With a change of clothes in my backpack and fully prepared to get wet, on Tuesday, May 21st I walked towards Søpavillonen to complete a training at Søernes Sejlklub (Sailing Club). In class there was a brief mention of a sailing club, but this was really the only information I received before showing up for a training. I certainly didn’t know what to expect from this volunteer experience. We were greeted by Shurjeel, one of the volunteers, and from 4pm to 9pm we got a brief tour of the sheds and equipment, brought kayaks from the shed to the water, learned how to prepare the kayak before getting in the water, and then went for a ride! We learned how to adjust the foot pedals, how to put on the fabric that will prevent water from entering the boat, and how to hold the paddle. We had the opportunity to kayak across the lake, under the bridge, and around an island before returning to the pavilion to enjoy a barbecue. We helped Shurjeel prepare and cook the food while learning more about Søernes Sejlklub.
Søernes Sejlklub is a sailing club run by a group of unpaid volunteers who introduce boys and girls ages 8 to 16 to water activities including sailing, canoeing, and kayaking. On Tuesdays from 4pm to 7pm, staff and coaches provide training and guidance for these various activities. The children are allowed the opportunity to exercise their self-determination and participate in activities of their choice. The pavilion was built in 1895 and became the sailing club in 1960. The lakes have been quiet and relatively unused for several years because participation in the sailing club activities required paying an expensive membership fee for use of the leisure club. In May 2010 the club was reopened by a group of volunteers and in January 2011 the Lakes Sailing Club was founded as an association. The virtues of the sailing club are based on social, cultural, and environmental values with the intention of bridging the gap between neighborhoods and all that Copenhagen’s lakes have to offer. According to Søernes Sejlklub’s website, “Life and play on the water is synonymous with free air, historical anchoring, learning, understanding, experiences and unity.”
With one day of training experience under my belt, I arrived at Søernes Sejlklub on Tuesday June 4th at 4:15pm with a better idea of what to expect. I quickly found that I still had a lot to learn and the little training we received was nothing compared to the training gained from real life experience. This is often the case with most jobs or volunteer opportunities; however, I was presented with challenges I did not foresee, for example a language barrier. After taking time to sit back and recognize where I could be of use, I quickly adjusted and soon jumped right in to help the children where Shurjeel directed us or wherever I saw a need.
Before beginning their various water activities, the children gather around the pavilion to meet with the sailing and kayak coaches. This gives the staff the opportunity to count how many children will be out on the water and to determine how much equipment is needed. During this brief meeting, children decide what they want to do and are told about the weather conditions for the given day. Allowing the children to choose what activities they want to be involved in is an example of the emancipation component of en god barndom. Children have the freedom to decide how their time is spent, and although there is adult-supervision out on the water for safety reasons, the adult is simply a coach and available when requested. After deciding on what activity to start with, the children work with the volunteers, parents, and other children to prepare the equipment. Whether this means carrying a kayak, tying a rope, or putting on a rudder, the children have the opportunity to work cooperatively with others to have a successful day out on the water. This en god barndom principle of cooperation is also visible when the children are canoeing or sailing together. The children have to communicate and work together to steer the canoe in the right direction or angle the sail to get the most wind.
One of the unforeseen challenges I experienced was the language barrier. Although I’m in a country where the official language is Danish, speaking English to this point has not been a problem because everyone in Copenhagen learns this language in school. For whatever reason it had not occurred to me that the children I would be working with would not speak English as well, so I had to rely on non-verbal forms of communication. When getting the children settled into the kayaks, they needed both of their feet to be touching the pedals with their knees slightly bent. It was difficult to explain this without words, and most of the time I resorted to touching the bottoms of my feet and pointing inside the kayak to their feet, which worked fairly well. The children managed to get their lifejackets on with no problem, but some of the kids were having difficulty hooking up the piece of fabric that goes over the opening in the kayak to prevent water from getting in. When I saw that kids were struggling, it was difficult to approach them to help while respecting personal space and boundaries. I didn't want to jump in and be that close to them without prior consent, but how do you ask for consent with nonverbal communication? I ultimately tried to read their body language when I approached to see if they needed help, but this was still difficult and would take a lot of practice to master. This provided me a very small window into what it might be like for a migrant, displaced, refugee, asylum-seeking, or exploited child moving to a new country without knowledge of the language. As a volunteer, I was at an advantage and didn’t have to participate if I felt uncomfortable; however, a child on the move might not have the same choice I did.
After all the children were settled into their boats and there was a lull in the activity, I asked Shurjeel if there were any immigrant or migrant children that participated. He responded with, “what do you think?” When observing the children as a group at the beginning of the day, I admitted that I thought they were all Danish; however, I explained that I thought it would have been inappropriate for me to jump to any conclusions or false accusations based on someone’s involuntary markers. Shurjeel said there may be a few second generation immigrants, but the majority were Danish. As an organization that seeks to promote activities for migrant, refugee, and displaced children, I was called to question how effective the Sailing Club was at reaching their objective. Surjeel explained how the volunteer time is allocated when having to decide what is more beneficial for the program: putting time and effort into making the time spent at the Sailing Club a positive environment or work on outreach to the community to draw in migrant and refugee children. It is incredibly difficult to run a successful organization that is strictly volunteer. It is evident that the staff at the sailing club is passionate about working with the children, but they may be neglectful when it comes time for further outreach. Judging strictly from what I’ve seen and discussed with Shurjeel, the Sailing Club has a great atmosphere and a positive environment, but I would speculate that because it is completely volunteer, people would rather spend time directly with the children rather than behind the scenes. This is a drawback to volunteer organizations, although you will find a lot of positive and enthusiastic volunteers, there is also a lot of behind the scenes work that oftentimes comes second to direct service. Both jobs are essential when forming a successful program.
I had an outstanding time volunteering at the Sailing Club. Without knowing what to expect, my experience exceeded my expectations. Although it was difficult to communicate with the children at times because of the language barrier, it was still incredibly fulfilling to see all the children so happy and excited about what they were doing. As I helped a soaking wet child climb out of a kayak, he looked up at me, smiled and said “tak.” That is one Danish word I do know, so without knowing how else to respond I smiled back and said “you’re welcome” as the kid ran off to join his friends.
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