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Youth Is the PromiseLinda Taiabjee — Toronto, ON
Youth is the promise of the future. Any organization can be more successful if young people are encouraged to get involved early in its humanitarian goals. Oh, to be young again. I witnessed the exuberance of sixteen-year-old volunteers, both boys and girls, in Rivas and other sites. They were carrying the children's twenty-five-pound mattresses for long distances to their waiting parents or transportation back to their village. They made this challenging task fun, effortless, and exciting. While carrying this heavy load over their head, they gently and patiently waited for the very young to catch up with them. This experience will remain with them and they will always remember the joy of helping others. I was very impressed by the dedication and organization skills of the young adults between the ages of eighteen and thirty who helped us in the distribution. They aspire to qualify as a Rotaract Club associated with the Rotary Club of Managua. Some are professional engineers, architects, and business graduates. Some run their own business or are fully employed. Whenever possible, they took time to be with us. Some spoke good English and our team began to rely on their assistance for different aspects of the distribution.
El Grecko had the responsibility of co-ordinating all the sites this year. Considering that this is only the second Sleeping Children distribution in Nicaragua, it was apparent they had achieved good progress. Grecko visited all the sites including Yalaguina which is 220 kilometres from Managua. He instructed the volunteers at each site about SCAW's policies and procedures and told them about our expectations in making the distribution orderly and secure. The SCAW team relied on his organization and leadership skills and would look for him when there were any perceived problems. Despite his no-nonsense style, he had a gentleness with the children.
Amelia is a graduate architect who recently joined the prospective Rotaract Club. She became an indispensable member of our team. As our official interpreter, she was dependable, diplomatic, and charming. It was delightful to be with her. She adopted us as her family, travelled with us, and suspended her daily presence in her new business venture. We were also grateful to the other Rotaractors who helped us whenever they could. Any service organization would be lucky to have a similar group of young people working with them, young people who have high concern for the needs of their countrymen, particularly the children. |
