Ten days after I decided to volunteer, I’ve already set things in motion, and I’m almost struggling to keep up.
Specifically, I’m involved in two volunteering programs. One is the Language Volunteering (VxL), organized by the Language Normalization Centre in Hospitalet. In fact, I had already participated as a student, and once I obtained the C2 level in Catalan, I was sure I wanted to switch sides and help other people practice the language. It’s just about having conversations, once a week. So, I decided to take on three students at the same time because I know there are many who ask to speak with a volunteer, but there are few volunteers. That’s why I like to lend a hand and help spread the use of Catalan. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and the conversations are informal and enjoyable.
The other volunteering program involves teaching languages to people with physical disabilities who live in a care centre in Mataró. Specifically, I teach Catalan and Italian to a small group of girls, all affected by cerebral palsy, the same condition I have. Since there are different levels of severity in this condition, I’ve encountered very different realities. I’ve realized that there are cases where the person can neither speak nor write by hand or even on the computer. This, of course, makes teaching more challenging, as it’s not easy to find simple activities that these people can engage in. Nevertheless, I consider this type of teaching a real challenge that I want to face without fear or insecurity. The key is to go slowly and repeat the same concepts often, so they stick in the students’ memory. Moreover, these are very smart people who are eager to learn. In fact, there are some students whose requests for explanations are helpful to me and sometimes give me ideas for future lessons.
In conclusion, I believe volunteering can provide a lot of values and human experiences. Even though it’s not a paid job, I think any type of volunteering can make you feel useful. Seeing the satisfaction of the people who receive what you offer is priceless; it holds an invaluable worth for your involvement. Therefore, with the time I’ll be able to reserve, I will continue with these experiences that undoubtedly enrich both professionally and personally.
