The Only Thing That Separates the Intention from the Action is the Will by Krissia Lorena Flores Navarro
From my first day at Nazareth College, I noticed the commitment to service that the school promotes. I think there is a huge difference between sympathizing with an idea and taking action to make something abstract come to life. I always knew that everything I have is to share. It is not about something material, but about the possibility of giving time and support to people or causes that move our hearts. Therefore, I think it is important to share three learnings about what being a changemaker means to me.
I'm an exchange student so I'll be leaving Nazareth in a couple of months, but I'm sure every single experience I've had will go home with me. I have been taking part as a volunteer in educational and leadership projects with children and youth in El Salvador for more than 8 years. Being far from your comfort zone is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity to build character, learn from different perspectives, and grow. I once heard that the best place to invest is people.
My first learning has to do with solidarity. A few weeks ago, I went with Helping Hands, a volunteer club, to Asbury Church to help pack food for local shelters. In 2021, more than 300 thousand people were homeless in the United States according to the 2021 Annual Homeless Report. In these numbers, there are entire families, with the same needs as the average family anywhere in the world. Sleeping one hour less to go to that place is the least I can do to, as we say in my country, “put my grain of sand." Knowing that all those people are going to have some food and perhaps words of encouragement at the time of delivery cannot be estimated with anything material.
The second teaching is related to inclusion. I decided to sign up as a volunteer for the Special Olympics Club Unified Intramurals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people experience some form of cognitive disability. This condition generates that people have significant difficulties in the communicative, physical, attitudinal, economic and social spheres.
This opportunity opened my eyes and allowed me to learn a new perspective about equality and the possibility of breaking down attitudinal barriers in relationships with people with
cognitive disabilities. I was able to talk with the athletes, play and learn from them. Their stories and smiles energized me enough to consider taking at least one night a week to spend time with them during fall semester basketball intramurals.
Beyond returning to play a sport after a couple of years, I learned that differences are always off the field. I thought about how I can contribute to the generation of spaces for equal participation in my country. I reflected that through sport the sense of community and belonging takes on a deeper meaning; and that teams are not only built to be able to define a winner but so that together we work to make possible the creation of more inclusive, empathic generations capable of transmitting the commitment to service wherever they go.
The third and most recent lesson has to do with empathy. In my country, I have volunteered to work with children with cancer. This month, the organizations receive hair donations to make wigs that help them assimilate their chemotherapy processes in a better way. Two years ago I decided to let my hair grow with special care so that I could donate it; However, since I am away this year, I found in joining the breast cancer awareness walk is a space to show my support for patients, survivors and the families of all the people who have had or are having a difficult time due to this medical condition.
According to data from Breastcancer.org, one of eight women in the United States will suffer from some type of invasive cancer throughout her life. According to projections of the phenomenon for 2022, at least 43 thousand women will die in the United States from breast cancer. This information made me think of the family and friends of all the women who must go through these processes. I wonder what will happen the day cancer reaches a person in my immediate circle, and I don't like the idea that it could be the cause of the death of someone I love. Therefore, taking part in the walk is much more than wearing pink clothes and stopping traffic for a moment; It stands for the will and support for the millions of women who face such a moment. Being aware of this is invaluable.
There is a phrase that I liked a lot since I read it. It is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, a 20th-century Italian religious who says, “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you will be the impossible." The service opportunities that I have had in Nazareth represent what is necessary; that is, invest time and energy in sharing with others.
After that first step comes doing what is possible, which means prioritizing service activities as a fundamental part of life. Eventually, that seed will bear fruit through new initiatives here and in other parts of the world; That's where the impossible materializes. Going from idea to action is the essence of a changemaker.
Krissia is a Student of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication. She is from El Salvador, Central America.