How Our Colleagues Became Story Tellers
Our volunteer journey began in the office when three volunteers of the Association came to hold a training on how to correctly interpret bedtime stories, so the children have the best experience.
After the workshop, our colleagues went to hospitals to knock on doors and offer their bedtime stories. It is difficult to convey all their feelings and impressions, so we will only leave you with comments of our volunteers Mirzela, Anđela, Ivana, Željka, Marcela and Michaela, which could encourage others to try for themselves this special and heartwarming way of volunteering.
"Honestly, I was very afraid of how I would do it, whether the children would accept me, simply a million questions in my head. Mentor Karla encouraged me and said that there was no reason to be nervous. First, we went to a shy girl, Iva, and she only spoke quietly to us and agreed to listen to a bedtime story. Mentor Karla first read "Why I don't like fairy tales", and after that I broke the ice and read "Stories for rebellious young women". She listened to us and liked it. After I read the story, I started to breathe again and after this it was easier to go into other rooms. This was a very positive and wonderful experience. When we finished our story telling my heart was full. I felt like I had a smile from ear to ear and I could not stop smiling. I was really impressed by the children we met at the hospital and the happiness that they shared with us. We often forget, because of everyday duties, that very little is required for happiness." - Mirzela Hotilovac Ćatić
"I arrived in front of the hospital, and I had no idea what was waiting for me. The children are very sweet, some are more and some less interested in stories, but all in all I was filled with wonderful energy after spending time with them. The hours flew by and that If I could, I would definitely stay longer." - Anđela Tokić
"We had a wonderful time. All the children were polite, and the mentor allowed us to read when we were ready. It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces after the stories."- Ivana Spahija
"For one evening I was a storyteller. It was a wonderful experience. After a hard day at the office, it was just what I needed - a child's honesty and openness. At the beginning I was a little nervous but everything quickly disappeared as soon as I started reading (and saw that they really listened to the story I was sharing )." - Željka Mikulec
"I left with a full heart. It was a truly wonderful experience. These children have so much love and joy, which is hard to find anywhere else. An hour of our time is the least any of us can do, and it will return a hundredfold! I would recommend this to everyone! Seeing the smiles on the children's faces, a smile didn't leave my face either." - Marcela Stürmer
"After our everyday worries and problems, we face, volunteering like this which involves children will put a smile on any face. I think that in this way everyone can additionally fill the day and feel useful. For me, this was a great experience that I will repeat for sure. The story tellers we worked with did everything to make us feel good and enjoy our volunteering time."- Michaela Oberman