What gave you the most positive
impression?
To see the energy and joy in the children, youth and the elderly was for sure the best part of the trip! To see the amazing help they have received. I don’t even dare to think about what it would be like if the foundation hadn’t existed.
Just like we heard that one of the young people had said, ”if people only understood how much it has meant to me”. I don’t think we will ever know what these people have been through or what hides behind their facade. But one thing I do understand, and that is that the joy we saw was real! Even if I can’t understand everything I saw how much it meant for them. I saw how thankful they were and the strong relationships they had with for instance Sofia. When I think about what everyone who works in the foundation does and the difference it makes, it’s unbelievable! Most of the people we met were very open and welcoming. To do something that means something for them was fantastic. We were nothing special, we just came there to be, and it meant something!
What was the most negative impression you got?
From all impressions we got we could either choose to see everything awful, everything hard, everything heavy. Or we could choose to see the joy, the difference and the importance. I chose the second alternative because there you were able to help! But behind everything nice, of course there were other things too. Everything the children and youth carried within them, youth who were never allowed to be children, people out on the streets who were in difficult situations, poor houses that people lived in, the list never ends.
But what means something is that it is possible to bring change. And we got to see that change!
What do you think you will bring with you into the future?
That this trip has meant something to me is probably obvious because I haven’t been able to write this without many tears. First thing is, I will never forget the smiles of the youth or the children’s’ laughter. And I have realized that helping people gives you so much back! And then, I really want to come back as a volunteer in the future.
What could we have done better?
We all came there with open hands, with the desire to try to get closer to the people, the desire to help and to just really have fun! I don’t think we could have done more. Not this time.
Many of all the feelings that this trip has given are really hard to find the right words for. But one thing is for sure, this trip, or actually the people we have met, has changed us all. We have seen the incredible help they have received and what has been done for them. And it is amazing!
//Sara 
