Catarina Elisa / 8º Esperança
Teacher Adriana Rossi
Colégio São Francisco de Assis
tesvolunteer
Option A

I volunteer in an NGO that welcomes children and adolescents, mostly very poor, at times when those responsible are not at home. There we give food, education, fun and above all love and affection. I had, and I have many experiences as a volunteer, from the first day volunteering I noticed something different in me, a peace, a very good feeling, knowing that you help others with so little, seeing the glow in those children's eyes, it's as if you was being born again.
I always had a desire to "help" humanity, so I looked for a way to bring love to others in a way that was really effective, so that's what made me look for an NGO that I could volunteer for.
I had some difficulties in the beginning, the biggest one was the acceptance of children and adolescents, especially of adolescents. When you arrive, it becomes a stranger to the children, this is easy to understand, they do not know you, most of them learn from those responsible not to pay attention to the strangers, because their reality comes down to crime, for the most part. But gradually I approached, showing that it would not hurt them, but good, and some time later, when you realize, they are already attached to you and you to them. With young people, the story is more complicated because they are in puberty, a phase in which everything is confusing to them, they constantly revolt and create a kind of barrier to those who try to approach, so you have to be cautious when so the NGO organizers prefer that only adults "work" with adolescents, because it is not very good for an adolescent to volunteer for another, because there may be conflicts, for example, so I am only a volunteer for children.
I have volunteered for a while, so I have more contact and intimacy with the children. Voluntariar has changed my life, since I have known this "work" I am happier, I have more patience, more compassion and an unspeakable peace, knowing that I make a difference in the lives of several other people brings me happiness. I help those children learn, I teach them to respect, love and understand others. What we volunteers do in the NGO will have positive effects on society in the near future, today we plant, for tomorrow we reap the good, if we want to change the world, we have to be the change.