I worked as a volunteer
in Malawi, Africa from October 2004 – till January 2010 as School Administrator and English Teacher. The most important thing I
realized to be a volunteer was I had to “get out of my comfort
zone”.
I had to go through
inculturation classes, learn to be patient and learn to communicate
at getting positive reactions from the voluntary work and projects .
All these taught was taught to me when I was in Rome for three months while I lived with
the Cannosian Organization in Rome, and worked 2 days a week at the
Soup Kitchen before I left for Malawi.
Volunteers gain skills
such as community skills and the ability to work with others, take directions and lead others and the last but not least are time management skills
and dedication to the work at hand.
Volunteering normally
illustrates our interest and our character to a certain extent. It
has always been an eye opener to me to realize how small gestures of
volunteering benefits a the receiver and the giver, and provides an
emotionally uplifting experience and positive impact to the giver.
Voluntary work helps
build up communities, allows individuals to become encouraged in
social services and the communities benefit from this exercise, and
such happiness cannot be matched with wealth or money. It is just so
amazing to see, how it enriches our lives after such an experience, as it transforms us to see the world in a more realistic manner and
allows us to look at the world and its people with more kindness and
we will always try to make the world a “better place” to live.
By,
Girlie Pereira
Administration
