Page 140 - Book about Friendship and Future.Stories of Volunteers.

Maxim Bogdanov

KFC Pushkino Park
Pushkino

My Responsibility

When I started working in KFC my peers got me engaged
into volunteering with the KFC Corporate Charity Fund “Open-
ing Horizons”. One day my supervisor told us about a new career
guidance program for teenagers, saying that the team needed
volunteers. We promptly grasped the idea and joined a friendly
team. We felt scared, some things were not clear, but we were
getting so much support from our peers, mentors, friends and
even unfamiliar people! Having plunged into the world of volun-
teers I understood how these people helped others, for free, only
because they can and want to.
After obtaining the instructions from the psychologist we
came to the orphanage “Coast of Hope”. All our enthusiasm was
washed away as with an ice-cold shower by an unmanageable
group of teenagers who did not want to listen, but wanted our
blood, or at least to be left in peace to stare into their iPhones.
I was leaving the classroom as if hit by a truck.
The tutor quickly brought me back to life, saying that we had
to gain the kids’ trust, which could be achieved only with consis-
tency and stability.
That was the phrase that made me understand that I would
not give up and that the “Coast of Hope” (100 km away from my
home) was a home that I was responsible for. The work started.
There were trainings, visits, smiles and pictures, not the bright-
est games, classes in the early morning, severe rebukes and even
removal of hooligans from class, change of mentors, exchange of
experience and the feeling of victory after an effective class and
getting the kids’ gratitude. I have been in the project for 3 years
and it was not at all easy. But I am sure, the things we have been
doing do leave their trace. I see that difference: engaged guys
who started to ask questions and contemplate. Every time we
were teaching each other. These kids have taught me the most
important thing: to trust in myself and not to give up. The more
I am doing for these guys, the more I want to teach them, pro-
viding them with opportunities, and this gives me a great drive.