Volunteering Changed My Life
Read how volunteering gave a young man a sense of purpose. A B1 reading story with key words and comprehension questions.
When Yusuf was a university student, he had a lot of free time but very little direction. He spent most of his days playing video games and scrolling through his phone. He was not unhappy exactly, but he felt that something was missing from his life. Then, almost by accident, he found something that would change everything.
One afternoon, a friend asked him to help at a local centre that taught reading to adults who had never had the chance to go to school. Yusuf agreed, mostly to be polite. He did not expect to enjoy it. But when he saw the determination on the face of a fifty-year-old man learning to write his own name for the first time, something inside him changed.
Yusuf began volunteering every week. The work was not always easy, and progress was often slow, but he found it deeply rewarding. He realised that he had skills that could genuinely help other people. Through volunteering, he became more confident, made new friends and discovered a sense of purpose he had never felt before. Today, Yusuf works full-time for an education charity. He often tells students that giving your time to others is not only good for them; it can transform your own life as well.
- direction – a clear purpose or aim in life
- determination – the quality of trying hard to achieve something
- rewarding – giving satisfaction or a good feeling
- purpose – the reason for doing something; a sense of meaning
- charity – an organisation that helps people in need
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