"Katerina, why are you always talking about fundraising?" a dedicated volunteer asked me recently with a trace of frustration.
"Money's not the only thing that matters," she went on. "I feel like we're losing sight of what's most important. I've been meeting with my students for over a year. Both of them have improved their English so much, and we've become lifelong friends in the process. Isn't that what ENGin is all about?"
This isn't the first time I've heard this sentiment. So today, I want to write about what matters most to each of us - the heart and soul of ENGin.
Close your eyes and imagine: a student and a volunteer are chatting eagerly. Perhaps one buddy takes the other on a video tour of their hometown or explains a beloved tradition. Perhaps the student finally masters a difficult concept or recalls a new vocabulary word. Perhaps they get so lost in a conversation that neither realizes their hour is up.
I've felt it with my buddy and I'm sure you have too. It's warm and fuzzy and the whole reason we are here - life-changing conversations. And best of all, these volunteer-led conversations are completely free. Right?
Now, let me tell you what I see when I imagine that student-volunteer scene.
I see Maryna or Denys interviewing the student and the volunteer. I see Nadia training the student and Ilona training the volunteer. I see Gulnaz or Varya matching them, fitting the puzzle pieces together to unlock the ENGin magic for these two participants.
I see Maks and Nastya building the online platform on which all of this happens - tens of thousands lines of code, written and rewritten, tested and improved. I see Liza creating the website pages and flyers that told the student and the volunteer about the program and encouraged them to join.
I see Tetiana and Karolina answering the student's and volunteer's questions. I'm having trouble with my interview. I'm nervous about my first session. I don't think my volunteer understands me.
When I see a volunteer and student meeting, when I read a touching testimonial, I can't help seeing a kaleidoscope of images of my team - of the unbreakable young Ukrainians working 7 days a week despite war and power outages who make your meetings with your students possible.
And yes, I see myself "dialing for dollars" to make sure we can keep ENGin running. For me, there is no better way to honor ENGin's mission than securing the funds we need to stay open.
This journey is not easy, and I am so grateful to each and every one of you who is supporting us with this critical work, whether by making a contribution, spreading the word about our program, or simply your moral support. Together, I know we can ensure ENGin's bright future with many thousand more conversations, friendships, and discoveries!
Sincerely,
Katerina
ENGin Founder & CEO
Comments