A Toothbrush makes a difference, Värmdö, Sweden

Jennifer, My volunteer work
What was the project about?
When I attended ninth grade in compulsory school all students made an agreement to volunteer to a school in Russia, in S:t Petersburg. The school is a boarding school and they sent pictures of the school, pupils and their teachers. Their beds looked really uncomfortable, they slept in double beds and the bed mattresses were so thin and they did not have manner bedclothes. I really felt sorry for them when I first saw those pictures. I was chocked that anyone could live a life like that, suddenly my life seemed so perfect! My doubts about signing the agreement was completely non-existent. I really wanted to volunteer to those poor children, I wanted to do as much as I could for them. Even though it wasn't enough for them. Their lives were not going to change, but me and my classmates obviously gave them a memory for life.
My school gave me a paper with all information and all rules about this excellent project. We were supposed to volunteer clothes, toothbrushes, candy and outdoor clothes. And if we wanted to send them other items we had to ask our teacher first, because we were not able to send whatever we wanted to, there were a lot of rules as I said earlier.
All students in my school that accepted to volunteer received a cardboard where we were going to put all our items in. When I packed down all items I started to think about how their reaction were going to be like when they opened up their boxes and reciewed all presents we have sent to them. I hoped they would be happy and grateful, which they luckily became. After a few moths they sent a letter with pictures of themselves when they wore our clothes and ate candy as real sweet tooths. They were smiling big and they looked grateful as I hoped they would be. It felt good to attend to this project, I am willing to do it again if anyone arranges a volunteer project. Maybe I am going to start something by myself, or maybe not. But it was greate to give innocent children something to remember in their lives. They deserve much better, and I do respect peoples who want to take part of a similar project like this.