We had a girl in the Girl Guide group that I volunteer with, she was 13 years old. She was the youngest of six and much younger than all her siblings. The family were on a very low income and had a lot of money struggles. Her mum knew the girl wasn’t on a good path, and asked her to try out Girl Guides. The first time she came in she had an enormous scowl on her face, and for weeks she just kept saying everything was stupid and wouldn’t participate in anything.
An opportunity came up to go on an international camp trip, and we suggested that she come. She came along to the meeting point for the bus, with nothing but a tshirt, a tracksuit and a pair of flimsy pyjamas. She didn’t even have a sleeping bag. So we rallied around, gathered some things for her, I even ran to a Big Tesco to get her some extra clothes! We got her what she needed and was able to come on the trip. The week away was amazing for her, she learned so much about herself and what she’s capable of. And she learned that there were people who would look out for her and help her get what she needed. Seeing that transformation was something absolutely spectacular.
She came back to our unit the next Autumn with a completely different attitude, she was always the first in the door, with a big smile on her face instead of a scowl. If there was another kid who did have a scowl, she would be over there talking to them to find out if they were ok. She’s come back as a young leader now, and she’ll be doing her Leaving Cert soon. The enthusiasm she has is so infectious.
Youth groups in towns and villages around Ireland need local volunteers who can help rebuild our safe and secure spaces for young people. People like Jessica, people like you.