Bowling with Amsterdam residents with intellectual disabilities – “What fun together”

A few years ago, Omar started volunteering at Prisma to boost his CV for medical school. Once a month, bowling shoes were taken out of the closet to go bowling with a friendly group of people with intellectual disabilities. In the end, medical school turned out not to be for Omar, but he still goes bowling every month: “That Wednesday is one of the best days of my whole month!”Since 2019, Omar has been going to the bowling alley every month with great pleasure. Together with another volunteer, he guides a group of ten people with intellectual disabilities through the Prisma foundation during a game of bowling. “They can do a lot on their own, we only assist where necessary, for example, when typing names. Most of the time, we are just bowling together having a lot of fun. In reality, we don’t do much, but such a small thing just makes them so happy. It feels really good, and you make them happy with something so simple. Of course, you might feel a bit nervous the first time, and things might not go smoothly. However, by the second time, it’s already better. You also sense that this group of people doesn’t have many contacts and may feel a bit lonely, which is why they appreciate the interaction so much.”

“I want to go to paradise”

What started as a boost for his CV, turned into intrinsic motivation. “The reason I started volunteering was because I wanted to study medicine and needed a lot on my CV. I no longer study medicine at all, because I much prefer doing things behind the scenes. But, I just really enjoyed the volunteering work.” Besides the fact that Omar is doing something good for society, he has another big motivation: “I believe in God and I want to go to paradise, that is my goal. I feel that by doing this, I contribute to reaching paradise.”

What I have learned

“The people I have met through volunteering are truly amazing. This includes both the people you work with and the group of people you assist. People born with a disability are all very pure, and that is very beautiful. Additionally, volunteering is also very educational. I have truly learned how to interact with people who cannot fully manage on their own and thus carry a piece of responsibility during this volunteer work. Moreover, it has also made me a bit more patient, which is necessary. When you want to help people, it is important to give attention and not just focus on yourself.” And does Omar always win at bowling? “You always participate and each time you think, I will beat them. But, I lose every time, which is really funny.”

“It doesn’t have to take much time”

“How much time do you spend on your phone?” Omar asks at the end of the interview. The conclusion is clear: way too much. “It’s just a waste, because that time could also be used to do volunteer work, for example. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. Once a month, for instance, is really nothing. It takes little time and that’s why I would prefer to do even more. My dream is to run a company for volunteer work in the future. That would be amazing! I would prefer something involving young people or students who are facing difficulties. It would also be great to have more students do volunteer work because then they, just like me, learn things that will help them in the future.”

Why are you doing this, you’re not getting paid anyway?

“Many of my friends don’t see themselves doing volunteer work, they say, ‘Why do you do this, you don’t get paid anyway?’ I can’t understand their point of view. Nowadays, having as much money as possible is made so important. For example, through music or through YouTube videos. Too much value is placed on money and materialism. I myself have also chased money for a long time, but people don’t realize that it’s not the most important thing. It would be nice if more young people would start doing volunteer work.”

Ready to get started?

Stichting Prisma is still looking for volunteers!You can find more information here.Curious about other tasks? Our job board has hundreds of fun volunteer tasks. For every talent and schedule.Search online or make an appointment at one of our consultation hours.Hello!Text: Kiki Dusebout
Photos: Jackie Mulder