Letter from Anneluise,Volunteer at Preda Fair Trade.

Dear Father Shay,

it was in May 2012 at your visit to our Weltladen in Eisenstadt when you encouraged me to volunteer for Preda. It didn’t take a long time for me to decide to join your work. I have known Preda and its projects on the paper, but being part of it has exceeded all my expectations.

The warm welcome and the caring acceptance have made me feel comfortable and I soon have found my second home. The work you and your team are doing 24 hours a day is absolutely admirable. Compliment on your colleagues as well. I could assure myself of the engagement and commitment in their work.

I was touched when I saw how they talk to the families at their home visits, how they listen to their problems and how they sometimes find a good advice. I could feel how good it is for the families to have someone listening to them and knowing their kids are being looked after.

The fact that the hearings are consistently adjourn and that it is an almost never ending story till the offenders are convicted and punished made me feel angry; and that is one more reason the kids cannot close their past. But here the social workers are very sensitive as well and a big support for the children. I was also very touched when assisting at the therapies. The girls are that young and already had so many bad experiences.

I have also seen how the psychologists affect the kids and help to get over their traumas. Whenever I spent time with „my girls“, I could never feel their history. We laughed a lot and joked around, made pictures and as time went by, I got more and more familiar to them. Some girls have even let the cat out of the bag or told me how they miss their mums, grandmums, brothers and sisters. I took the ones who let me in my arms and soon they felt better. One of the girls once even said: “Now I have a second grandmum“. This was a little “Thank you” for me.

An important part of my stay and experience is Fair Trade. I could see the farming and maintenance of the mango-fruits. Here as well I could get to know a qualified team, that helps mango-farmers do a good job without breaking tradition. One of Fair Trade´s biggest wishes is to teach people how to sow and not how to harvest, which means to show the paths to a better life without changing their view and attitude. Preda and its team definitely succeed in that!

My time at Preda has come to an end and I can look back on days filled with sorrow, joy and happiness. I found new friends and it will be us to keep the friendship alive. I thank you for the time here at Preda and am looking forward seeing you again in Germany in July this year.

I promise to do my best supporting Preda in the future. And … maybe I´ll come back one day – only God knows.

Thank you, dear Father Shay!

Best wishes,

Anneluise