Emma’s Introduction to Domingo Savio
Emma first heard of Domingo Savio from Professor Steve Reifenberg in a class at the University of Notre Dame. While studying abroad in Chile in the fall of 2022, Emma had been routinely volunteering at a church in Santiago, and after connecting with her old professor, Emma discovered that Domingo Savio was a short walk away. After reaching out to Olga, the organization’s founder and director, Emma visited Domingo Savio and was invited to tour the organization alongside Olga. Emma described that Domingo Savio felt like a home as soon as she stepped through the door because everyone was incredibly welcoming and the entire space was decorated with colorful paints and drawings from kids. After this tour, Emma was sure that we wanted to begin working with Domingo Savio, so she along with other Notre Dame students studying in Chile organized a thrift store project and donated their clothes to raise money for Domingo Savio.
Emma’s Daily Routine
Emma returned to Santiago, Chile in the summer of 2023 as a volunteer at Domingo Savio. In addition to volunteering, she had the opportunity to live with a local host mom—Olga! An average morning for the two started a 10 in the morning when they woke up, and they would enjoy breakfast together, and sometimes with a few friends, around 10:30 AM. After this, the two would leave for Domingo Savio, and upon arrival, Emma would complete a few tasks, typically organizing or preparing for the workshop that she would lead in the afternoon. Around lunchtime, Emma would enjoy a meal with the tías, a nickname for all employees at the organization, and hear about their lives. Emma remembers these meals fondly because she was able to get to know each of the tías on a more personal level while sharing many stories and laughs together.
The kids would arrive between 2 and 3 PM, but Emma recalls greeting Mateo first every day. After arriving, the kids enjoyed “free time” , usually playing games with Emma until 4 PM, and at 4 PM, Emma would start leading her workshop. Depending on the day, Emma would lead a cooking, dance, or English class, but no matter what she was teaching, Emma loved playing with the kids and developing strong relationships with each one of them. Once the class had finished, the kids and Emma would enjoy once (a Chilean word that refers to a small dinner) together, typically comprised of bread, cheese, butter, and milk (sometimes with the occasional lunch meat). The kids would leave for the day around 6 PM, but Emma enjoyed playing games with the kids while they waited for their families to pick them up—especially “Run, Skip, Jump, and Dance”, a game that Emma created to help the kids have fun while learning English. Once the last kid left the organization for the day, Emma and Olga returned to Olga’s home and ended the day with Olga’s favorite show—The Voice Chile.
Emma’s Advice for Future Volunteers
When reflecting on her time at Domingo Savio, Emma describes that Domingo Savio is unlike any other after-school program. Instead, she describes Domingo Savio as a community center or home for children to feel welcomed and cared for, receive support in their physical, emotional, and spiritual development, and gain relationships that will positively impact their lives.
Additionally, Emma remembers and cherishes the relationships that she was able to develop with each kid. She describes that working with the kids was the most rewarding aspect of the entire volunteer experience, and she encourages future volunteers to dive head first into the work and get to know each child and their talents and personalities. Before volunteering at Domingo Savio, Emma had never worked with children, but even without experience, Emma was still able to complete the tasks given to her by Domingo Savio while developing an interest in pursuing education and childhood development in the future.
Lastly, Emma encourages future volunteers to use their own skills, talents, and cultural background to create engaging workshops for the children that allow them to explore new topics or new cultures that they would not otherwise be introduced to.
“Don’t be afraid to be creative, big your own ideas and roll with it…the kids will benefit from it!”
If you would like to hear more about Emma’s experience volunteering at Domingo Savio, you can contact her through her email— emmaryan5757@gmail.com