“I help popularize topics that deserve greater attention”
Portraits of volunteers #3
Since 2018, twelve volunteers have taken on the specific mission of translating TRIAL International’s website news. To thank them for their invaluable commitment, the “Portraits of volunteers” series gives them the floor. In this portrait, we introduce Stefanie Ujma, a freelance consultant from Lyon (France).
“I have been a volunteer translator for TRIAL since 2014. A teacher at the University of Edinburgh sent me the volunteering offer, which is how I first heard of the NGO for the first time. Since I started volunteering, I have learnt a lot about international geopolitical contexts, legal proceedings and international organizations.
Although it may not be immediately apparent, my academic background does have a common thread: human interactions. After graduating in international business, I studied foreign languages and specialized in translating and interpreting. I then went on to complete a Master’s degree in intercultural management and international communications. Now I offer freelance consultancy in project management for companies.”
Making information engaging and understandable
“My background makes me very conscious of how access to information can contribute to TRIAL’s mission and to international justice. I help by popularizing topics that deserve greater attention in the media. Making information accessible, engaging and understandable is paramount in my opinion.
Volunteering has also improved my general knowledge and taught me to think more critically about the way I keep myself informed. I have broadened my interests, sharpened my critical thinking and gained a better understanding of politics.”
“A welcome complement to my professional activity”
“Moreover, volunteering is a way of keeping my language skills up to scratch. Since I started, I have improved my translation techniques and acquired new vocabulary in French and English.
As soon as I receive a translation assignment, I check my professional and personal calendars. I always secure two time slots, usually in the evening or during the week-end, so I am sure to meet the deadline. It’s not a constraint but a pleasure, because I enjoy doing it!
Translating is a time-consuming activity that requires concentration. In my busy daily life, I value its positive effects; it forces me to sit down and temporarily disconnect from everything else. It is a welcome complement to my professional activity.”
Read the interview of Emma Bradding
Read the interview of Aleksandra Chlon
