Zdravo 🙂 Ivana’s here 🙂

 

During my high-school days, I was taking part in local Red Cross volunteering activities for straight 8 years, considering myself a productive and active local citizen which had only one pure attention, helping others. I was part of the teams who were helping around during the pandemic time back in the 2nd half of 2020, which was the first serious challenge and experience that I faced, after being actively involved in different types of volunteering local activities like fundraising, helping poor families, flood relief and a lot more. After completing my tasks, there are no words that were describing my feelings. I feel fulfilled, released and at the same time, motivated and ready to start over again the next day. 

 

My daily routine put me in a backpack full of volunteering lovely stories signed by my name. Not because I did it or I completed it, but because I was there taking part in that wonderful story 🙂

 

I can’t describe that wonderful feeling, that experience, that package full of self-confidence and open mindest which was giving me the strength to keep going on, at the same time not being afraid of completing all the obligations on my way. 

 

A period of time that I’ll take with me where I go and where I continue helping around. Hopefully, there will be new chapters here and there but I’m sure that my love for volunteerism and the happy ends of those stories will remain the same.

My name is Luka Todorov and I did my volunteering project in Romania. The idea comes up once the struggling home period appears back in 2019 in December. 

 

It was a long and dark winter day, deeply thinking about what should I do next in my life and how to overcome the challenge to become useful and valuable by doing some volunteering job.  

 

Searching for such an unexpectable I found the chance to take part in a school volunteering project where I’ll have the chance to work with children who are basically homeless, struggling with life and facing many other daily challenges. The city government was giving a 100% of its capacity to provide everything that they need but since the youth were getting closer to the stage of becoming independent for several years, the main goal of the project was to give them the strength, support, give them the power and wings to feel released and work on it together to become ready young adults who will soon jump in the adult’s world. And of course, I accepted! 

 

During my time there, I had a chance to work with them in the school and outside of their formal activities. Such a lovely and energetic youth they were, full of life and with shining open-wide eyes. I can’t forget their faces 🙂 

 

Such joy and pleasure we had by taking active participation in various well-settled activities such as inclusion and diversity, sports, integration in society, self-empowerment and building self-confidence, as well as teaching them about the value of volunteerism and active citizenship.  
 

Once the project was finished, I realized how important is to have a supportive social program for the youth who are facing fewer life opportunities. From that moment on, my inner alarm of becoming a super active citizen is turned on and you can see me everywhere around my country in a favor of the people that need me the most.

Aleksandar Dimov

 

In the past two months, I have been volunteering under the EU programme Europeans Solidarity Corps in the beautiful city of Malaga,   Spain. 

I worked in a social center, where together with our hosting association, we were preparing activities for socially-disabled youth from this center.

By providing interaction in different types of workshops, conversations, discussions, talks about different life perspectives and points of life, my duty was to help them to feel valued in our society, raise their confidence and bring the power of words that everyone is important in the world. 

It was a blessing experience where besides that, I experienced absolute unconditional love and encouragement that I do something little which makes them feel awesome and at the same time, makes me feel the person I really am. Simple, I become a more empathic person.

My name is Slavica, a youth worker from North Macedonia. During the period between November 2020 – April 2021, I did my volunteering in Turkey. It was a great experience and a life-changing period of my life. 

 

I did my volunteering service in Canakkale, Turkey, a city near the Greek border. 

 

The project’s name was “We care about the elders” and my main task and dutie were helping and taking care of the elder people in the area affected by the global pandemic Covid-19. The negative impact on those lovely people changed the perspective of their lives. Their needs become less but the importance of being completed was at the highest level. Health now was their priority, eating healthy was their priority, their inner peace was their priority. Doing all of this by themself was quite difficult. 

 

Thanks to the local organization where I took the chance to volunteer, I and a couple of other colleagues accepted the challenge to be useful to them and to the local community. By providing consistent help from many aspects, we’re giving 100% percent of our daily energy, power and willingness to bring a small valuable smile to them. It was difficult but it was worth it. I can never forget the countless hours running around the city to buy things, bring medicines, food supplies and be able to open their lonely world while being isolated due to governmental restrictions. 

To be honest, in those lovely 6 months, I realized how small and fragile we’re, how we all need support and unconditional love, especially in the moments when we need the most. 

 

Nowadays, after quite a while, I think of those opportunities that are very important for personal growth, for contribution on a local level and most importantly, the lovely smile of my elder people there <3.

Branko’s here, a super positive guy from North Macedonia and here I’m to share some of my volunteering stories.

 

I did EVS twice. One short term in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2015 and a long term in Izmir, Turkey a period of 11 months in 2016-2017. 

Since my super young childhood ages, I have been actively participating in each of my city, high school or organization volunteering activities. The time spent among wonderful people made me realize that I love what I’m doing and here is the place where I belong and I feel like being me. Over the years, I become a volunteering mentor in our city which I am really proud of and gives me the motivation to keep going on. 

During my first project in Bulgaria, I was volunteering at a UNICEF festival together with 30 other volunteers around Europa. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me lasting for a period of only a month. A month full of never experienced moments while working with different types of people, including people with disabilities. It was 30 days “trial” period where I developed my self-confidence and this actually motivated me to take part in a long-term EVS. 

Full of impressions, have followed my next steps and jumped into my new volunteering project in Izmir, Turkey which was a cultural project, related to the inclusion of minorities and refugee people which we’re trying to become involved in the local society. It was a unique chance to get closer to those lovely people’s life stories, to hear the written side of their notebooks and the struggling life they had. Powerful lessons learned here made me become more familiar with those generations and the time spent together in our activities, made us an inseparable unit of the organization and our daily life.

DIEKIRCH REFUGEE CENTER: A GARDENING INITIATION TO ENJOY THE SUMMER DAYS

Located in a green setting below their accommodations, the residents of the Diekirch refugee center have embarked on a gardening project that is beginning to pay off. The garden is quickly evolving and starting to spread towards the buildings while fitting harmoniously into the rural environment of the Diekirch heights.

The initiative, which is reminiscent of the traditional allotments scattered around Luxembourg’s steel factories, provides a hobby for all those with a green thumb. Even more.

Indeed, the hardest working gardeners (about fifteen people) are spending several hours a day on this voluntary basis project. If the weather allows it. Nevertheless, with surprising results.

Some of them are beginners in gardening and yet reaching unexpected yields, especially with potatoes. Enough to start preparing the famous “Gromperekichelcher”.

Others are more experienced and even succeed to grow inside greenhouses the spices so appreciated by their Middle Eastern cuisine.

This attractive project also chooses to grow organic crops without pesticides, particularly by using intercropping, which allows diversifying the cultivated plants while using sustainable practices for the environment.

With the help of Nicolas Lemercier, educator at the Diekirch structure, the residents have access to the seeds and materials required for the maintenance of their plots. The plots allocation and their sizes correspond to the number of members of the enrolled family or according to the number of singles who are joining forces to work the land.

The spirit of this project is one of self-management. Beginners are asking for help at first with the basics of gardening. Then they are encouraged to manage their plots themselves, like finding a new volunteer when they leave the residence. Some of them are demonstrating great ingenuity, especially in the construction of greenhouses made essentially from recycled materials” explains Nicolas. Each volunteer is learning and shares new skills. More generally, the residents are gathering new communication tools for their future inclusion in the Luxembourg job market.

This new passion for gardening also allows residents to face financial hardship, especially for the least fortunate families, as gardening also allows them to collect fresh fruits and vegetables at a lower cost. In addition, gardening helps the refugees to rebuild their self-confidence and relieves some of the daily tensions in the shelter.

Elisa Fernandez has been a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer with DRESS FOR SUCCESS in Luxembourg. She has been volunteering with this initiative from the beginning on. She is an avid advocate of women empowerment and believes that women hold enough power to achieve everything
they want. She not only works in many other charity organisations but also helps other women with their careers by being a role model and mentor for them. Elisa aims to keep on fighting for the rights of women and believes in the courage other women around her show. She says volunteering and helping others gives her a sense of living and she wants to just leave people with ideas to help themselves and elevate.

“”I BELIEVE IN POWER WITHIN WOMEN, THEIR STRENGTH AND DEDICATION!””
-ELISA FERNANDEZ, LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG

“It’s always a pleasure to work with Serve the City for the beauty events. On that rainy Saturday morning, we were able to share a few hours of relaxation and pampering with those beautiful women.
While doing each woman’s makeup, I listened to her story, what she liked, what her
plans for the day were, what her children were like. It warmed my heart when, upon seeing their “new” reflection in the mirror, their faces lit up and they said: ‘I feel beautiful!’ A few of them even said they were going to go for a walk and have coffee that day because they were feeling good about themselves.

To me, that is the whole point of doing those beauty events.” Claudia loves to attend such beauty events in which she listens to life stories and helps people look beautiful. She believes she can give tons of self confidence to women with low esteem or who do not feel very courageous in the society.

-Claudia

Student at the university of Luxembourg and volunteer with Unity Foundation, I had the chance to facilitate a workshop with Unity Foundation at Lycée Saint-Anne in Ettelbruck on Thursday, 3rd February. The high-school students could share their feelings and reactions while watching the poignant short film Mercy’s Blessing, which illustrates powerful concepts like sacrifice, empathy, justice, and how we can participate in the improvement of society by implementing those values in our daily lives.

Discussions have been enriching, enabling each girl to think about herself and her relation to society. As a teenager, I was limited in my ambition for myself and for society because of a certain number of commonplaces: “one has to accept norms”, “an individual can’t do anything against global problems”, “one can’t change human nature” and of unspoken notions in the school environment: no opportunity to discuss social issues or to question oneself – focus on daily life and on academic results. I wanted to contribute to offering this space for reflection and this opening to the world to young people by becoming a volunteer for Unity Foundation. I am convinced that young people cannot create meaning in their lives without being stimulated in their thinking. Unity Foundation provides elements of reflection and encourages their analysis in everyone.

 

-Clara Albrecht

GIUSEPPE GILIBERTI 26 YEARS OLD

The importance of volunteering for me.
“It is not an action but the action of many”

 

I started volunteering in 2018 when, after returning from my 6 months of Erasmus in the Canary Islands, I started to see with different eyes my home, my territory. So I decided that I couldn’t just stand by and complain, but I could work for things to change. I started with environmental volunteer activities, Clean Up at the beach taught me how a small gesture like for example to abandon waste if multiplied for all people who do not pay attention to this dynamic becomes a huge problem. 

 

I subsequently participated in actions to enhance the urban decorum of the neighborhood where I live with other residents and understood how active action by stakeholders if supported by institutions leads to results that reflect the will of stakeholders and to more durable and functional results.

 

Of course my actions have not directly changed the world for the better, but they have helped me understand what are respectful attitudes and behaviors for other individuals and for life together in society and on the planet. So I think if we all participated in forms of volunteering, the world would be a better place.

CARLA 30 years old volunteer – MY EXPERIENCE OF VOLUNTEERING 

I have always been an active part of the world of associations and volunteering. Since 2014 I am part of the Youth Forum of Capaccio Paestum (SA), of which I was the coordinator from 2018 to 2020. With the Youth Forum we participated and organized various voluntary activities such as cleaning the beaches of our coast together with the Legambiente and young migrants hosted in the immigration centers. In addition, every year we are engaged in the Christmas period in collecting gifts to give to children from families in difficulty to be able to give a simple smile at a time of year that should be nice and warm but that is the saddest for those who live economic and family problems. Other activities have also been linked to the entertainment of young people also and especially with digital tools to ensure that young people did not alienate themselves in this very difficult period of social isolation. Since 2017 I am also part of the Lions Club International (Silarus Campaign), of which I had the presidency for the 2019/2020 year. With Lions, I have also participated in several fundraisers but mostly we are dedicated to solidarity activities where we can make available our personal and professional skills. In addition, there are activities that we carry out annually, such as collecting used glasses that we donate every year to the citizens of the poorest countries in the world; we also dedicate ourselves to free screening for diabetes for citizenship and much more. Finally, I am part of other informal and formalised groups with which we help to inform young people about the many possibilities that Europe and the state offer for them.

  

I strongly believe in volunteering and I believe that each of us must try at least once in his life a voluntary activity as carrying out this act of love is a real experience that makes us feel useful to society and to our neighbour and not only because it allows us to help the other but also because it also represents growth for themselves, Personal enrichment that is unparalleled.  It also allows us to meet new people, sometimes new cultures and new thoughts, and to know ourselves even better. It seems a foregone conclusion but I believe that very often we do not realize how much we can give until we put it into practice. I am convinced that we are the world in which we live, and if we give even a minute of our time to another person, the world can be a better place.

DENISA, ALBANIAN ESC VOLUNTEER IN ITALYThe first wealth is health”

 

Health for all: protect all.

 

COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic loss of life human beings around the world and represents an unprecedented challenge to health public, food systems and the world of work. Given the emergency COVID-19, Moby Dick ETS decided to be alongside health care personnel, along with the volunteers of the European Solidarity Corps. The initiative is part of the MAN (Micro Christmas Actions), promoted by Solidalis CSV of Salerno. We have

offered sweets and hot drinks for the operators of the Hospital Da Procida and the Roars. Such actions arouse indescribable emotions.

For me, this action means a lot, because we were not just there to serve hot drinks, but to prove that we are always here with you and in those days we are all together. It was an act of solidarity on our part, to show respect and support to medical staff. We have shown solidarity with them, and solidarity works best when we understand and respect each other needs and circumstances of social life. Our society must provide attention to the idea of the common good, where the desire of all to Building a better society for future generations tomorrow.

The coronavirus began to spread and negatively impact people’s lives in the year 2020. We were frightened and unprepared for what the future held. We had to take care of our own needs as well as the lives of others who were close to us. I was constantly assisting and caring for my grandmother throughout the quarantine. She is a 70-year-old woman with health concerns who has undergone numerous operations that have left her body weak. It was more difficult for her to get herself supplies because she lives far from the city. I would visit her every three days while keeping my distance and wearing gloves and a protective mask. . In such moments, I realized that even though we were keeping our distance, we had never been closer. Yes, such times were difficult and it wasn’t easy to see your loved one in such a state while yet wanting to hug her. The coronovarius pandemic has put everyone to the test and shown just how far humanity can go.

-Una Alispahić, 17             

2020. made the world stand still for a while, and I got an opportunity where everything changed – for the better! 

 

Professionally, I am a nurse and I left this field a long time ago as I focused on what makes me happy – workshops, youth and learning through fun. Knowing that this ”Corona thing” will last and feeling useless at home, I joined the Red Cross in my hometown as a volunteer for COVID -19 social phone. I received incoming and outgoing calls from different social groups: elderly, poor, children, middle-aged people… A lot of the jobs were closed down, so many people lost their jobs. The social phone initially served as a way to help the elderly who were no longer able to leave their homes to go shopping and as a psychological aid, etc., but it quickly became a place where people went to request free meals, as many lost their jobs and were no longer able to feed their families. What I remember most was a call from a teacher who told me that two children in her class were starving because their father had lost his job in Slovenia and could not find another job or return to Bosnia because of the lockdown. These children were one of many with a similar fate at that time.

 

I also remember that the streets were empty during the day because of the lockdown. It seemed as if no one was alive. I only met other Red Cross volunteers or police officers on the streets, but even they were completely masked and unrecognizable. I remember the fear that spread faster than the virus. After all, the unknown is what people fear the most. It really put the humanity on test, in every way possible. 

This volunteer work made me feel better emotionally and later financially. I was given the opportunity to work as a paid volunteer with the Red Cross for the next few months, so I could only benefit from this situation.

​​Volunteering has always had a huge impact on me and my perspective. It was always like giving back to the community that was there for me whenever I needed it.

 

I volunteered in May 2020, during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemics, as a volunteer of the Red Cross and “Mreža Mladih” organization. To be honest, it was a hard time for everyone because no one knew what we were dealing with, when is it going to end, will it affect us as volunteers etc. Primarily we were delivering groceries and other necessities to elder’s doors. We were also accepting donations and dividing them. My shift would usually last from 8 am to 4 pm.

 

One thing that I remember after coming home everyday is taking long showers because I didn’t want to be tested positive and also cleaning every door knob in the house after someone recently came in.

 

-Lejla Breščić

Rijad, 20

 

I’ve been a Red Cross volunteer for the past 4-5 years and would like to highlight the enormous influence it has had on my life.

I’d always known I wanted to work in medicine. After seeing my mother’s good impact on the lives of her patients, I decided to do the same. Because I was still in high school, I began with a simple step: I joined the Red Cross Society’s Youth Volunteers.

 

Our first assignments were straightforward: raise awareness, collect funds, and, of course, assist others. During this period, we would also educate students on first aid and begin some healthy competitions on the same theme.

 

Very shortly after the pandemic began, our volunteer group formed and developed projects to assist individuals during these trying times. Since a lot of elderly people werent able to go out and buy basic goods, medications etc. for themselves, we started doing it for them.  We’d all get together soon after school and get to work. We would take calls until 3 p.m. and then go into action.

 

Education is also an important aspect of our volunteer activities. We have weekly lectures and talks where we learn about safety, communication, and how to assist others.

 

Most importantly, one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering is the community that develops around you. Many of my friends volunteered alongside me. We helped each other as much as we helped others, and we all benefited from it. After these years, I was able to take the first big steps in my life by becoming a Red Cross Certified First Aid Instructor and enrolling at the Medical University of my dreams.

Svake godine nažalost tradicionalno u Hercegovini možemo vidjeti šumske požare koji su nekada izazvani namjerno, a nekada su za to krive vremenske nepogode. Prošle godine na području Jablanice uslijed vremenskih neprilika došlo je do požara na nepristupačnom terenu. Taj požar se zbog stabilnog, suhog i vremena sa visokim temperature proširio na dijelove planine Čvrsnice. Zbog nemogućnosti dogovora nadležnih političara, požar se nije sanirao na vrijeme dolaskom helikoptera, pa su u gašenju požara učestvovali građani i građanke Jablanice i drugih gradova Bosne i Hercegovine. U nastavku donosimo Vam kratki osvrt Seje Ivkovića, jednog od volontera koji je pomagao u gašenju navedenog požara.

“Požar na Čvrsnici je trebao ranije biti ugašen, odmah po samom nastanku. Da se reagovalo adekvatno i da je poslan helikopter Oružanih snaga problem bi se riješio odmah prvi dan. Nažalost zbog neodgovornosti nadležnih političara isti nije imao dozvolu poletiti. Zbog nepristupačnosti terena ljudi fizički nisu mogli da priđu požarištu i požar lokalizuju na vrijeme, tako da se taj požar nažalost proširio na druge dijelove Čvrsnice. Poznato nam je da Čvrsnica ima prirodne fenomene i zaštićene biljne endemske vrste, stoga smatram ovo velikom štetom. U tom trenutku mi kao građani smo pristupili gašenju požara. Imali smo Viber grupu od 100 volontera koje je koordinirala Civilna zaštita u Jablanici. 10 dana smo se mijenjali, stražarili, uspješno nosili sa širenjem vatre i spriječili dopiranje iste do obližnih naselja. Imali smo dva vala požara, jedan do prve kiše, nakon toga sušni period od 5 dana i na kraju period kiše koja je pogasila sve ostale manje požare. Na društvenim mrežama i medijima ste mogli vidjeti našu reakciju kada smo poslije prve kiše kolege i ja, jako umorni i gladni, dočekali pljusak koji nam je pomogao pri gašenju iako smo vatrenu liniju dobro održavali.

https://www.facebook.com/100000739726918/videos/427356518616906

U tome periodu imali smo birokratske i političke probleme koji su dodatno usložnili borbu sa požarom zbog opreme koju smo trebali dobiti, ali su ti problem izazvali veliki inat kod ljudi. Veliki broj Jablaničana i drugih građana se pridružio i sinhrono sudjelovao u tome da se ugasi požar na Čvrsnici. Na svu sreću u tome se uspjelo. Akciji gašenja su pristupili Jablaničani i Jablaničanke, ali i građani iz cijele Bosne i Hercegovine. Svakodnevno su nam se javljali da li oni mogu da dođu i dolazili su da bi pripomogli gašenju. Nažalost, sve se to moglo ranije sanirati da smo imali potrebni helikopter. Helikopterski servis Republike Srpske nam je pomagao i u dobro dijelu pomogao u nekoliko navrata. Ali glavni motor su bili ljudi, njihova borbenost, njihovo srce koji su pomogli pri gašenju požara, iako je na kraju kiša isti u potpunosti ugasila. Zbog visokih temperature, jednostavno nismo mogli čitavu vatrenu liniju držati. Hvala Vam dobri ljudi i ostali koji ste na bilo koji način pripomogao gašenju požara. Čvrsnica nam je zahvalna!” – sa nama je podijelio svoje iskustvo Sejo Ivković, jedan od volontera koji je pripomogao gašenju požara.

https://avaz.ba/vijesti/bih/675649/volonteri-koji-od-vatre-brane-jablanicu-nadamo-se-duzoj-kisi-koja-bi-sve-rijesila?fbclid=IwAR3TJakfuEItpxO2dTQbYg-5sLMdNvNbeIVJByCxNP6_8N5FvCFkjANkX8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlTFd79JUVw&t=655s&ab_channel=SejoIvkovi%C4%87

My name is Doris Lalević and I am a third year law student. Through my previous education, I participated in many activities. I was a founder of a volunteer club in my high school with whom I was part in many activities such as raising money for local  NGOs for helping stray animals, helping children with disabilities, cleaning local parks, and making a presentation for awareness of overweight children and the importance of physical activities. I was a project assistant in the music festival ’’Danilovgradation’’. I took part in UNICEF’s UPSHIFT where I had a chance to present a project that could contribute to the development of my community. I have been a Red Cross volunteer since 2018 and I was a volunteer at NGO Zid for two years. I participated in the workshop ’’No impunity for the past ” that is supported by the EU. I was also part of the Student Council and I represented first and second year at my faculty of Law, where I provided protection of student’s rights. Currently I am volunteering in NGO Mladiinfo and I’m putting effort in improving the position of young people, providing information, promoting volunteerism and active participation in society, as well as raising society’s awareness of issues and problems concerning young people. I have also been volunteering in ESN – Erasmus Student Network since this year.

Volunteering in Mladiinfo Montenegro brought me two things: new friends and new knowledge. Through their activities I had an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and improve myself as a person. Through the two trainings I attended with them they showed me how you can learn, work, socialize and explore new places all at the same time.

 

-Valentina Danaj

 

Hello! My name is Omar and I’m from Tuzi, a small town in Montenegro.

 

I started volunteering when I was 18. My first experience with an NGO was here in my town. We were helping poor families and that was the only thing we were involved in. Days were passing and I wanted something bigger, something of international character… So this is when my story with Mladiinfo Montenegro begins. So today, after two years being in this NGO, I’m sure I made the best decision because I traveled a lot and learned so many things about leadership, digital media and the EU.

 

As a young man my advice to everyone is that you should never stop improving and searching for opportunities, especially for places that could make that easier.

 

–Omar Lekic

My name is Anja. I am a 17 years old girl who is a volunteer in the Mladiinfo Montenegro organization. It was my pleasure to be a part of this organization, where we young people can show our knowledge in different spheres, meet new people and be involved in bringing decisions about young people.

 

In this organization I get a lot of benefits. I improved my communication and leadership skills. One of my favorite experiences in this organization was Karl Popper debate in Sarajevo which was amazing .Then, I was at a seminar in Montenegro, where we were talking about our projects and humanitarian actions.

 

In conclusion ,I am grateful because I am a member of this organization.Volunteering in Mladiinfo Montenegro organization was an amazing opportunity for me and I spent a good and quality time in this organization with incredible people who have good potential and want to advance our environment.

 

–Anja Vojvodic

Hello, my name is Lorena and I’ve been volunteering in NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro for more than two years. I won’t write about my general experience, but I would like to look back at one of our humanitarian actions that had the biggest impact on me. 

 

On July 12th and 17th, 2021, we organized humanitarian actions for the Kulic family from Podgorica. The parents couldn’t work, and they had three daughters (1, 3 and 6 years old), two of which had health problems. The baby wasn’t developing enough and had to undergo surgery, while the three year old had a cyst on her head, and also struggled to talk. Since they were also paying the rent and visiting doctors all the time, they struggled to cover all the expenses, and had to borrow food from the neighbors a lot.

 

The mother couldn’t read and write, so she would send us voice messages explaining how they live and what they would need most. 

We organized humanitarian actions for a lot of families, but none of them were as thankful as this one. While we were collecting donations, the mother sent us so many voice messages, thanking us for helping them. 

 

After that, we went to their house to bring them the groceries, and they kept thanking us the whole time. We were surprised because not every family was like that. They even taught the little daughter to say thank you and to hug us. I’m mentioning this because, as a volunteer, there is nothing more fulfilling than realizing you did something meaningful. Some may say “You can’t help everyone, so why try”, but these experiences showed us that the point isn’t to help everyone, it’s to help as much as we can. Personally, I had the chance to visit the families and deliver the help we collected. All I can say is that, each time, I felt grateful for days, for everything that I have, and I didn’t dare to complain about the things we all take for granted in our everyday lives. 

 

I wish everyone would experience this, because in the process, you become a kinder person, and you get to know some emotions you didn’t know you had. 

 

“Only what you give is yours” perfectly describes this, as by helping others and in general by being kind to everyone we meet, by asking politely and saying thank you, we not only help and show appreciation, but we also feel so much more human. And in return, our hearts get filled with goodness and joy, which we want to share with everyone.

 

 

–Lorena Ujkic

Humanitarian actions are very special, it is hard until the desired outcome is reached, but in the end we succeed and get many sincere smiles and satisfaction on the faces of the people we make happy. From personal experience I can say that it is an incredible feeling when you manage to help someone. I have had many wonderful situations with people, many are positively surprised and are very happy to participate in the action, but there are also many more who are not interested in it and who reject you immediately. It happened that the people we approached and told about the action, answered us that we should collect for them as well. In addition to all this, I can say, humanitarian action is a special activity and that people should get involved as much as possible, because a little of us means a lot to someone.

-Nejla Kalac