Different from our regular buddy projects, where a participant and volunteer are paired together, in our 'Buddies for Each Other' project, two participants form a buddy duo. Because, despite all those lovely active volunteers, there are still more people who ask for help. Merel recently joined this.
Ownership
"Sometimes things in life seem to come along. You are studying or you have a nice job. For me, those were things I based my self-esteem on. They showed the outside world that I was doing well and I could also be proud of myself. But what if you can't always control that? Your life runs differently than you imagined and the things you previously derived your self-worth from fall away for a while. How do you deal with that? I can say that for me that was a pretty difficult task. Until I learned to see that I can also base my self-esteem on other things. De Regenboog Groep helped me take these steps. A year ago, I ended up with publisher Tobi Vroegh*. Even though it was only a few hours a week, I quickly noticed that my input and commitment were valued and my passion for books came in handy. I also recently joined the Buddies for Each Other project. My buddy and I can understand each other well and I get a lot of pleasure out of sharing our interests. Through the trusted contact with my buddy, I have learned to be more vulnerable and to take off my "mask. On top of that, I started joining De Regenboog's Dungeons & Dragons group, something that had been on my to-do list for quite some time. Here again, it's really fun to do something together with people you share the same interest with: playing a tabletop role-playing game. Even though it was a bit out of my comfort zone, I quickly felt comfortable there, which made me completely blossom and learn to play the game with great enthusiasm. Through all these De Regenboog projects, I am able to focus on my interests during this period of my life while making beautiful new social contacts and interactions. This is what I base my self-esteem on now. In my own way and at my own pace, I have regained confidence in myself."
* Publisher Tobi Vroegh is part of Regenboog branch SCIP and is driven by people with mental illness. More info: www.scipweb.nl.
Text: Merel Schoehuys | Photo: Lea van Geesink | Final editing: Jola Gosen