Youth tutor Fehmi Neffati reminisces about his experiences volunteering with our students.
As a tutor with World Relief, the summer was full of surprises. I really enjoyed working with a group of amazing people who were highly driven, extremely smart, and very organized. With me being fresh out of high school and them being upperclassmen and graduate school students, every day was a learning experience for me. I had formidable supervisors that made sure we were comfortable and were not being ‘Zoom fatigued.’ They treated us to a lovely DoorDash meal and were there for us whenever we needed anything.
I remember the day when Will, a colleague of mine, wore his Tunisia Shirt to meetings. That drew a smile on my face. I also remember how smart and resilient the kids we worked with were, I still recall a student of mine talking to us about global warming and how nature is angry at us. I remember how were having a talk with Peire Cruz and Advaita from UNC Refugee Wellness about racism and they asked the kids what did they think would happen if we were all the same, and someone’s reply was: ‘Life would be boring.’ I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this kid is definitely going to be a leader!’
Of course, there are the funny moments when students kick me out of my own Zoom room or call me ‘Uncle’ Fehmi. I loved every day of the whole experience and how eye-opening it was. I loved how respected I felt even though I was way younger than everyone else on the team. I loved how I had a direct positive effect on people’s lives. There are, of course, more fun instances than I can list. Simply: thank you World Relief for offering me that opportunity.
Our youth tutors were flexible, consistent, and dedicated throughout the transition to online learning, and even as we start to have more in-person opportunities for students and educators, we are grateful to volunteers like Fehmi who bridged the gap with such energy and devotion. Consider joining us as a volunteer! Click Here.