Hey!
Now it's Susie K or more correctly Susanne Karlfeldt, who is writing.
In the writing moment, I have been at Barnhem as a volunteer 108 days of my 112 in total. I would like to share some of my thoughts and feelings about this adventure, for an adventure is exactly what it has been.
It was a pure coincidence that I ended up at Barnhem, actually it was my daughter who was going to apply as a volunteer, but when I was reading all the information on the website along with her, I realized that I wanted to apply as well. Luckily there was room for us both.
Many of my friends says that what we are doing here is so nice and great for the kids, and I certainly do not want to diminish the volunteers role here, we are certainly important, but above all I want to highlight what Barnhem has meant to me.
To be here as a volunteer has forced me to abandon a lot of my own ideas about how things should be done, and many times I have seen that it is possible to do things in a different way than how I think it should be done.
The cooperation with the wonderful Thai staff has worked fantastic, even if I at several occasions would have solved problems in another way, their way worked perfectly fine aswell worked as well.
But what I really want to highlight is of course the children. If somehow I have been able to contribute something to their development and general well-being, it is wonderful, of course, but it is nothing in compare with what they have given me. It is difficult to describe in words, but being surrounded by these 27 children for such a long time leaves marks, positive ones. I have been laughing a lot, nagged a lot, played a lot and above all I have got to see many wonderful sides of these children. I will never forget them and for the rest of my life, I will occasionally think about them and about were their lives have taken them.
I have had my life’s adventure and even if there are things that I would describe as less great with my stay here, they are so banal and unimportant that it is no need to even mention them, that is how insignificant they are in context.
To be able to take a four month long break as a 43-year-old women and to experience this is such a luxury. I will forever be grateful to those who made it possible.
And if it has not reached everyone yet, I for one think that everyone who has the opportunity should indulge in this luxury, which is applying to be a volunteer at Barnhem.
To be a part of everything amazing that happens here is something I will carry with me forever.
Thank you for the opportunity, Sussi and Hans! See you, I promise.
