More and more people nowadays have started volunteering and have given a lot of their time and energy to help those in need. A really lovely and inspiring story that needs to be heard is about two brothers who have made a significant impact in the world of volunteering. The protagonists of this story are Sarantis Simakis and Vangelis Simakis. They have been volunteers and travellers for many years, and even though they come from Crete, which is an island on the south side of Greece, their impact has touched other continents like Asia and Africa. They plan 10-day volunteering trips in places like Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda and Nepal, and their mission is to focus on important issues like helping in education and empowering young people and women by also inspiring others to join them.
Whenever they visit a new place to volunteer, they really try to be a part of the community and the culture and to get to know the history of the people. Undoubtedly, the connection with the culture brings you closer to the person, and that is precisely what they are trying to do. As a result, they stay there, and their nutrition is pretty similar to that of the locals. Their goal is to co-exist and to work together by promoting respect, trust and mutual appreciation. But what exactly do they do?
A great example of their voluntary work is the village of Gongo. More specifically, since 2019, they have kept visiting the town, and they have really helped in making some projects come true. As they have mentioned a lot of times, education is the most important fundamental for improving their quality of life, not only for the children but for the whole community. As a result, Sarantis, Vangelis and their team have created an educational centre, renovated school rooms and toilets, supported 13 children through the scholarship program of Sana in order to continue getting educated and have developed a lot of cultural and environmental activities, at the Gongo Primary School. Despite the significant impact that they have on the educational field, they have also built a warehouse for the Mamas of the village, and they have created a centre for empowering women. More than that, Backpack Brothers has also focused on helping residents facing problems that have to do with water, housing, and environmental protection in terms of reforestation and tree planting conservation.
A crucial thing that we need to mention is that Sarantins and Vangelis have not done all this voluntary work alone. In fact, they influenced other people to join them, and they ended up creating groups and becoming friends with each other. A really inspiring story is about a father and a son who went together to volunteer in Nepal. Giannis, the son, has been the youngest member of the Backpack Brothers so far since he was only 14 years old. He helped a lot in the project as he cooked, played, dug and ended up opening a new world for him, the world of solidarity. With this great example, we can understand that no matter the age, gender or the place that you come from, the best things can happen when you work as a team, and this could not be more true. As the author Calvin Holdbrooks writes, science has proven the benefits of volunteering and these charitable acts. Volunteering connects you with others, builds self-confidence, opens your eyes, and the Backpack Brothers are here to prove it.
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