"My goal is for children to gain self-confidence and see that they are capable of doing things much better."

The organisation needs committed people, people who are eager to learn and willing to give their time for a few months. In this way the groups can be well organised and the children receive the follow-up and attention they need.

Five years ago the teacher of Tecnun Mikel Arcelus began his journey in Hazi eta Ikasi, a association of San Sebastian that through volunteer activities offers support and school reinforcement in a personalized way to children between 7 and 14 years old with learning problems or status of vulnerability . "Once my children stopped needing my financial aid at home, I started to get involved with others who had important needs, not only in study, but also in habits and behavior," says the school's teacher, Mikel Arcelus.

Mikel knew association inside out, as it was his aunt and uncle, Juan and Carmen, who started project in 2009 with a small group of children and a few retired volunteer teachers.  

average To date, Hazi's classrooms are attended each year by some 240 children fromthefour neighborhoods of the city where they are offered school support. "In Hazi we work in collaboration with many schools. They are the ones who detect the cases of greatest need and propose them to us. They provide us with information on the specific academic deficiencies of student body and put us on contact with their families, with whom we establish a mutual commitment," explains the teacher at Tecnun.

Mikel Arcelus is currently the president of association. He offered to follow the bequest of his uncles when Juan -former student of Tecnun and first doctor of the School- told him that he was retiring and that it was necessary for someone to assume the presidency. Since then, Mikel has been in charge of managing grants and subsidies from different entities and "lends a hand in whatever is needed": "But I continue to do volunteer activities with two children, from 1st and 2nd ESO, which is what I like the most and why I got into it at the time".

As she says, she spends an hour and average a week helping them with their homework, but the bond she maintains with them is constant. They talk almost daily by WhatsApp and he follows up with them, "even at Christmas or summer". "To student you have to motivate him, see him as a person you are interested in beyond the formative aspects. For example, I used to go to see the soccer games and training sessions of one of my students, and when we are together we talk about many different things. In the end it's as if he were a son for whom you wish the best".

To motivate them, Mikel says that he plays a lot with them, sets them challenges and gives them prizes or "fines". "Perhaps my experience as a teacher gives me an advantage when it comes to thinking about how to do it. It is very important that the children are excited to know, to learn and to acquire work habits . My goal is that they gain self-confidence and see that they are capable of doing things much better and improving little by little".

"Just like in college, volunteer activities makes you feel useful . You are at the service of those in need and you are more aware of how privileged most of us are. I also financial aid to go planning halfway through deadline my activities when I retire and to continue working on a voluntary basis," she confesses.

The organisation needs committed people, people who are eager to learn and willing to give their time for a few months. In this way the groups can be well organised and the children receive the follow-up and attention they need. "It's all very well to come occasionally or to make a financial contribution at a given moment, but what is necessary and most important are people who are willing to commit themselves".