deep understanding of different cultures can help individuals integrate smoothly into society. Win-Win Conversation Conversations focused on all parties that are involved feeling good about the actions and desired outcomes help create new opportunities, growth and potential value. Selling Skills Being able to sell oneself and/or products and services help one get a job, keep it and evolve professionally. Teamwork Building Knowing everyone's strengths and weaknesses helps maximize group productivity by utilizing each person's unique abilities.

Legal

Stage 1: Forgotten or Unattended Legal Issues Non-criminal legal problems like government benefit claims, evictions, child custody, and employee rights can impact civil liberties and often go unattended. Stage 2: Resolving Legal Issues With the right legal support, homeless people can afront these issues and resolve them in a timely manner so they can overcome unnecessary administrative roadblocks. Stage 3: Law Abiding Citizen Obeying the law means they are protected from it and can focus on developing other aspects of their life as contributing members of society.

Finances

Accounting Skills Being in control of one’s financial health and being able to plan for the future allows one analyze investments, reach savings goals, control debt and focus on profitability. Financial Analysis Skills Understanding one’s financial performance allows one to track and analyze the past and present in order to create a clearer financial forecast. Forecasting Skills Being able to measure the accuracy of predicting one’s financial future allows one to plan ahead and be better prepared for financial ups and downs. Risk Management Skills Identifying potential causes of accidents or loss allows one to implement preventive measures, and devise plans to minimize costs and damage. Finance Reporting Skills Organized and concise financial data helps make better decisions for financial health. Financial Literacy Skills Understanding and effectively applying financial skills, i.e. personal financial management, budgeting and investing, allows one to be financially autonomous
 

HELP Progress Bar

1. Preparation > 2. Online Visibility > 3. Integration > 4. Training > 5. Commitment > 6. Consolidation

Wheel of Life

A wheel of life is a simple yet powerful tool for visualizing all of the areas of a Homeless Entrepreneur’s life. We will provide insight on the individual’s perception regarding his or her life at the very beginning of the HELP program, while he or she progress as well as define the person’s goal.

Maria’s Support Community

All of Maria’s stakeholders play an important role in creating new sustainable opportunities that will inspire both individual and systemic change.

Her Stakeholder Community

  • City Halls

  • Neighbor communities

  • Education and CSR departments

  • Spanish/Catalan people and Spanish/Cantalan institutions

  • Individuals and institutions that support poverty reduction and ending homelessness

  • Retired citizens

  • Professors and universities

 

Private Donors

Monthly donations will provide greater stability for Maria.

 

Volunteers

Volunteering not only helps Maria, it will also help you grow professionally and personally with her!

We are always looking for proactive volunteers who want to take part in the change they would like to see in the world.

 

Some of the Volunteers who Help