The award ceremony "Good Tatarstan" was held in Kazan. It identified the best volunteers in various fields, and the title of "Volunteer of the Year of the Republic of Tatarstan-2021 was won by a student of KIU Liana Fayzullina. We talked with Liana about what a real volunteer should be and how to become one?

What does winning mean to you?

I am glad that the government encourages volunteers, because for us it is a kind of motivation to go ahead and do more. The awarding ceremony this year was gorgeous, before the ceremony a separate exhibition of volunteer organizations, platforms with master classes were organized.

Personally, it was very exciting for me, I did not expect to win, because there were very strong competitors who have been engaged in volunteering for many years, there were also leaders of volunteer movements. Only recently I began to realize that together with the Youth of the ONF we are doing very important things: we not only help people, but also train volunteers. I understand that volunteering in the Republic of Tatarstan really needs it now.

How did you get into volunteering and what is your role?

I was actively involved in public life at school, and after I moved to Kazan to study, I immediately joined the ONF youth movement, and I am also developing the children's movement of the Council of Children's Organizations, where I myself participated when I was a child. There I am the initiator of shifts, competitions.

In the Youth of the ONF, I take part in all the actions that we hold, I am engaged in the media block. That is, I work with the press, I am responsible for all texts, videos and photo materials about the activities of the Youth of the ONF in Tatarstan.

This year I went to the emergency zone in Yakutia, where I also prepared materials for the media and social networks. I was engaged in work with the population, helped with documentation, of course, sometimes I had to work with my hands: and chop firewood and clean the burnt bark from trees. In total, 100 people and only ten girls traveled from Tatarstan.

Since June, we realized that we need to launch a training course for public rescuers. The first aid unit helps us to close the Kazan Federal University. My job is to coordinate the training work. Further, the Youth plans to develop this direction and add various educational courses, for example in psychology. It is important for us to understand which of the guys is ready to work with us after training, and if there is an emergency again, we were ready to immediately go to help.

Does such active volunteering interfere with your studies?

It doesn't hurt, because there is a lot of support from the university, for which I would like to say thank you separately! We are rewarded and our achievements are celebrated, it helps us to find the strength not only to study, but also to do important and useful things.

Among other things, volunteering helps me to be more organized, because I understand what awaits me, and in order to be in time everywhere I work several times harder. And I need to keep up, I have no other option.

What qualities should a volunteer have?

This question was asked to all participants when we were defending in the intramural stage of the competition, and I heard many versions. I believe that a volunteer as a person can be anyone, for example, a person who helped his grandmother cross the road is also a volunteer, because he voluntarily did a good deed. In general, we often work in a team, so it is important to be open, kind and sincere. It's wrong to do something for the sake of a tick. Volunteers often give themselves for the benefit of other people and face burnout, so it is important not to lose motivation and have an inner core to be able to get together at the right moment.

How do I get into the ranks of volunteers while studying at KIU?

To get into the ONF youth team, you just need to write to us on any social network, we will definitely respond, invite you to the next action and, if you like it, then you will continue working in our organization.

What advice would you give to students?

Don't miss the opportunity! My two and a half years at the university flew by like a snap of a finger, because any activity is very addictive. Do not miss a single day, and put it off until tomorrow. I mean not only volunteering, it can also be scientific activity, the main thing is to develop and not be afraid of anything, because it gives great prospects for the development and implementation of your ideas.

What are your plans for the future?

I entered the specialty "Economics of enterprises and organizations" because I really wanted to do business, there were a lot of ideas for my business. Now I think it would be interesting for me to open my own NGO, but it's too early to talk about it.