Sara Testimonial – 24 Months Programme

In this article, you can read Sara´s experience.

She has answered some questions about her time with us.

• Why did you decide to volunteer?

I decided to do a volunteering experience for three different reasons: The first and perhaps the most important is that I have always wanted to have am experience, working for an organization – it seemed like a good way to be useful in some way, a good way to get in touch with new realities and learn from them; the second reason was the idea of ​​being able to travel and have the possibility to discover different cultures with a deeper approach than a trip for tourist purposes; finally, the third reason was the idea of ​​getting involved in this program and learning as much as possible about the topics such as fighting with the poor and pedagogy

• Describe the group of students with whom you worked and what where you learned the most from them

I worked in a small school as an assistant pedagogue for a year; a school for children with special needs based on an alternative pedagogical methodology. My role in children’s everyday life was to involve them in recreational / training activities such as sports (football, volleyball, diving, water skiing, etc.), creative workshops with recycled objects, theater workshops and recreational evenings (films or table games) and cleaning and taking care of their rooms.

During this year I had the opportunity to confront myself with complex situations that taught me a lot. Working with these guys was complicated at first for several reasons. Probably seeing myself as a stranger put them and my self in a position where being able to create a relationship or find a point of contact with them initially was complicated, but over time, when they realized that I was not the “enemy”, the relationship with the students grew. Over time I managed to establish a good relationship with all the students. This experience has taught me to tackle problems from different perspectives and to work around problems, facing them with different approaches to find the best solutions.

• What pedagogical skills did you gain from the programme?

Thanks to this programme I had the opportunity to face different situations that taught me how to develop analytical and flexible ways to face problems and the relationship with the others. I learned the importance of teamwork and collaboration and I had the opportunity to study topics that allowed me to obtain a critical awareness of the world and its problems.

• What is an important moment, event, achievement or person you met during your time in the programme?

The time or rather the most significant experience for me is the period spent in Malawi. In Malawi, I had the opportunity to meet and work with wonderful people with whom I had the opportunity to carry out the project of building preschools. The opportunity to collaborate and work closely with local communities has allowed me to learn new things about their culture, their lives, and beliefs.

• What do you do now and how has the programme influenced you?

This program has changed me so much that I completely changed my future life prospects. Now that the program is over I have decided to continue working for this organization, becoming a teacher for future volunteers like me and allowing them to experiment an amazing and wonderful experience like me.