Maris’ experience with EduAction

Like most of us EduActioners, I ended up in the project randomly. I had my reasons, why I was searching for an internship in Brazil that had nothing to do with a better world, but more with escaping and realizing a long overdue dream.

During flying over Parana and Santa Catarina states on my way to Porto Alegre I had this strange feeling of “that’s it, I’m on my way home”. The feeling disappeared as soon as I landed into the reality that waited for me there. It was very different. In a way it turned out to be true, but not just for Porto Alegre. This relationship between me and EduAction has taught me that this whole precious planet is my home, everybody in it are connected to me. We’re all interconnected and it is up to me to be the example the world needs.

I arrived in Porto Alegre confused about what was about to come and I felt frustrated many times during my work there in 2009. There was not enough money, they project team was not perfectly organized, we, the exchange participants were so different from each other, the kids were loud and the schools sometimes indifferent. All of that killed a bit of my motivation and gratitude towards my experience at the time. Only a few months after I had arrived back home, I realized, there was no going back. As I say to the newcomers now, “After experiencing, what you will experience in EduAction, there is no way you will not care anymore”. This project has changed my life. The people I met, the kids I helped, the things I learned from Gerdau and AIESEC – they’ve all left their best in me. The shocks I went through, the frustrations I overcame and the obstacles I crushed - they contributed in me becoming this strong and dedicated person I believe I am today and I could not be more grateful to everything I had to pass through.

The more hopeless the situation seems during the project, the more it needs your dedication. This is no time to be selfish, although it is our natural reaction to get frustrated. I’ve realized, this can’t be learned, until after it is already over.

I encourage everybody to take these few months, put yourself in a completely different situation, give all your care for people you have never met before in a society that (at first sight) has nothing to do with you and let the situation turn your world around. Then reflect on it.

In retrospective, I believe I’ve become much more relaxed than I used to be. I almost never feel nervous anymore, nor worry too much about the little things. I’ve grown a lot. I have much more vision for myself as well as the world. I know my values and I don’t fail to stand for them. I believe I can achieve anything I set my mind to and much more than that - I believe anyone can, they just need to put themselves into situations that will teach them that. I think I am a much better friend now too; I feel confident being who I am and caring about the things and people I care about. I still search for meaning in everything I do, as I did before EduAction, only now, for the first time, I think I’ve found a lot of it. I am happy!

Maris Leivategija
EP from 2009 (EduAction pilot)
Current Global Coordinator