International Volunteers Day (or International Volunteering Day) was established in 1985 by the United Nations Organization (UN). The date was created aiming to promote the importance of volunteering in the world and boost the spirit of solidarity in people through campaigns conducted in several countries. Volunteer work exists to support the promotion of solutions to social challenges and, consequently, to help achieve goals that involve collective wealth, such as the set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also established by the UN.

Besides the relevant role of community service to reach those objectives, there are several reasons to foster voluntary work, such as raising the understanding of the existent social unequalness, learning toknow new people and experiencing different realities, developing creativity in the search for transforming solutions, finding purposes in life, etc. In general, being a volunteer is to transcend the most precious feeling of the human being: love. By donating energy and generosity, an individual who helps his neighbor is responding to this basic and primordial impulse for the evolution of societies.

Compassion and solidarity, altruism and responsibility, are deep human inclinations as well as civic virtues. In Brazil, these feelings are growing and strengthening. In 2018, the Brazilian Geography and Statistic Institute (IBGE) published the result of the periodic National Household Survey, indicating that about 6.5 million people performed volunteer work in the country in that year. Four years later, In 2022, anew Survey published by Instituto Datafolha regarding volunteering actions in Brazil in the forgoing yearpresented a much higher figure: showing that 57 million volunteers were active in the Country in 2021.

It is gratifying to see the yearly growth of volunteering in Brazil, often driven by projects, groups, and organizations such as Instituto Chamex. The purpose of the initiatives incentivized by our Institute is to change countless realities, enable a new future for thousands of Brazilians, promote citizenship, and contribute to the development of a fairer and more egalitarian society with increasing access to quality education. Based on this mission and with the help of partners, collaborators and volunteers, Instituto Chamex continues supporting national projects and developing localized strategic projects to stimulate the countrywide development of students, teachers, and education professionals acting in kindergarten, elementary, and medium school grades.

In honor of those involved in this cause, we congratulate and thank immensely all volunteers of the Institute. Congratulations on exercising your citizenship in such a generous, humane, and compassionate way! Congratulations on being dedicated and committed to the great work you perform! Gratitude for sharing the hope for a better worldwith us! We also salute all volunteers scattered around the world who use their kindness and creativity to help others. You inspire us to keep fighting for our purposes and to keep believing that creativity transforms education, and education transforms the world. 🙂