
How about volunteering for a cause?
Carla Gomez, an English teacher from the Philippines, has found a way to spend her Sunday afternoons by volunteering for HOME.
Although she had a full time day job, Carla made efforts to find time volunteering for a number of organisations which support her beliefs. Apart from HOME, she also volunteered for Playeum and The Everyday Revolution.
Carla chose to volunteer for HOME primarily because HOME matches her advocacy for women empowerment. She was fortunate enough to find a volunteer position and an organisation who holds the same vision as her - women empowerment through education.
Carla knew that learning a second language may be a daunting task for the ladies at HOME Academy. She made them feel comfortable and at ease throughout their lessons by “preparing fun and exciting lessons that would enhance the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of foreign domestic workers.”
Being an English teacher at HOME Academy was not just about serious drilling lessons. Carla and her fellow volunteers encouraged the participants to talk about their dreams and aspirations. She shared that, “These women were sharing why they are working as foreign domestic workers and what career they would have wanted for themselves. It was at that moment when I realized that these women will be learning from me, but I definitely will be learning more from them.”
Volunteering could be a lot of hard work especially when you already have a full-time job. This could be a chance not just for you to give back, but to gain something from the experience as well.
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HOME is non profit organization aiming to educate the community about the injustices of human trafficking. HOME helps out human trafficking victims and works for the well-being, justice and empowerment of migrant workers in Singapore.