Every year, in November, just before or after Thanksgiving Day, people worldwide celebrate Family Volunteer Day. It is a day when families come together to serve others and give back to their society. On November 18th, 2023, Sunshine Family Volunteers (SFV) coordinators from three countries, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Uganda, did service projects with their families and club members to commemorate the day.
Together with her family, Christine Amutuhaire from Uganda visited the family of Nsambya Kirombe (Jjaja), an 85-year-old blind lady who lives alone in her home in Kampala.
JJaja’s blindness happened when she was three years old, and she never had any children. Christine’s family spent time with her and shared stories and provisions they bought for her. Her sons got inspired by JJaja’s ability to go on with her life doing a few chores even without sight.
“Family visits like these, especially to the neediest persons in the society, bring hope and a smile to them. It's a time of sharing, caring, and loving,” Christine said about her sons.
Shristika Bajracharya from Nepal, together with her family and members of her SFV Peacebuilding Family Club, visited the Ama Ko Ghar home for older women. The Ama Ko Ghar, also known as Mother's House, is a non-profit organization founded by Dil Shova Shrestha in 1999 to provide shelter and other basic needs for elderly homeless people.
“During the visit, we donated foodstuff and money to enable the home proprietor to purchase basic amenities like blankets for the elderly residents,” said Shristika.
In Bangladesh, Tahmina Akter Supti & Ashiqur Rahman engaged eight members of their SFV club, including the mom, dad, brother, sister, and other Family volunteers, in the “Sharing Love” project. During the project, they prepared meals for 20 needy families from their community and trained six new SFV members.
“Training the new SFV members was a good experience for me as it was the first time I felt like a mentor,” shared Ashiqur.
“It gives me peace to know that my children like volunteering and working for humanity,” said the mom.
“This project helped my family to bond by breaking down barriers to communication and sowing seeds of peace,” said Tahmina.
When family members volunteer, they positively impact their communities, building a culture where compassion and cooperation thrive. They sow seeds of kindness and generosity, inspiring other community members to do well and serve the less fortunate in the community. Read more about our SFV work globally.
