Amazon: a volunteer experience between beauty and challenges

MARINA CAZZERI MELQUIADES (BRAZIL)

Since I was little, I’ve always shared Christian values, but as I grew up, my life took a different direction and, little by little, I began to drift away from them.

At the beginning of 2024, I started to feel that something inside me wasn’t right. There was a void, a restlessness that was hard to explain. After much reflection, I realized that this emptiness corresponded to the loss of a greater purpose in my life — something that would make me feel fulfilled.

Some time later, I got to know Milonga and, without knowing whether everything would work out, I decided to go for it. I paused my internship, suspended university, and took part in the first phase of Genfest, where young people were engaged in a volunteer experience. I got involved in the social project in Bairro do Carmo, where I was able to witness the reality of those who dedicate themselves daily to social work — and I understood that this is what I wanted. It was an experience that deeply changed me. My desire to continue volunteering grew, and a week later, I was already in the Amazon to begin my volunteer work with the Acolhida Project.

I immersed myself in a completely different reality. The Amazon is a place of indescribable beauty. The first thing that struck me was the grandeur of the forest: giant trees, dense vegetation, and immense rivers that seemed endless. Nature is so alive, with incredible biodiversity: brightly colored birds, the constant sound of insects, and a sky that, at sunset, becomes a spectacle of colors. But along with this beauty also come challenges.

The Acolhida Project promotes a variety of activities during out-of-school hours for children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 in situations of social vulnerability. My role was to help children with learning difficulties, especially those who were learning to read and write. Many came from very difficult backgrounds, without any basic structure for studying, and being able to support them in this process was also a learning experience for me. It wasn’t always easy, but every little step forward, every smile and act of affection made it all worthwhile.

Facing poverty also had a very strong impact on me — so much so that at the end of the day I sometimes felt emotionally drained. One of the most memorable moments was when a boy, with complete sincerity, told me that if he died, no one would attend his wake. It completely caught me off guard. I was speechless for a few seconds, trying to process what he had just said.

I looked at him and saw in his eyes a deep sadness, but also a kind of resignation — as if he truly believed that his life didn’t matter to anyone. My heart sank. I couldn’t accept that such a young child already had that kind of thought. In that moment, the only thing I could do was look into his eyes and say with all sincerity: “That’s not true. You are important. You are loved. And I, before anyone else, would be there.”

He looked at me with some suspicion, as if unsure whether to believe those words. But little by little, I began to notice that he was seeking my presence more in daily life. Sometimes he would come closer just to be near, without saying a word. Other times he would smile at me from across the yard. Small gestures that showed that maybe he was starting to believe that yes — his life did matter.

That moment left a deep impression on me because it made me see, in a very real way, the impact of abandonment and lack of love in a child’s life. But at the same time, it taught me that, no matter how small, every gesture of attention and affection can make a difference. And if at that moment I was able to plant even a small seed of hope in his heart, then all the effort was worth it.

When we manage to face our limitations and external obstacles, we not only learn from these situations, but we also reap beautiful fruits. Volunteering transforms the way we see the world. That’s how it was for me. Meeting and loving those who suffer, getting closer to the most vulnerable, gave me back hope and the desire to contribute to building a better world.