Making a difference in just one week: Diana Alejandra’s volunteer story

In Multilingua, we believe in the value of volunteering and the positive impact it can have. To show our appreciation, we offered all our volunteers a free spot in one of our language courses. Before spending a week helping out at our children’s English summer camp, Columbian Diana Alejandra joined our 10-day B1 English  intensive course. The following article shares her experience and shows how just one week of volunteering can make a big difference in a person’s life.

“It is clear that with dedication you can speak more than one language.”

My name is Diana Alejandra López H. I am Colombian and I am from the city of Cali. I am a marketing professional. My main interests are to continue deepening many concepts of my profession to achieve new job opportunities, improve in the English language and now learn a new language which is Estonian. I currently speak Spanish (native), English (level B1) and Estonian (level A1).

How did I come to Estonia? In 2022 my husband received a job offer in IT, he was the first to travel and see the whole process, if it was the right country to live in and after 8 months it was my turn to travel and settle down completely. I have currently been living in Tallinn for 1 year and 3 months.

How did you find out about Multilingua’s English summer camp, and what made you decide to volunteer here?

It all started in a conversation group and one of my friends commented that there was a summer camp for children looking for volunteers. She recommended that it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the culture and practice English and Estonian. I made the decision a week after sending my request of interest in participating and I received a response from Hannela Tamagno to start with the whole process of calling for volunteers.

I had volunteered 3 times previously in my native country and this opportunity in Estonia would be a great professional and personal breakthrough by acquiring for the first time an international volunteering experience. I am aware that I would learn a lot from the new country where I am living, I would detect my most common mistakes when speaking English and I would work on it. I would also know the children: how is their behavior among them, how is their level of independence or dependence in everyday situations.

What are your impressions of the camp and the children?

I believe that in volunteering you always take with you a different experience, my impression on supporting Multilingua in the process was enriching, challenging and I got to know more skills I had that I did not know before.

My impression with the children was very special, because they allowed me to know more about each one with their abilities. For example there were children who had a very special ability to draw, to answer fast in English, and also the strong ability to speak many languages… very occasionally they gave me Estonian classes hehehehe.

What were your main responsibilities at the camp?

My responsibilities at the camp were to be attentive and communicate with the English teacher about the daily activities that were carried out, to help the children if they had any doubts about the activity, to organize the work materials for the next day, to make sure that the whole group was complete, to make sure all the children had their reflective vests on and that the children had their lunch and snacks in the afternoon.

Can you point out some similarities and differences between the children at our camp and children in Colombia?

For example some similarities they have is the taste for sweets, they’re full of curiosity to know more about things. The differences, one of the most important difference is that children in Colombia are not recommended to go alone on the streets, they always have to be accompanied by their parents to school, if they want to go to the store, if they want to go to a different place they must always be accompanied. The children at the camp are more independent, they know the transportation system and they defend themselves very well.

“I have reduced my fear of speaking [in English].”

What was the most memorable moment for you at the camp?

The most special moment for me during the camp was when the children considered me as a person who could help them, be part of their experiences and games. In addition with the teacher Dom, I really enjoyed the teamwork, I also learned a lot from his experience with the language and it is clear that with dedication you can speak more than one language.

How did this volunteering experience help you understand the English language and culture better?

It has helped me to increase my comprehension and oral expression skills, to understand in detail everyday words or phrases, I have reduced my fear of speaking and I have detected by myself what my mistakes are and I’m working on them.

 

What would you like to say to others who are considering volunteering?

I would like to tell them that it is a great professional and personal opportunity, where you can discover new skills, develop new skills, make new work connections and make new friendships. It allows you to step out of your comfort zone, work harder on the skills you already have and take them to another level. If you ask me if I would volunteer again, I would say yes.