Following we publish Marika Manzoni’s story, one of our volunteers from Naples. She is doing an EVS – European Volunteer Service within the Basida community in Spain.
“These words I am about to write down are my personal account about what I am living in these months during the development of my EVS project.
I work for a community, whose name is “Basida”, which welcomes not only patients suffering from Aids, ex convicted, ex alcohol addicted and people affected from terminal illnesses, but also those who, rejected by hospitals, sanatoriums and – even worse – their own families, are left to die in prison or on the street. Therefore, Basida aims to offer these people a familiar and qualified atmosphere , so as to give them their dignity back and reinforce their self – esteem. Talking about my personal duties, I have to support the guests of the community during many activities, individual or by groups, they are offered every day, in cooperation with the other members of the base team; the activities range from manual workshop, cognitive therapy and physiotherapy exercises to culture workshop, film debates, etc.
One of my main tasks is to help those who have more problems to take care of their own personal hygiene and to do their normal daily activities. Thanks to these people in four months I learnt so many things, they taught me little by little, and they keep on doing the same every day, how to give the right importance to the difficulties I met on my way; at the beginning they seemed insurmountable to me, but now they appear almost inconsistent, when compared to the real suffering I meet every day here in Basida. I learnt that love is a spontaneous and unselfish feeling, that is important to look beyond the appearances and, most of all, that you must not identify a person with his/her illness, so as not to forget that behind difficult stories wonderful people hide who yearn for havinganother chance to live and start anew.
I have a new family that every day spurs me, motivates me, gives me joy and teaches me new things and, what is more, I get on very well with the people I work with. In fact I was so lucky to have a very close team by my side; these people, in spite of their limits and their different characters, prove their great flexibility and mutual respect every day, which makes everything easier and more beautiful.
So, in conclusion, I wish everyone to live an experience here in Basida, because it really worth it.
For this I thank with all my heart those who gave me this wonderful opportunity to grow.”
