Seeds of Change in Forgotten Lands

Educational projects set up by volunteers and NGOs in places like Cambodia—which I know most directly—truly change lives. Here it’s not just about teaching how to read, count, or speak English; it’s about opening doors that would otherwise remain closed, giving confidence, and lifting young people out of poverty, inequality, and neglect. Every child or young person who can go to school thanks to these initiatives not only improves their own life but also pulls their family and community toward something better.

Volunteers don’t just teach classes; they motivate, inspire, and show through action that education matters and can be the key to moving forward. By example, they teach that solidarity and teamwork can change people’s lives, and that a better future is not just a dream.

Each project is like planting a seed in hard soil. Little by little those seeds grow, opening opportunities and helping communities become stronger, more united, and aware that education can change everything—even in the most forgotten corners of the world.

Moreover, education changes the way young people see their own world. It gives them tools to dream, to make decisions, and to not settle for what life hands them. They learn they can fight for their goals, help their families, and that, even if their lives begin in very difficult circumstances, they have the ability to build something better. This personal transformation multiplies when each of them shares what they learn and dream with others.

When institutional support is lost, projects are left hanging: without money, without official backing, and often losing credibility in the eyes of the people and potential allies. In that vacuum, volunteers are the ones who prevent everything from collapsing. They are people who invest time, energy, and passion so that the initiative doesn’t disappear. Thanks to them, even the basics are preserved, minimal resources are safeguarded, and the project is kept from falling into oblivion.

But let’s not fool ourselves: volunteers don’t work miracles. Enthusiasm has limits, fatigue sets in, they can’t cover everything, and the lack of money becomes increasingly evident. Their effort is immense, but it cannot replace solid and consistent support. At best, their work buys time: time to reorganize, build new alliances, or find solutions to keep the project alive.

And even then, sometimes that’s not enough. Without serious backing, the project drags on, with burned-out people and overstretched resources. Motivation fades, commitments turn into burdens, and if no one steps in, what began with excitement ends up stumbling or disappearing. That’s why, even though volunteers are heroes, they need someone to provide the funding, the structure, and the seriousness they cannot supply.

In the long run, the real difference is made by true support: someone who guarantees continuity, funding, and a solid foundation. Meanwhile, volunteers pull the weight and prevent everything from falling apart… but they are not a permanent solution, only a stopgap until something more stable arrives.

Being a volunteer is an incredible experience, one of those that leave a lasting mark, but it’s not always an easy path. There are moments when the projects you take part in face unexpected setbacks, lack of resources, or outside decisions that suddenly bring everything to a halt. When that happens, frustration is inevitable: you’ve put in effort, time, energy, and above all, heart. It’s painful to see something you believed in—something you invested effort and dreams in—not being able to continue as you imagined.

However, even in the middle of those setbacks, there remains a certainty no one can take away: the joy of knowing that what you did had meaning. Maybe it was an unexpected smile, a helping hand at just the right moment, a word of encouragement, or a small change in the life of someone who needed it. Sometimes these gestures seem tiny, almost invisible, but for the person receiving them they can mean the world.

In the end, being a volunteer is about that: giving without expecting in return, learning to value achievements even if they’re small, and discovering that every action leaves a mark, no matter how discreet it may seem. And when you look back, you understand that every effort, every shared hour, and every emotion lived was worth it—because in someone else’s heart, and also in your own, something changed forever.

To know more about his projects visit his website.