In accordance with the decision of United Nations General Assembly since 1985, 5th December has been International Volunteer's Day. Taking the opportunity, we would like to thank and congratulate all those who have joined the volunteer movement actively and with pleasure.

Taking into account the fact that volunteer work is carried out on a gratuitous basis and directed at achieving socially-significant purposes and solving community problems, the development of this movement among youth is especially demanded and urgent.

The students of PUA, as volunteers, join various projects, help to solve different problems. On International Volunteer's Day we asked the students what volunteer work means for them and why they take part in this activity:

«The main goal of human communication is mutual aid. It is important for a person to feel his own significance and to get pleasure from what he does. Volunteer work for me personally is, first of all, the way of communication, as helping others unselfishly, you are very likely to get acquainted with interesting and good people. Also it is important to mention that helping people, I get real pleasure. The dearest pay for help is a sincere smile of a person and words of gratitude. Volunteer work has become very popular nowadays, and I consider that it positively affects the society as a whole. There are not «free hands» in any work, as there are not enough sincere words for those people who really need them».

«It is great if you can put your knowledge and social experience into practice. The Centre of Social Services for Family and Youth organized training that was attended by children from disadvantaged families. I helped not only with organizational work, but I could also explain and understand the results of some exercises used in training. I acquired that knowledge while learning the course of «Psychodiagnostics», and also while studying at the School of Leadership in PUA in February 2014».

Yelena Kuznetsova, SM-31

«The term «volunteer work» is of special importance for me. Just due to the participation in the volunteer programme in France I have been abroad for the first time and have had an opportunity to practise foreign languages, to get acquainted with interesting people from all over the world, and what is more – to make a contribution to the development of our society and to feel my own significance, as well as the possibility to influence the solution of existing problems».

Yelena Khaylova, TI-51

«Within the training of the school of leaders' reserve of PUA our trip to the orphanage «Family» took place. The day of the trip was exciting because for some of us it was the first experience of work with children. We had prepared some game programmes, exercises for developing and revealing various talents, and organized work in groups of children.

Such trips cultivate in us a certain responsibility not only to our future children but also to these foster-children, and the society as a whole».

«I was lucky enough to be a volunteer at the competitions in taekwondo. We are grateful to the Academy for giving quite a lot of opportunities to test ourselves in different fields. I consider that it is not only an invaluable experience but also the right way to develop our communicative skills and make a decent reputation».

Julia Shtefan, BA–32

«For several years already one of my hobbies has been volunteer work – a gratuitous form of self-expressing the civil duty. Participating in different events, I gain a special experience, make new acquaintances and get tremendous impressions that inspire me to continue active work and studies. Having taken part in the volunteer programme of the European Championship in Taekwondo for the first time, I realized that in such a way I could not only do the society good but also achieve self-perfection».