When mentioning my volunteer time in Ukraine with kids who were either orphans or social orphans, my manager criticized me for not doing something local (with BIPOC kids). What he failed to understand was:
- This is an organization I wanted to support since as a child.
- There were some understanding with these kids with historical experience.
- Volunteering with BIPOC kids, you could be seen as someone with a “white saviour” mentality.
- You’re told not to take up space during BLM topics, so it’s hard navigating with this messaging.
- I volunteered my time at a friend’s event that raised money for her after school program for kids who are at risk and in a BIPOC community.
It’s funny that you have people who are quick to judge you for your choices but cannot put the same effort into trying to make a change in this world. I tried. I realized I had unresolved trauma. But I got to meet some really great little humans (they’re probably all grown up but they’ll still be my kids).
I got to understand how isolating it is for kids with hearing impairments/deafness. But I also saw kids try and learn sign language. Seeing one kid try during the entirety of the camp learn sign language so he could communicate with the deaf kids was a beautiful thing to see. Yes, I could have experienced this here but not in the general setting of organizations here. It feels like we isolate kids with disabilities and not intermingle them.
Was it preferred that I camped with the older kids so that I could give them insight on health and safety in the workplace? Yes. But I learned so much from the younger kids and kids with physical disabilities and traumas. When you expose younger kids with kids with disabilities, they are normalized to disabilities and try to understand these kids better. This sets them up for the real world of understanding the difficulties other people will have.
The kid who gave me a wooden medal for climbing Hoverla (the tallest mountain in Ukraine) – we barely spoke but he went out of his way to give me a medal. I’ve held onto that medal. Finding out that he was killed in Kherson while evacuating people and delivering humanitarian aid… hurt. Reading more about him from his friends – from other kids who are disabled (and I don’t like saying disabled because that feels like it carries such a negative connotation. These kids are bigger humans than the leaders we currently have in this world.), you understood how hard he had it. Having a speech impediment and how people treated him differently… yet here he was risking his life to save people, regardless of how they would have treated him during peace time.
Do I think we should have camps here in Toronto for all kids of all walks of life? Yeah – they all carry some sort of experience that they could learn from each other. Some might have more privilege, some not so much. Being exposed to kids who are different from them is a good thing. It teaches not just tolerance (I hate that word because it feels like doing less than the bare minimum of how we should treat others) but acceptance and friendship of people outside of your home environment – your bubble.
My mom has stated that university is a school of life. I don’t know. Yes, you learn some fundamental things in OHS… yes there are liberal courses that teach you perspective in life… yes you expand your bubble of people. But learning from others feels like it’s the real school of life.
To the camp organizers, fellow volunteers, the kids – thank you for teaching me. I hope you’re all doing well.
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