austraLasia #2953
An open letter to all who’ve supported Salesian volunteers around the world
(Well worth sharing this letter with everyone in our Region).
27-11-11
1st Sunday Advent 2011
Dear friends,
Thank you!
In a perfect world, this letter would be read by every Salesian, Salesian Sister, Co-operator, member of staff, local animator, young person and anyone else who has had an impact on a volunteer’s experience. These people will probably never know how much good they’ve done – but this is just a small gesture to share something of the impact they’ve had upon volunteers, and, through them, on the wider world. I hope these words will serve to show our gratitude, offer encouragement (especially on those rare days when volunteers are less than perfect!) and let the wider Salesian world know about their good work.
I work for BOVA (www.boscovolunteeraction.co.uk), sending volunteers from the Province of Great Britain to communities around the world. While these volunteers are useful to the young people they work with during their time overseas, I’m under no illusion about who gets the greatest benefit from these experiences - the volunteers themselves. Therefore we put particular emphasis on volunteers’ learning while they are away and on continued involvement in the Salesian family, faith in action and poverty issues after their return. In this way, the time overseas provides a chance to learn through action; serving the young in another culture while learning lessons about the difference between “want” and “need”, the importance of community, growing in empathy and solidarity, and in passion for justice and peace issues.
At a recent meeting in Rome, I was one of seven co-ordinators of Salesian volunteer organisations from Europe, the USA and Australia who met with Fr. Vaclav Klement SDB, the Councillor for the Missions, to reflect upon volunteer formation. We noted the impact returned volunteers have had in our Provinces and all agreed on the importance of formation offered by hosting communities. We shared the desire to thank and encourage them.
Our model of “learning through action” relies on busy people, often already working more than full time with young people, as well as giving time to their communities, provinces, families, prayer lives and so on, somehow finding time to support our volunteers. And yet, somehow, they do! It would be impossible to give a complete list, but the following examples give a taste of Salesians and co-workers going the extra mile:
• Fr Joseph and BREADS (the development office of the Salesian Province of Bangalore) provide volunteers with an orientation and training programme centrally before moving them to their host community
• Various communities invite volunteers to join them on days of retreat and recollection
• Br Carlo and the Salesian Lay Volunteer Organisation (SALVO) in the Philippines South Province gather volunteers (including local volunteers) together for formation and reflection
• Fr Martin in Manzini, Swaziland, takes volunteers out for a coffee and a chat
• Fr.Thamburaj sdb, Director of Cauveri Development Office, Tiruchy Province in India, welcomed a volunteer then invited her to join him at a wedding – an experience she will never forget
• Dahlia, the social worker in Don Bosco Pasil, arranged home-stay experiences for volunteers
• Seemingly the entire Central America Province, Salesians and staff, offered the most incredible support when one of our volunteers was in a coma following a bus crash in Guatemala.
I could go on and on. By being present to our volunteers, these people have a huge impact – inviting them to think deeply about different cultures, poverty, faith and vocation. And it does not stop there; the results can be seen following the volunteers returning to their home provinces:
• A number of volunteers have come back to faith or to the Church as a direct result of their time with Salesian communities overseas
• Volunteers come home with a passion to work with the young and the poor in their own context – a great example is the returned volunteers who have set up an oratory in Vienna or those who have taken part in summer projects here in the UK
• Jane, who spent 6 months living and working with 40 ex-child labourers in a Salesian community in Karnataka, India, has returned to Ireland and assisted the Irish Salesians in setting up SAVIO (Salesian Volunteers Ireland & Overseas), a new Salesian volunteer organisation
• Returned volunteers have produced education resources for use in their home contexts (see, for example, http://boscovolunteeraction.co.uk/Resources.aspx)
• The Australia-Pacific Province was recently proud to share the story of a young man who has entered formation as a result of his time as a volunteer in their Cagliero volunteer programme. He is by no means the only one – both the Salesian Lay Missioners (New Rochelle Province, USA) and Jugend Eine Welt (Austria) can tell similar stories, and at least one of BOVA's returned volunteers is currently discerning a Religious vocation
• Numerous returned volunteers have involvement with justice and peace issues, including corruption, injustices around mining, child prostitution and climate change
Fr Petrus, from the Austrian Salesian volunteer organisation, captured the importance of those who support of these volunteers when he noted that although they may not be coming here as “Project Europe” missionaries, this work puts them in complete solidarity with its aims. We must continue to build on the good work they have done; the Rector Major challenged us to provide “institutional responses” to returned volunteers, and to invite them to consider their vocation to the Salesian Co-operators.
I would like to end this letter by once again thanking everyone who supports our volunteers and inviting all who read this to keep them in their prayers,
With thanks,
James Trewby
Bosco Volunteer Action
bova@salesianyouthministry.com
Quotes from returned volunteers
“The evening before I left I was invited to give a short ‘goodnight’ to the boys. Sensing the opportunity for pulling off a coup de langue, I decided to do it in KiSwahili. Partly due to the limitations on what I could actually say in that language, I chose to explain to them the reason I came: kwa sababu nilitaka kusoma – because I wanted to learn. I had worked as a mwalimu, I said, lakini ninyi ni walimu zangu – but you are my teachers.”
“To understand the magnitude that the relic’s visitation has had on the people of the Philippines, you really have to know how much of an impact Don Bosco has had here. The word Salesian is engrained in their vocabulary. Just saying ‘Don Bosco’ will gain you an element of respect other tourists will not be granted. This is because so many are touched by the work of the Salesians. In the South Province alone, there are so many different Salesian houses, serving thousands of young and vulnerable people. Entire families have grown up in the presence Don Bosco’s teachings and his pictures is far easier to find on walls than that of the Pope.”
“God provided me with this experience. It was not about changing the world or making a difference - it was an experience that has brought change in my life, helping me grow and deepen my faith.”
“I had never come face to face with poverty and my preconceptions were quickly put aside as I learnt about how the community lives and copes with daily struggles, bolstered up by faith”
“I experienced, albeit for a short time, what it was like to share all parts of daily life, what it was to live in a Christian community, what it was to live in a Christian community in a non-Christian environment.”
“I witnessed people dedicating their lives to help young people, by teaching them, supporting them and most importantly by being friends with them.”
“It was friendship and being together that alone seemed to transcend whatever differences there may have been between the rich and poor in their own country, between Europe and Asia and between the young and old.”
“The experience was short and there is still much to learn about, but I now understand it was a just a step on this journey, not the destination. The longest part is still ahead but since getting involved with BOVA and the Salesians, having seen others who are on this same journey, it is so much easier to continue with it with renewed and increased understanding, inspiration and determination. Volunteering was just the beginning.”
“There is a religious ethos to all that I am doing here, and I am no saint and sometimes am even uncertain of any existence of a God, so have at times felt uneasy about the religious element of BOVA. However, I think the Salesians are fab and the projects that they have going on out here alone are just admirable, and priests are actually pretty fun to be around.”
“Volunteering was a fantastic experience; I grew very attached to the boys and it made me re-evaluate a whole of lot of things in my life. For instance, I came back home to a pile of Christmas presents and told my parents it was too much – that was a first!”
“One of the greatest things about volunteering with Bosco Volunteer Action is the training that you undertake before commencing your volunteer experience. I feel that I learned more in these weekends than in years of education. The training was enjoyable, informative, and stimulating. It encouraged you to think deeply and critically about issues of poverty, religion, culture, and of your motives for wanting to volunteer abroad.”
“Whatever good I did and whatever happiness or expertise I brought to people’s lives there, I have benefited far more”
“I had so much fun in my three months there. I laughed every day. And that was because of the people and their sparkling eyes and joyful spirit. They had small dirty houses, lack of a good diet, and few possessions, but they were so rich in other ways: They say ‘Salamat’ – thank you - for everything.”
“And every day I remember the smiles of my friends in Pasil. Thank you. I am humbled by your love”
“All I know is that my year as a volunteer with the Salesians gave me the chance to live.”
“The biggest thing that struck me when I returned was how much I could learn from working with others, and how much even a very small act could have on those around us.”
“Being able to travel alone to another country has been good for my confidence.”
“The best feature of my experience? Being the witness to the love people showed each other in the pockets of everyday life.”
“I have come to a much deeper and richer understanding of faith and have been witness to the value of humility, modesty and sacrifice. I have also learned much about how hard teaching is!”
“I think I will always consider the Salesians as ‘family’ in some way. My faith has been strengthened beyond words.”
“The best feature of my experience? Figuring out what’s important and not. Making friends. Love. Laughter.”
An open letter to all who’ve supported Salesian volunteers around the world
(Well worth sharing this letter with everyone in our Region).
27-11-11
1st Sunday Advent 2011
Dear friends,
Thank you!
In a perfect world, this letter would be read by every Salesian, Salesian Sister, Co-operator, member of staff, local animator, young person and anyone else who has had an impact on a volunteer’s experience. These people will probably never know how much good they’ve done – but this is just a small gesture to share something of the impact they’ve had upon volunteers, and, through them, on the wider world. I hope these words will serve to show our gratitude, offer encouragement (especially on those rare days when volunteers are less than perfect!) and let the wider Salesian world know about their good work.
I work for BOVA (www.boscovolunteeraction.co.uk), sending volunteers from the Province of Great Britain to communities around the world. While these volunteers are useful to the young people they work with during their time overseas, I’m under no illusion about who gets the greatest benefit from these experiences - the volunteers themselves. Therefore we put particular emphasis on volunteers’ learning while they are away and on continued involvement in the Salesian family, faith in action and poverty issues after their return. In this way, the time overseas provides a chance to learn through action; serving the young in another culture while learning lessons about the difference between “want” and “need”, the importance of community, growing in empathy and solidarity, and in passion for justice and peace issues.
At a recent meeting in Rome, I was one of seven co-ordinators of Salesian volunteer organisations from Europe, the USA and Australia who met with Fr. Vaclav Klement SDB, the Councillor for the Missions, to reflect upon volunteer formation. We noted the impact returned volunteers have had in our Provinces and all agreed on the importance of formation offered by hosting communities. We shared the desire to thank and encourage them.
Our model of “learning through action” relies on busy people, often already working more than full time with young people, as well as giving time to their communities, provinces, families, prayer lives and so on, somehow finding time to support our volunteers. And yet, somehow, they do! It would be impossible to give a complete list, but the following examples give a taste of Salesians and co-workers going the extra mile:
• Fr Joseph and BREADS (the development office of the Salesian Province of Bangalore) provide volunteers with an orientation and training programme centrally before moving them to their host community
• Various communities invite volunteers to join them on days of retreat and recollection
• Br Carlo and the Salesian Lay Volunteer Organisation (SALVO) in the Philippines South Province gather volunteers (including local volunteers) together for formation and reflection
• Fr Martin in Manzini, Swaziland, takes volunteers out for a coffee and a chat
• Fr.Thamburaj sdb, Director of Cauveri Development Office, Tiruchy Province in India, welcomed a volunteer then invited her to join him at a wedding – an experience she will never forget
• Dahlia, the social worker in Don Bosco Pasil, arranged home-stay experiences for volunteers
• Seemingly the entire Central America Province, Salesians and staff, offered the most incredible support when one of our volunteers was in a coma following a bus crash in Guatemala.
I could go on and on. By being present to our volunteers, these people have a huge impact – inviting them to think deeply about different cultures, poverty, faith and vocation. And it does not stop there; the results can be seen following the volunteers returning to their home provinces:
• A number of volunteers have come back to faith or to the Church as a direct result of their time with Salesian communities overseas
• Volunteers come home with a passion to work with the young and the poor in their own context – a great example is the returned volunteers who have set up an oratory in Vienna or those who have taken part in summer projects here in the UK
• Jane, who spent 6 months living and working with 40 ex-child labourers in a Salesian community in Karnataka, India, has returned to Ireland and assisted the Irish Salesians in setting up SAVIO (Salesian Volunteers Ireland & Overseas), a new Salesian volunteer organisation
• Returned volunteers have produced education resources for use in their home contexts (see, for example, http://boscovolunteeraction.co.uk/Resources.aspx)
• The Australia-Pacific Province was recently proud to share the story of a young man who has entered formation as a result of his time as a volunteer in their Cagliero volunteer programme. He is by no means the only one – both the Salesian Lay Missioners (New Rochelle Province, USA) and Jugend Eine Welt (Austria) can tell similar stories, and at least one of BOVA's returned volunteers is currently discerning a Religious vocation
• Numerous returned volunteers have involvement with justice and peace issues, including corruption, injustices around mining, child prostitution and climate change
Fr Petrus, from the Austrian Salesian volunteer organisation, captured the importance of those who support of these volunteers when he noted that although they may not be coming here as “Project Europe” missionaries, this work puts them in complete solidarity with its aims. We must continue to build on the good work they have done; the Rector Major challenged us to provide “institutional responses” to returned volunteers, and to invite them to consider their vocation to the Salesian Co-operators.
I would like to end this letter by once again thanking everyone who supports our volunteers and inviting all who read this to keep them in their prayers,
With thanks,
James Trewby
Bosco Volunteer Action
bova@salesianyouthministry.com
Quotes from returned volunteers
“The evening before I left I was invited to give a short ‘goodnight’ to the boys. Sensing the opportunity for pulling off a coup de langue, I decided to do it in KiSwahili. Partly due to the limitations on what I could actually say in that language, I chose to explain to them the reason I came: kwa sababu nilitaka kusoma – because I wanted to learn. I had worked as a mwalimu, I said, lakini ninyi ni walimu zangu – but you are my teachers.”
“To understand the magnitude that the relic’s visitation has had on the people of the Philippines, you really have to know how much of an impact Don Bosco has had here. The word Salesian is engrained in their vocabulary. Just saying ‘Don Bosco’ will gain you an element of respect other tourists will not be granted. This is because so many are touched by the work of the Salesians. In the South Province alone, there are so many different Salesian houses, serving thousands of young and vulnerable people. Entire families have grown up in the presence Don Bosco’s teachings and his pictures is far easier to find on walls than that of the Pope.”
“God provided me with this experience. It was not about changing the world or making a difference - it was an experience that has brought change in my life, helping me grow and deepen my faith.”
“I had never come face to face with poverty and my preconceptions were quickly put aside as I learnt about how the community lives and copes with daily struggles, bolstered up by faith”
“I experienced, albeit for a short time, what it was like to share all parts of daily life, what it was to live in a Christian community, what it was to live in a Christian community in a non-Christian environment.”
“I witnessed people dedicating their lives to help young people, by teaching them, supporting them and most importantly by being friends with them.”
“It was friendship and being together that alone seemed to transcend whatever differences there may have been between the rich and poor in their own country, between Europe and Asia and between the young and old.”
“The experience was short and there is still much to learn about, but I now understand it was a just a step on this journey, not the destination. The longest part is still ahead but since getting involved with BOVA and the Salesians, having seen others who are on this same journey, it is so much easier to continue with it with renewed and increased understanding, inspiration and determination. Volunteering was just the beginning.”
“There is a religious ethos to all that I am doing here, and I am no saint and sometimes am even uncertain of any existence of a God, so have at times felt uneasy about the religious element of BOVA. However, I think the Salesians are fab and the projects that they have going on out here alone are just admirable, and priests are actually pretty fun to be around.”
“Volunteering was a fantastic experience; I grew very attached to the boys and it made me re-evaluate a whole of lot of things in my life. For instance, I came back home to a pile of Christmas presents and told my parents it was too much – that was a first!”
“One of the greatest things about volunteering with Bosco Volunteer Action is the training that you undertake before commencing your volunteer experience. I feel that I learned more in these weekends than in years of education. The training was enjoyable, informative, and stimulating. It encouraged you to think deeply and critically about issues of poverty, religion, culture, and of your motives for wanting to volunteer abroad.”
“Whatever good I did and whatever happiness or expertise I brought to people’s lives there, I have benefited far more”
“I had so much fun in my three months there. I laughed every day. And that was because of the people and their sparkling eyes and joyful spirit. They had small dirty houses, lack of a good diet, and few possessions, but they were so rich in other ways: They say ‘Salamat’ – thank you - for everything.”
“And every day I remember the smiles of my friends in Pasil. Thank you. I am humbled by your love”
“All I know is that my year as a volunteer with the Salesians gave me the chance to live.”
“The biggest thing that struck me when I returned was how much I could learn from working with others, and how much even a very small act could have on those around us.”
“Being able to travel alone to another country has been good for my confidence.”
“The best feature of my experience? Being the witness to the love people showed each other in the pockets of everyday life.”
“I have come to a much deeper and richer understanding of faith and have been witness to the value of humility, modesty and sacrifice. I have also learned much about how hard teaching is!”
“I think I will always consider the Salesians as ‘family’ in some way. My faith has been strengthened beyond words.”
“The best feature of my experience? Figuring out what’s important and not. Making friends. Love. Laughter.”
