“My challenge is that everyone can do something they are proud of.”

Gonny (72) volunteers every Sunday afternoon at the Mother Network Foundation with children with intellectual disabilities between the ages of 8 and 25. They play sports or do crafts for an hour, and halfway through, they switch activities. Gonny paints, glues, cuts, sculpts, and creates mosaics with them. She shows fantastic photos of the results. “I’m already working on what everyone could make at their own level.”

Gonny used to be a special education teacher, primarily teaching ceramics. She volunteers in a beautiful hall at Urban Sports. Initially, everything revolved around sports, but three years ago, Laila, the head of the Mother Network Foundation, asked Gonny if she wanted to take on the creative side. She met Gonny at a family day. Gonny enjoys her work because her life motto is: “Don’t sit still, keep going, keep busy.” Gonny also says she loves helping people. “Especially if you love them,” she smiles. “It’s just in my heart.”

Pleased

The group consists of 18 children. And children have short attention spans, so it’s quite intense. But I always have assistance. Like from Lina, who is studying to be a doctor, sometimes from a former colleague, and from Milouda, who is always there on Sundays. Yes, the Mother Network Foundation is made up of so many sweet, dedicated women. And I also receive a lot of appreciation as a volunteer. “We’re so happy with you!” I often hear.

Party and good food

Sometimes there are family days where all the children’s parents come. “Then you see the other volunteers too. That’s really nice. The volunteers cook, but the parents also bring lots of delicious Turkish or Moroccan food.” An important side goal of the sports and craft activities is to provide relief for the parents and siblings of the children with intellectual disabilities. The families are also very grateful for these Sunday afternoons.

Special experiences

“It’s really special to see a child make so much progress. But the most important goal is for them to simply have fun. It’s also wonderful and wonderful when your bond with the children grows.” Gonny always prepares thoroughly for these craft afternoons. She gets a lot of things from thrift stores or Action, such as wooden boxes, containers, hearts, and so on, which the children can decorate with mosaic tiles. There’s a budget for the supplies. Gonny can always claim the costs. “I want them all to make something they really love. The result goes in a nice bag that they can proudly take home.” Gonny shows some photos of beautiful Ramadan-themed placemats. “I also learn a lot about Islam. It’s also wonderful to see that people truly live their faith. It’s a warm foundation where I feel very accepted and comfortable.”

Also interested in volunteer work?

Choose something that suits you.   You’ll find 1001 possibilities  in our online job board for the Amsterdam Volunteer Center. Or feel free to drop by one of our consultation hours .
www.vca.nu

Interview: Thecla Groot Koerkamp
Photos: Marcel Jansen