When Shrestha immigrated to NZ from India at the beginning of 2024, she wanted to do something fruitful with her time. As a volunteer with the Hagley Adult Literacy Centre, Shrestha was able to put to use her passion for helping others by volunteering in classes to give migrants from Africa, Afghanistan and Iran support with their English reading, writing and speaking, as well as helping young adults with literacy skills and life skills such as baking and outdoor activities.
She gained particular satisfaction from seeing students start improving in their studies and making good progress. “I feel it’s the most satisfying and amazing feeling one can get from volunteering. It may sound cliché but this is the fact, when with my help someone can do better – this feeling of pride cannot be described in words”.
For Shrestha, perhaps the most surprising aspect of her volunteering experience, but ultimately the most rewarding, was getting to know the students and forming new friendships: “The best part of volunteering there was after helping them with their studies when they start appreciating you for your help and made me their friend”. She emphasises the love, compassion and friendship she received from her volunteering: “I got surprised that sometimes God can take away something from humans like someone may be born with some difficulties, but at the same time God gives them something different to make it work. For example, one student who had a hearing problem but could do maths calculations in her head within minutes!”
In her own life, Shrestha has found volunteering helps her to focus on what’s important and let go of the small things: “In my life, the way of dealing with any situation has changed. I used to get annoyed at simple things when it don’t get done. Now, I think about my time at the volunteer classes and how [the students] deal with that same situation. This small thing has impacted me to a great extent”.
To anyone else considering volunteering, Shrestha says “I would definitely suggest volunteering at least once… it would change the whole perspective of looking to anything in a completely different manner. I enjoy volunteering because this is the most soul soothing and pious work to do if you really want to give back to society.”
