Yasmine Hadj Ali, France

This experience was decisive for me, a unique life experience that taught me so many things in different fields. When I arrived in Argentina, I was in an almost permanent introspection that allowed me to have a deeper reflection, and another vision of things. In addition, I lived with other volunteers, and I had to learn to live with people who did not know, who did not have the same culture as me. It was very difficult to adapt to another way of functioning, feeling away from his family, and being with foreigners at the same time, but thanks to that difficult principle, I was able to take more distance and realize very personal things. I feel strong enough to assume my emotions and I learned to realize the complexity of our surroundings, to have more empathy for others, that everyone has their own experience, that their actions are legitimized by their past, that no one can judge.

Something happened, it was very important for me: the first theater workshop, I felt a real difference, as if I had done a therapy, I was more likely to relativize. It marked the beginning of the adaptation in Buenos Aires. I enjoyed the workshops with the kids, I lived those moments intensely without thinking about the end. When the end of my volunteering came I had deep thoughts about volunteering, what surrounds me, and myself. It was very frustrating to leave everything while I was appropriating the project, while we were beginning to establish relationships, be it with the children or with other volunteers. Establish relationships of complicity, and even friendship, and separate. It was painful to separate from people who represented everything I lived, who are part of me now. I realized that volunteering filled me up, that volunteering was an attitude, that I wanted to consider these projects as horizons that could generate things. Establish a relationship with the child that allows change to be possible.

Now I have another image in my mind: I am facing a great work, I must choose the tools, the shape of the building and the way to build it. I made the multitude of paths that opens. It is a chapter that opens, and now I know that I want to exploit what I discovered there, and discover more. This experience allowed me to slow down, take the time to look at my surroundings, have another, more open and curious look, taught me a lot about myself, about others, and about Life in general, so I'm still living but I'm not the same, I advanced, and I hope to advance more and more!