Is-Sorijiet! Il-a魔wa!
'Illum kelli nipprepara l-ikel ma鈥� tnejn mill-voluntiera, they are the best 鈥� (even though the food was not great lol).' 05-07-2016
'B魔alissa ninsab waqt l-adorazzjoni, u qed na魔seb f鈥檊魔axar minuti ilu (fejn kissirna sodda). Nemmen li anke dak il-魔in kont qieg魔ed tid魔ak maghna, Mulej!!' 10-07-2016
'Fl-a魔魔ar irnexxieli nibda konver偶azzjoni ma鈥� dawk i偶-偶ew摹t itfal. Kollox beda minn tpin摹ija ta鈥� Mickey Mouse fuq il-coach.' 04-07-2017
'Illum 魔adtha 鈥榦ff鈥� mis-summer camp. Ma tantx 魔assejtni nifla魔. Qattajt il-摹urnata g魔and is-sisters. X鈥櫮媢膵 hi n-nanna 鈥� ikel non-stop, minn filg魔odu, sa waranofsinhar, sakemm waslu lura s魔abi mill-camp. Sibt il-魔in biex nipprepara tpin摹ija b魔ala ringrazzjament g魔as-sorijiet u g魔all-membri l-o魔ra; tal-pa膵enzja li 魔adu bija waqt li kont ma nifla魔x.' 17-07-2017
'Hekk hu, meta saqsewni biex naqsam xi esperjenzi personali tal-volontarjat, ma 魔sibthiex darbtejn biex immur naqra xi 魔sibijiet reali li kienu jg魔addu minn mo魔魔i f鈥檇awk i偶-偶minijiet. Ng魔iduha kif inhi, x鈥檋emm iktar reali u isba魔 minn kitba jew 魔sieb tal-鈥榤ument鈥�? Nista鈥� ng魔id li fi偶-偶ew摹 esperjenzi ta鈥� volontarjat li kelli, 摹ewwa Firenze u 摹ewwa Palermo, tg魔allimt napprezza kull mument tal-摹urnata. Tant hu hekk, li hekk kif kont insib ru魔i wa魔di qabel norqod, jew waqt xi 魔in g魔all-kwiet, kont nintilef fi 魔isbijieti u nirrifletti fuq il-摹urnata (niddubita kemm kont nag魔milha qabel l-irqad, g魔ax na魔seb stilel biss kont nara, imma nsomma, fhimtni).
Is-sabi魔 tal-volontarjat huwa dak li tg魔ixu ma鈥� komunita鈥� (il-voluntiera u s-Sisters). Qatt ma nista鈥� ng魔id li sibt ru魔i wa魔di, g魔ax b鈥檟i mod, dejjem qsamt x鈥檏ien g魔addej fuq mo魔魔i mal-o魔rajn. Niftakarni nifforma 魔biberiji tassew sbie魔 minn qabel l-esperjenzi li se魔魔ew f鈥橪ulju.Waqt il-formazzjoni tal-grupp, li tibda ferm qabel, sirt naf il-voluntiera Maltin l-o魔ra a魔jar. Ma nistax ng魔id li ntoppi ma nqalg魔ux tul l-esperjenzi i偶da b鈥檟i mod, dejjem wasalna g魔al xi ftehim u 魔dimna b魔ala tim wie魔ed.Is-Sorijiet! Il-a魔wa! Kemm Firenze u kif ukoll Palermo, dejjem sibna xi voluntiera minn tag魔hom jistennewna l-ajruport sabiex iwassluna g魔andhom, bil-karozza. Kont na魔sibni li jien biss naf nilqa鈥� n-nies u ndur bihom 摹ewwa l-lukandi (peress li dak i偶-偶mien kont na魔dem fis-settur tat-turi偶mu). Kemm kont sejra 偶mer膵! Na魔seb qatt ma lqajt lil xi 魔add b鈥檇aqshekk fer魔, entu偶ja偶mu u tbissima sin膵iera daqs kemm laqawna s-Sorijiet.
Fl-ewwel esperjenza tieg魔i, 摹ewwa Firenze, vera kont e膵itata li ser niltaqa鈥� mag魔hom 鈥榣ive鈥� g魔al-ewwel darba. Dan g魔aliex, f鈥檓o魔魔i meta kont issemmili l-MC鈥檚 (Missionaries of Charity), kull ma kienet ti摹i f鈥檓o魔魔i kienet Mother Teresa fuq xi santa, fuq xi magazine jew fuq xi artiklu.Wasal ukoll il-魔in li kelli niltaqa鈥� mat-tfal li kienu jattendu dan is-summer camp. Ma nistax ng魔id li l-lingwa kienet barrier g魔ax it-Taljan nifhmu u nitkellmu sew, i偶da nemmen li, anke jekk ma kontx naf nitkellem il-lingwa, b鈥檟i mod dejjem kienet tasal l-im魔abba lejn it-tfal. Filfatt, il-魔afna drabi li 魔assejtni l-iktar qrib ta鈥� dawn it-tfal huma dawk il-mumenti meta kont npo摹摹i 魔dejhom fuq il-coach, u naqbdu npin摹u fuq din il-karta mg魔aff摹a. 摩arsa wa魔da kienet isservi biex nifhem li t-tfal kienu jkunu fer魔anin bil-pre偶enza tieg魔i waqt dak il-mument.Wasal ukoll il-魔in fejn kont niddubita fija nniffsi; u g魔ax tifel kien jitkerra魔li jew kien jissuppervja quddiemi, kont ne魔odha personali u kont nag魔mel 摹urnata bin-nervi. Darba biss 摹rat, tafx! Alla魔ares ma鈥� kull 魔arsa kerha tinbidilli l-摹urnata u n魔alli impatt negattiv fuq tfal o魔ra! .
Ma nistax nag魔laq ming魔ajr ma nsemmi l-Adorazzjoni, li g魔al 魔afna, inklu偶a jien, kien meqjus b魔ala 鈥樷�檌l-魔in tal-mistrie魔鈥�, fil-veru sens tal-kelma. Fl-ewwel sena tieg魔i 摹ewwa Firenze, kont nqatta鈥� 魔afna mill-魔in tal-Adorazzjoni nog魔nos. Kont inkun wisq g魔ejjiena biex nipprova nitlob, jew nirrifletti dak il-魔in. Fit-tieni sena 摹ewwa Palermo ppruvajt nag魔ti xejra o魔ra lill-Adorazzjoni. Waqt dan il-魔in kont bdejt nipprova nag魔raf iktar l-azzjonijiet tieg魔i u xi stajt nag魔mel a魔jar matul il-摹uranta. Kien hemm waqtiet fejn kont inqatta鈥� sieg魔a ni膵膵assa lejn l-Ewkaristija. Hekk hu, 鈥榥i膵膵assa鈥�, imma tal-inqas mhux rieqda. Nemmen li dik is-sieg魔a g魔all-kwiet kienet tag魔tini boost g魔al 摹urnata o魔ra.Minn esperjenza personali, l-Adorazzjoni n魔obb nqabbilha mal-摹elat favorit tieg魔i, Maxibon. L-ewwel sena 摹ewwa Firenze kelli l-Maxibon mag魔luq, fejn kont nosservah biss mill-bog魔od u nimma摹ina t-tog魔ma tajba li kellu filwaqt li fit-tieni sena 摹ewwa Palermo, idde膵idejt li nifta魔 il-Maxibon, fejn irnexxieli nduqu u tassew stajt ng魔id "xi tjubija!" '.
Deborah Debono 鈥� A摹enzija Sapport
A blessing beyond words
Back in January 2018, I had applied to go to a voluntary experience in London with the aim in mind of helping others. I wanted to spend a few weeks where I could solely give my energy and time to people who would have needed it. Little did I know how much more I would be receiving back through this experience.
When I was approached to write a few words regarding my experience doing voluntary work, I didn鈥檛 know where I would start or what I would say, as the experience was such a blessing beyond words. Living with the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity taught me so much. Their simplistic and poor way of living, and yet immense happiness and joy with the little things of life, is something I wanted to carry back home with me. Working with the children during the Summer Camp was also a blessing in itself. Taking care of the children was obviously not without its struggles, but it was very rewarding to see them enjoy themselves and to see them grow fond of us volunteers as the days passed by. Through the whole experience, I was also able to make and establish friendships with the rest of my community which I cherish to this day. Going through the experience with another 12 individuals means you always find someone to share the laughter, frustration, tears and joy with.
Apart from all of this, London was a place that made me aware of God鈥檚 presence in my life, something which I wasn鈥檛 aware of before. My faith grew tenfold from this experience and I am deeply grateful for this. It really is very hard to describe what a beautiful experience going on voluntary work is. It is an opportunity that I had which I am very grateful for and I suggest it to anyone who would be interested.
I also want to encourage anyone who might be apprehensive and think that their lack of faith will stop them from enjoying the experience. Don鈥檛 let fear or apprehension stop you! Apply, you will not regret it. 鈥淲e ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.鈥� Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Maria Ciantar 鈥� Child Care Worker, London 2018