Kean Jaspersen, a 19-year-old girl from Mexico, arrived in Poland in October as a Sacré-Cœur volunteer to help at the Open Heart Foundation. This interview of her was conducted by a volunteer from Poland, Kinga Nikonowicz.
Kean, where did the idea to volunteer come from?
After graduating from high school, I started studying psychology, but I felt that it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I didn’t know what to do. Then I thought I could go abroad, get to know a new country and a new culture, and gain experience. I talked about it with a friend of mine, who recommended volunteering.
Why Poland?
The friend I mentioned before was about to come to Poland as a volunteer. At the last minute, it turned out that she couldn’t come as her mother had to have surgery. In Poland, they were looking for someone to replace her. Of course, I looked for other options first, for example, New York, but coming here was easier, and a specific place was provided.
So Poland wasn’t your first choice.
No, I was also thinking about Germany because of my roots. But then I realized that the place doesn’t matter. I just want to leave Mexico and explore another part of the world.
Have you had any volunteer experience in your country?
Yes…before going abroad, one of the conditions was to try out volunteering in my own country. I was supposed to see if I liked the idea of volunteering and what I could do abroad.
For two weeks, I worked with a friend for an institution that supported students and their parents in schools. We had different tasks. In the morning, we held workshops for mothers, among other things. One of the topics was violence among children. The following week, these mothers went to school and presented the topic to the children, and we, as volunteers, accompanied them in the classroom. In the afternoons, we helped the children in the playroom with their homework or taught them to read. Some children had reading problems, or we just played with them.
So how do you feel in a foreign country with young people?
Pretty good now. It was difficult at first. A clash with a different culture, people, and climate. In Mexico, after all, people, both children and adults, trust you very quickly. This is not the case here. An additional difficulty was the language barrier. Some teenagers don’t speak English. I think this was one of the factors that made it difficult for the young people to trust me. Now they have gotten used to me and behave more freely around me.
Did you know what you were going to do? Did you have any expectations regarding your commitment?
Sort of. I knew I was going to help at a youth foundation, but I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do.
Did you have any preparation, training or meetings beforehand to prepare you for the trip?
Yes, I had three spiritual preparation meetings.
When you arrived, how did you feel? What tasks did you find yourself doing? When I arrived, I was very stressed. I knew I was going to experience a completely different culture. As for the tasks, I think I currently like helping out at the Social Integration Center, which is located on the ground floor of the foundation building. Helping adults with manual work: making soap, sewing. I like this work mainly because the women and the one man who work there are talkative. The young people keep their distance despite everything. I understand perfectly, it’s a normal reaction when someone from a foreign country arrives in a place that is safe for you and doesn’t speak your language.
So working with adults is what you find most satisfying.
You know, I like everything, but lately I’ve been spending a lot of time with the women and the man downstairs, and they like to tell me about their lives. They are more open than the young people, but the time with them is also very valuable to me. One girl is teaching me to knit, and I sing with another boy. The truth is that I enjoy every activity I do here.
And is there anything that challenges you?
The language barrier. During this time, I’ve learned to communicate here in sign language as well, and of course with the help of an interpreter.
You had the opportunity to get to know not only the congregation in Marki, but also in Tarnów. You spent a week there participating in school life. Can you tell us more about your stay?
I was enchanted by this place and its history. I learned that the building had been bombed during World War I and had served as a hospital for the Germans during World War II. The place itself is wonderful. I was surprised by the level of Spanish the children spoke. I was even able to speak a little with them in my native language. During the presentation about my country in class, the children were very active and asked questions. At the end, they even gave me a card to thank me for coming. I was also very well received by the sisters. I tried meatballs and apple pie.
What experience has been the most meaningful for you so far?
I don’t think there is just one event. The whole stay, every moment is valuable. I didn’t care what I was going to do. During my stay, I realized that every moment, even the smallest gesture, fulfills me. If a child who has had a difficult experience or is facing a problem forgets about it for a moment while spending time with me, it makes me very happy. At that moment, I feel like I am making a small change in the world. At first, I thought I wasn’t doing anything special. Then I realized that what I do and the fact that I am there is enough. One girl, after meeting me, started coming back to the foundation.
Everything you do for others is what transforms you. So yes, I feel that I got more out of this than I gave.
And during your stay, has anything changed in your perception of Poland?
Hmm…it’s a completely different country from mine. The climate and the people are a little colder than in Mexico. I get the feeling that people in Poland are more reserved. In Mexico, everyone is smiling and open. I don’t mean that Poles aren’t friendly, but I feel a difference in how open people are. It was a culture shock for me.
To conclude our conversation, what has this volunteer experience brought to your life?
First of all, I think it has helped me become more independent. I finally flew to another continent. I got to know myself better and made new friends. I feel like I left something here too. The experience of being able to give something of myself to others is very valuable to me.
Would you recommend this experience to young people who are also looking for their place in the world?
Definitely yes. I admit that at first I was more excited about the fact of traveling and leaving Mexico. I always wanted to make a difference in the world, and this volunteer work gave me that opportunity. I loved serving others, being there for others. In this mission, you have to try to change something for the better and act accordingly. Without that, volunteering is pointless. Here you have to be open to different things. But yes, I definitely recommend this type of experience if you have the opportunity.
Section |International News|RSCJ International Volunteers
