SAVE THE CHILDREN

Before we start talking about volunteering, we should explain what it is.

First of all, there is a difference between working to help other people and volunteering, because with volunteering there is no pay and it is a choice to feel useful in society.

A second distinction is made when talking about humanitarian aid, which deals with providing the things necessary to live (such as food, clothes, and water…) to people with economic problems. So the aim is the well-being, the happiness of all mankind.

Volunteering is developing in different fields, for example, there are associations that take care of animals, the environment, and of course also people in difficulty.

One of the most important organisations is certainly ‘emergency’ or also ‘the red cross’, ‘Lega Ambiente’, ‘Caritas’ or ‘the community of Sant Egidio which have a religious character.

The association I have chosen and I would like to talk about is “Save the children”.

First of all, I would like to start talking about the logo of this association; it is very simple but it best represents the purpose of the association, which is to make children happy.

It has two main colours, black and red, and simply depicts a stylised child in a circle with hands raised.

Save the Children is one of the largest and most important international NGOs founded in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb, a woman who founded this organisation to remedy the consequences of the First World War and in particular to give people the chance to live in better conditions.

In 1923, Eglantyne also wrote the Charter of the Rights of the Child to emphasise that children also have rights.

But what does this association do?

First of all, it guarantees the necessary care for mothers and children, secondly, it guarantees the right to education for all children, without discrimination, fights against all forms of poverty, and also it defends children from exploitation and abuse;

 So, in general, it tries to protect children’s rights at all costs.

Unfortunately, today with the war between Ukraine and Russia many families are in danger and many associations are available to help these people in need.

In particular, Save the Children, together with other associations, has in the last few days allowed many children and their mothers to come to Italy to escape the war and try to survive.

In addition, every day they provide hygiene kits and money so that they can meet basic needs such as food, medicine…

Personally, I have never been part of a voluntary organisation, but I believe that to help and do good deeds it is not necessary to be part of an organisation.

For example, every year I participate in the food collection and donate clothes that no longer fit me instead of throwing them away.

Two years ago, during the Christmas holidays, my father and I learned through contact with the Red Cross that some families in my town needed food. So, We went to the supermarket to buy the products that the Red Cross volunteers had pointed out to us, and then we went directly to their homes.

I remember it was Christmas Eve and when these families saw my father and me with shopping bags full of food they were very happy and also surprised because of course they did not know us and had never seen us before.

At that moment I felt good about myself because I just wanted these families to have a “normal” Christmas by eating a panettone or a pandoro with a plate of pasta as I would have done.