A Challenging Experience

Fabianne Furman
California, USA

Since graduating from the University of California, San Diego in 2007, I knew I wanted to work in a field that would allow me to help people.  It is hard to determine what that means exactly, but I knew I had to engage myself in something that I felt was meaningful, useful, and gratifying.   VE Global proved to be just what I was looking for.

Once I was accepted and moved out to Chile, I was greeted by a friendly staff of young, like-minded and forward-thinking volunteers.  I was fortunate enough to be placed at an institution called Mi Club Domingo Savio, which is a community center for abused and at-risk children in a disadvantaged sector of Santiago known as La Granja.  Cliché as it may seem, this is precisely where I acquired invaluable life-lessons that I will carry with me forever.

Working as a volunteer at Mi Club Domingo Savio was one of the most challenging experiences I have ever faced.  Most of the children who attend have experienced some form of abuse, whether it is verbal, physical, sexual, neglect, or even exposure to drugs and alcohol.  Many, therefore, have an understandable aversion to authority, and gaining their respect was no easy feat.  However, the VE Orientation Week prepared me well for this challenge and I was motivated to face it head-on.

Mi Club is organized into three groups of fifteen children separated by age.  Soon after joining Mi Club, I found that I was drawn to the third group, comprised of children between the ages of twelve and fifteen, and spent most of my volunteer time with them.  I had high expectations about what I could bring to the third group.  Broadly speaking, I wanted to guide them toward positive decisions.  I wanted to help them discover their talents and capabilities. Reaching these goals, however, did not come easily.

Often when I was left to manage the group alone, some sort of small disaster would occur.  I have a very vivid memory of a thirteen-year-old boy chasing one of his peers around the small, crammed room with rusty hedge-trimmers, while I tried to lead the group in a homework session.  Incidences like these were common.  I often went home feeling like I had failed, and thinking that if I could not even control a group of fifteen adolescents for one hour, how could I possibly inspire them to overcome their circumstances and aim for success?  Still, due in large part to the support of other VE volunteers and the staff at Domingo Savio, I continued to try to reach out to the kids. 

Several of the boys were interested in music, which gave me the courage to start a guitar class as I had originally hoped.  Through spending individual time with the girls, many shared their personal problems with me, which prompted me to start a Women’s Issues club. Once the club began, among other things, I was able to arrange for a karate expert to teach a self-defense clinic for the club, and he enjoyed working with the girls so much that he continues to hold occasional clinics for them today.  After successfully managing the guitar class and the women’s issues club, I decided to start a singing class for the younger girls at Mi Club.  After some training, the singing group entered a competition at an art festival and won first prize. 

My work at Mi Club was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I developed meaningful relationships with the kids, and the change I saw in them was remarkable.  Because I believed in the children, I pushed them to do their best, teaching them to recognize not only the value of their efforts, but also their own self-worth. The children, too, saw the results of their own hard work.  My personal growth and the small changes in the lives of the children would not be possible without a strong organization like VE.  I am eternally grateful for the experience it afforded me.