As soon as I started working at Telefónica, back in 1997, I learned about Telefónica Volunteers. The local action committee was responsible for coordinating volunteer activities wherever there were needs and where employees could collaborate and dedicate time and effort to social projects. I found it very interesting and signed up with the intention of contributing in any way I could.
On many occasions, the needs came from the employees themselves, who would submit proposals based on their first-hand knowledge of certain situations. There was a volunteer coordination team, which included the wonderful Pilar Rodelgo and the endearing Ricardo Esteban, with whom I am still good friends today and who continues to be part of the heart and soul of Telefónica Volunteers.
The first thing that captivated me was the enormous heart of the people who made up the volunteer team. They were dedicated, endearing people who were committed to helping wherever they were needed.
That feeling has stayed with me throughout my more than 28 years at Telefónica alongside the volunteers.
It’s funny, but whenever I leave the Volunteer team or one of our activities comes to an end, I’m overcome by the same feeling of longing, a feeling of emptiness, of being alone. These people have such a high level of love and care that when you leave the energizing group, you feel alone, like a drop in the ocean, like an orphan. I don’t know if I can convey the feeling, but it’s strong and somewhat heartbreaking. Imagine the level of excellence of these people.
I started out collaborating in local initiatives in Barcelona, in projects with children with disabilities, in food drives, recycling medicines for the pharmaceutical bank, as a telemarketer for the Gala Inocente, etc.
The turning point was the solidarity vacation. After passing the selection process, I was able to spend three weeks in the remote village of Tenguel in Ecuador alongside other volunteers from other Telefónica group operators.
The experience was vibrant. Tenguel comes from “ten hells,” the name given to the place by the Americans. In the summer of 2009, we Telefónica Volunteers arrived at the Saraguro school run by Doña Victoria. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, in which I participated alongside Sandra Iturri, also an employee of Telefónica Spain.
At first, we were overwhelmed by the immensity of the need, but then we focused on what we could contribute, and the best thing was the vital experience we had, getting to know realities so different from ours and, above all, being able to contribute to creating the school’s first library.
You can’t imagine the commotion we caused at Barajas airport with all our luggage. We had dozens of extra suitcases, authorized by Iberia, to take the materials we needed for the workshops we organized.
After Tenguel, we went to Chiclayo in Peru, in this case to the Cristo Rey School. One of the conclusions I always come to with volunteering is that you get much more than you give. It’s paradoxical but very real.
The team of volunteers was so strong that we even wanted to organize a charity lunch for Christmas in Barcelona, which we ended up celebrating at the Palau Nacional de Montjuic.
We have always broken down barriers and exceeded our own limits. We are a strong, hard-working, intelligent, and united team.
Such social involvement made me think about what else I could do besides volunteering, and after also volunteering at the European Campus Party as a “Roving Reporter” for Telefónica, I decided to create my own NGO with a group of equally committed volunteers.
Telefónica Volunteers is much more than just volunteering; it’s a T-shirt that we wear with pride because we have been able to change many realities thanks to the small gestures of many people.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who selflessly volunteer to make this world a more humane place. It is undoubtedly worthwhile. Come on, join us! You don’t have to be a volunteer only on Volunteer Day; you can be one every day.
