Most of my friends were traveling the world during their summer vacation，but I wanted to do something worthwhile； I wanted to volunteer，but where and how？At the age of 20，I would say I'd had a happy childhood．My parents had given me plenty of love and affection．So，after reading about the favelas，the slums （贫民窟） of Brazil，where thousands of street children live in extremely poverty （贫穷），I decided that I'd spend part of my summer helping these children in whatever way I could．

I set off for Rio de Janeiro （里约热内卢） where I would join a volunteer group．We were going to teach basic skills such as English and business in a makeshift （临时的） school in favelas．The slums lie on the hillsides around and away from the wealthier downtown （市中心） area，which have about one fifth of the population of Rio de Janeiro．The poverty leads to many broken homes，and if their families can't look after them anymore，children end up （流落） on the streets．

I'd never taught before，I only knew a few words of Portuguese and I just didn't know what to expect．The ten children who turned up to my first English lesson were really friendly and willing to learn．They only got one meal a day and at night they slept under bridges and in doorways，but these children saw learning English as a possible way out of their lives of danger and poverty．Though there wasn't a schedule or textbooks，the kids trusted me and some of them made a lot of progress．During break times，we headed out into the tiny yard to kick a ball around．Then we cooked and ate together，but at the end of the day when they left to go back…where？…I often wondered whether I would ever see them again．

It was the school that made my time in Brazil truly special．Even though I was the teacher，the street children taught me a lot more．I learned that no matter how bad conditions are，there is always hope for the future．If I hadn't gone，I would have missed out on the experience of a lifetime．If I could do it again，I'd jump on a pla