Testimonial from Glenda Cabrera, volunteer in Vínculos project
My name is Glenda Cabrera, and I am a volunteer at Vínculos, where I am a mentor for two students. I also work with Color Comunitaria radio station in the Puentes program, where I coordinate and interview migrants.
I am from El Salvador, 48 years old, and I lead a very hectic life in Spain. As my mother is ill with ALS, I never imagined I would be able to volunteer, let alone do it wholeheartedly. I devote many hours to the care of my family, but I have come to realize that there is always time for giving.
Being a volunteer Mentor and coordinating interviews conducted by and for migrants at Asha-Kiran has given me much more than I expected.
The aim of these radio interviews is to provide a space where these human beings can support each other and come closer together. That is why Mamadou, a migrant himself, is the main interviewer. I provide linguistic support by helping both him and those who take part in the interviews—all of whom are Vínculos students—to prepare the contents confidently.
Most of the time, my interviewees speak more languages than I do and have impressive life experiences. They are true role models. I never imagined what I would gain from coaching the interviews: the affection they show as they practice over and over until they feel confident for the big day when they are the main characters of their own story.
I am an employee, mother of a teenager, and homemaker. I never thought I would have time for this work. However, I feel blessed to do it. The migrants and asylum seekers we work with are my greatest incentive — to provide them with a space where they are seen and heard, where their stories contribute to a more open, empathetic, diverse, and rich society.
That hug at the end of the program, the sincere gratitude, the smiles that show me how they receive what I bring them, make up for all my efforts. I’m often tired at the end of the day, but after reviewing the questions and talking about the radio dynamics, I see the glow of the outcome and the joy in the process.
How is this possible? By loving what I do. That's why I wanted to write and share how my soul overflows every time I participate in these interviews. For me, they are a turning point in my life.
If my words inspire you, do contact us. Become a volunteer by clicking here.