By Maria Anna Pfister

       Port Moresby, PNG, 5 April 2023 -- Hello, my name is Maria Anna Pfister. I’m from Germany and Poland and I live in Papua New Guinea as a volunteer of the Salesian Sisters of Saint John Bosco for ten months. Arriving on September 16th last year I didn’t really know what would be expected of me. Although I would say, I was well prepared since I joined “VIDES Germany-Austria”, which is the organization for international volunteer assignment in Germany and Austria from the FMA Sisters and who helped and guided me in my preparation. But as Einstein said: “The only source of knowledge is experience” and since I am privileged to have this great opportunity of traveling so far in my young age of being 18 years old, I am gaining a lot of knowledge through experiencing life in this beautiful country.

       My main mission during my volunteering is to assist in the school life of MHCVETFC (Mary Help of Christians Vocational Education Training and FODE Center). The beautiful new school for ladies, built by the very kind Fr. Valeriano Barbero, SDB for the FMA Sisters Community in Port Moresby. To switch the role from being a student not long ago to working as an educator, is definitely giving me a new view into school life. I see how a good school can be a safe place for young people. I am also grateful for all the respect the students and staff members are giving me. The many school events like a Youth camp, the celebration of Teachers' Day (which I experienced for the first time) or the family gratitude day are a great opportunity for me to learn to know the school and the students.

       “To become yeast in the human family” is the appeal of the STRENNA in 2023. We can become yeast in different ways. For me as a volunteer it means to share the knowledge I have with the students, to be available and to have an open ear for everyone. It is a silent work amidst the young people since I am one of them.

       During my stay so far I have made the realisation that I get more than I can give. I’m getting so much love and respect from the people around me, so much care from the Salesian Sisters and I’m learning much more than the knowledge I can share. I’m learning not to judge too quickly because it turns out to be different than I thought, to be more humble and to appreciate more the things I have or that are given to me. I’m learning to be more independent and to respect anyone and since I have to deal with it in school, I’m learning a lot of maths and physics as well. All these things I’m learning and all the experiences I am collecting are making me grow as a person. But I think this is also what the STRENNA this year is about: Not just to make things grow around us, but also to grow in ourselves as a person.

       Maria Anna Pfister is a VIDES Volunteer from Germany. VIDES is the volunteer group of the FMA. It stands for Volontariato Internazionale Donne Educazione Sviluppo. She spends her time with the students and shares her knowledge. In the process she gets more than what she gives.

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