From Australia to Brazil with Love…
Volunteer: Melanie Schuijers
Age: 21
From: Melbourne, VIC Australia
Occupation: Gapper
CCS Program Site: Salvador, Brazil
Why did you choose Cross-Cultural Solutions?
I found it on the internet. It seemed really safe and it really immersed you into the culture — that was important to me. Anthropology was my major so being culturally sensitive and seeing other cultures as equal to your own is also really important to me. I’d volunteered before, but I’d never done anything like this, so being able to be comfortable and feel safe was important to me so I could do the best I could.
What was your favorite part about your experience?
Definitely the kids…just the change that you could see in them. I didn’t want to go in there thinking I could make a huge change and save Brazil, but going in there, you could see the difference you were making. I remember walking in the first day, thinking ‘I can’t do this’ because they seemed out of control, but they just had to learn to trust you. And then they became little angels — helping me clean up their pencils, and helping each other. They loved to understand what you were teaching and when you can sit with them and explain, they always get it. But, they just often don’t get that personal attention, so being able to provide that was magical for me.
Describe your volunteer placement experience.
I was with 6-7 year olds. The population really varied from day-to-day because when it was raining, a lot of them couldn’t come to school because of flooding in their neighborhoods because they lived in shantytowns. There are just shacks on stilts, so when it rains the streets tend to flood, and then the rubbish goes into the street and it’s not really safe for them to go to school, and some of them had to walk pretty far. But there’d be about 15 on average. I helped to give them a routine which they really didn’t have before.
Where did you travel during your free time (or pre/post the program)?
In Brazil, we went to an island called Morro de Sao Paulo which was really, really beautiful and that was a couple hours away. Other than that some people went to Rio de Janeiro, but I wanted to stay around the city and get to know it really well. But there were definitely opportunities to travel.
Who should volunteer abroad?
Anyone could, it’s one of those things that young people could do in the gap years or spare time. Older people could go. There was a range of people there, and everyone enjoyed it. I’d love to see a lot more Australians going. There were two of us on the program, and we found CCS online. But I think that more people from all over the world should do it, because it’s a difference everyone can make. And I know a lot of Australians travel, because you see them all over the place! So, I definitely think it’s something Australians should get into.
Are you staying connected to your program in some way?
I still talk to a lot of the volunteers…me and my roommate still keep in touch. I think I’ll always be connected to the people I shared the experience with…even if I never see them again, I’ll always feel connected. I think when you go through so much together, you kind of bond a lot. Even the kids, maybe they’ll grow up and not remember me, but I’ll always feel connected because I spent so much time with them.
Any advice for future volunteers?
I would say just get out there and do it, some people can be a little bit more scared to go out there and take that step…but everyone was there by themselves. It’s fine because everyone’s there on their own, but you become a family. Just go with an open mind and open heart, and you’ll be fine.
