Volunteering in Tanzania provided me with so many opportunities and experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. During my time in Africa, I participated in various projects with the help of the other teams at GoMad, such as building twelve water tanks that provided the first clean water for many people, building five goat sheds and working with a village to enlarge a dam providing one million litres of water. In addition to the projects that we carried out, I also had the experience to help in a local school, carrying out activities in the kids’ club and in the leprosy village.
There were some hard moments whilst I was volunteering; in particular, seeing some of the living conditions and the poor state of health that some of the locals have to suffer daily, but being able to help them and provide everyone with the attention and care that they need gave me a great sense of satisfaction. The whole experience of volunteer work provided me with a renewed sense of motivation and vision that I have carried over to my everyday life. It also gave me a sense of purpose and a different outlook on life as it opened my eyes to see some of the challenges that less fortunate people have to face.
Volunteering brought a deep appreciation of all that I have in life and helping those in need was a firm reminder of what really matters – family, friends and health. It made me see my life in a different light, taking notice of the small things or moments that brought the locals joy, such as the sports sets that we gave to them and even the bubbles. In addition, it was incredible to hear and see the experiences of their daily lives firsthand.
Maya Newell Year 13
