English with Kirsty – episode 289
9/10 Learning through volunteering part 1
You can listen to episode 289 here:
To celebrate 10 years of the English with Kirsty podcast, I’m creating a 10-part series to celebrate 10 different forms that learning can take.
The final part of the series is about learning through Volunteering. I had a number of people who wanted to be involved, so in the end I decided to split this into three conversations. The first one is with Sónia Rio and MIRIAM SANTOS FREIRE – both independent professional colleagues from LinkedIn whom I didn’t know very well before we got together on Zoom.
What did we talk about?
I really wanted to show some of the different ways in which people can be volunteers, so I spoke with people doing very different roles.We talked about:
- Sónia and Miriam’s stories – why they decided to volunteer and which organisations they chose.
- The skills and knowledge that they both bring to their volunteering roles
- Some of the things that my guests have learned through their volunteering experiences.
- Some strategies for finding time and managing it so that there’s enough to support others through volunteering
- Tips for getting started.
Who are my guests?
Sónia Rio
“I’m Sónia Rio, an English teacher, private tutor, and freelance translator and interpreter from Portugal. I’ve always had a strong passion for languages and the way they bring people and cultures together. During the pandemic, I began volunteering as a translator for non-profit organisations, and it has been a truly meaningful experience that I’ve continued ever since. In my free time, I enjoy travelling, running and going to the gym, as it helps me clear my mind and stay balanced.”
Sónia’s links:
MIRIAM SANTOS FREIRE
“Born on the Atlantic coast, I love heat, the sun and the beach, music, cuisine and books. (European) Portuguese is my native language and I’m bilingual in English, familiar with French, and also picked up some Spanish, Italian, and a bit of German along the way.
University degree in Translation, awarded EU Erasmus student, localisation and content quality expert, also a medical translator currently expanding my expertise through patient advocacy to linguistic validation, and patient voice research.
Movies have been a lifelong passion of mine, but in my spare time I also do quite a bit of volunteering — mainly as a patient representative for sickle cell disease, a rare and genetic blood condition. I also collaborate with a free Portuguese ebook initiative, called Projecto Adamastor, from proofreading, to suggesting titles for the catalog, and sourcing artwork and relevant excerpts for cover designs.
Since the pandemic, I’ve reconnected with my creative side through drawing, storytelling, and making little family videos with my husband. Lately, I’ve also been diving into our family tree and old photographs — it’s our way of staying close across the distance and keeping our stories alive.
Whether I’m in Cambridge or back home near Lisbon, I’m always up for a chat over a “bica and pastel de nata” — that’s an espresso and a custard tart — to share stories, ideas, and, of course, a bit of sunshine.”
Miriam’s links
- APPDH – Associação Portuguesa de Pais e Doentes com Hemoglobinopatias
- ESCF – European Sickle Cell Federation
- ERN-EuroBloodNet
- European Hematology Association (EHA) Patient Advocacy Committee
- The Red Cell Network
- Projecto Adamastor
Thank you both for sharing your stories, your tips, and your experiences around volunteering. Let’s stay in touch 😊
This series is also a playlist on YouTube
If you’re enjoying this series in which we’re looking at the many different forms that learning can take, I’ve made a playlist on YouTube with all of the episodes! This is an audio podcast, so the YouTube episodes are audio too. You can Find the full playlist here.
How you can get in touch with me
I love to hear from my listeners! If you have any comments or questions, you can contact me using my contact form.
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