Joys of volunteering
During my year of voluntary service in Costa Rica, I have experienced how voluntary work can be personally enriching. Helping other people, making them happy and seeing the smiles on their faces are unforgettable moments, one could never buy nor pay for. The kinds o happiness I felt after these moments have been very special, as they are not of the “usual” kind one has in everyday life.
This might sound very superficial, so let me tell you one of these stories. In November 2010 heavy rainfalls caused landslides and floods and therefore severe damages in parts of the country. Many people lost their homes, suffered severe damages to their houses or had to be temporarily removed from dangerous areas. They lived in emergency homes such as sports-halls, schools or parish rooms. The Costa-Rican Red Cross was well prepared for these events, the victims could be supplied with their basic needs such as food, water, blankets and mattresses fairly quickly and efficiently. As one can imagine, once the survival is secured, after a few days the main problem in these places is boredom.
So, in cooperation with UNICEF, the Youth Red Cross has the “Return to Happiness”-programme. As a member of the Youth Red Cross, I accompanied a team that went to these emergency homes in Quebrada, Jacó and Parrita, all in the province of Puntarenas. Entering the homes we could feel the boredom and bad mood, as well as skepticism towards us. We performed puppet-shows, played games, provided drawing material, made animals out of balloons and sang songs. Two hours after entering, we had changed the atmosphere completely, people were laughing, talking and enjoying the entertainment we had provided. When we left, the children didn’t want to let us go.
Seeing the impact of what we had achieved when leaving, was definitely one of my personal highlights since my arrival.
