I'm a bit believer that we're put on this earth to make a difference and that what you get out of life is simply a result of what you put into it. As such I've been associated with a myriad of charities since as long as I remember.
Indifference annoys me ... if I see that there's a problem or something going on that upsets me I want to find out more and do something about it rather than just ignore it or moan about it. There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair. The fact that we live in a life of gluttony, excess and abundance when some people have nothing at all is the most unfair.
I have few regrets, but one of them is not saving up to take a gap year before/after uni and going to do some volunteer work and travelling. I was skint at the time and decided I needed to go straight to work and that I could do a gap year further down the line. At the time it was the right decision but then I got a job I like and a mortgage and going away for that amount of time became close on impossible (unless there's a lottery win in the near future!). The good thing is that I've prioritised travelling and volunteering so any money that's left over after house payments, bills, eating out and parties goes on some pretty amazing trips. I've taken 28 flights this year and had some amazing experiences so can't really complain at all :)
Sooo back to list item #12 ...
I've been an ActionAid supporter for some time. I sponsor an awesome little girl in Uganda and support some of their other projects too. When you support ActionAid you get sent newsletters and magazines from time to time. It was there that I spotted an opportunity for a First Hand Experience ... they were looking for volunteers to go an build a school in Kenya and experience some of their work in the country first hand. Despite my families reservations and conviction that I would definitely die out there I signed up and started fundraising. You have to raise a minimum of £3000 per person before you go. My friend heard I was going and decided to sign up shortly after so that soon became a £6000 fundraising goal for an 8 month deadline. It was tough. Here's the part where I thank my awesome friends, families and community for attending the numerous pub quizzes, food festivals, charity gigs and raffles that we held to raise the money but we did it. This part and the millions (ok I exaggerate - maybe about 12) of injections that we needed to have was the fairly painful - but we knew it would be worth it.
So flights were booked, equipment was purchased, kit lists were made, visas were obtained ... and then ... a bout of terrorism strikes Kenya the week before we were due to leave. Literally days before our departure date there were shootings and kidnappings on the Kenyan coast, followed by a few suicide bombs, and the country was on high alert. As nervous travellers we were awaiting the results of an ActionAid risk assessment which initially said we were ok to go (sending my family members into a panic) and then as things escalated said the trip was cancelled. Gutted!!! All that planning and excitement for nothing (though timing wise the trip being cancelled was a bit of a God send as I had alot going on in my personal life at the time).
ActionAid offered us a refund or a transfer onto a similar project in Nepal a year later. So we waited a year and off we went! It was my first time in Asia so I was really excited as we met the other volunteers at Heathrow airport. 23 of us in total of different ages (ranging from 25 to 82!) and different backgrounds. After a long trip to Nepal (Gib-London-Delhi-Kathmandu) we arrived in the very dusty capital for some sightseeing and food and the next day we took a Buddha Airways flight to Nepalgunj and a three hour incredibly bumpy bus ride (so bumpy that on the return journey someone hit their head on the roof of the bus and required medical attention) we arrived at Dang to work on our project. We were helping Kamaiya people (people who were born into bonded labour and forced to work in slave conditions for landlords to pay their families debts) to build houses in a small village - 25 houses in all. After a crash course in cement mixing, foundation laying and brick work we were good to go, working alongside local masons and communicating in our limited Nepalese, their limited English and a whole lot of pointing. By the end of our time there we managed to sort the foundations and damp proof course on all the houses :) ... A real acheivement saving the community months of work.
The 10 day trip was brilliant!! The work was hard, as carrying sacks of rocks and mixing cement in that heat does take its toll but I've never met such grateful and welcoming people as the villagers there. These people literally have nothing - 10 of them sleep in a room smaller than my living room, they rely on two wells for cleaning, eating and showering, there is no infrastructure. Yet they greeted us with chains of marigolds, laid carpets down for us and fed us nuts, bahjis, rice wine, cakes or whatever they could afford. It was brilliant and so so humbling. Little kids would run after us gesticulating for us to take photos and show them on our digital cameras as they had never had their photo taken or had access to a mirror - they got so excited when I said I'd post their photos over. We had the chance to visit some other village projects and a school and these kids, who have no idea what the iPad generation, is would spend hours entertained with a simple song, blowing some bubbles, or a made up game with a pile of rocks. Give a kid a pencil at home and they'd throw it in your face but there you became their friend for life. It was emotional leaving camp but I'll definitely be doing another community project or build again ... maybe in Uganda where my sponsored child lives as I still feel like I missed out on the opportunity to go to Africa!
Difficulty - 8/10 (fundraising that amount of money is hard and the work was quite physical)
Thrill factor - 6/10 (Nepal is an amazing country and trying not to get runover in the street is a bit of an adventure)
Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 10/10 (most rewarding thing I've ever done)
Recommend to a friend - 10/10 (it really puts things into perspective)
Indifference annoys me ... if I see that there's a problem or something going on that upsets me I want to find out more and do something about it rather than just ignore it or moan about it. There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair. The fact that we live in a life of gluttony, excess and abundance when some people have nothing at all is the most unfair.
I have few regrets, but one of them is not saving up to take a gap year before/after uni and going to do some volunteer work and travelling. I was skint at the time and decided I needed to go straight to work and that I could do a gap year further down the line. At the time it was the right decision but then I got a job I like and a mortgage and going away for that amount of time became close on impossible (unless there's a lottery win in the near future!). The good thing is that I've prioritised travelling and volunteering so any money that's left over after house payments, bills, eating out and parties goes on some pretty amazing trips. I've taken 28 flights this year and had some amazing experiences so can't really complain at all :)
Sooo back to list item #12 ...
I've been an ActionAid supporter for some time. I sponsor an awesome little girl in Uganda and support some of their other projects too. When you support ActionAid you get sent newsletters and magazines from time to time. It was there that I spotted an opportunity for a First Hand Experience ... they were looking for volunteers to go an build a school in Kenya and experience some of their work in the country first hand. Despite my families reservations and conviction that I would definitely die out there I signed up and started fundraising. You have to raise a minimum of £3000 per person before you go. My friend heard I was going and decided to sign up shortly after so that soon became a £6000 fundraising goal for an 8 month deadline. It was tough. Here's the part where I thank my awesome friends, families and community for attending the numerous pub quizzes, food festivals, charity gigs and raffles that we held to raise the money but we did it. This part and the millions (ok I exaggerate - maybe about 12) of injections that we needed to have was the fairly painful - but we knew it would be worth it.
So flights were booked, equipment was purchased, kit lists were made, visas were obtained ... and then ... a bout of terrorism strikes Kenya the week before we were due to leave. Literally days before our departure date there were shootings and kidnappings on the Kenyan coast, followed by a few suicide bombs, and the country was on high alert. As nervous travellers we were awaiting the results of an ActionAid risk assessment which initially said we were ok to go (sending my family members into a panic) and then as things escalated said the trip was cancelled. Gutted!!! All that planning and excitement for nothing (though timing wise the trip being cancelled was a bit of a God send as I had alot going on in my personal life at the time).
ActionAid offered us a refund or a transfer onto a similar project in Nepal a year later. So we waited a year and off we went! It was my first time in Asia so I was really excited as we met the other volunteers at Heathrow airport. 23 of us in total of different ages (ranging from 25 to 82!) and different backgrounds. After a long trip to Nepal (Gib-London-Delhi-Kathmandu) we arrived in the very dusty capital for some sightseeing and food and the next day we took a Buddha Airways flight to Nepalgunj and a three hour incredibly bumpy bus ride (so bumpy that on the return journey someone hit their head on the roof of the bus and required medical attention) we arrived at Dang to work on our project. We were helping Kamaiya people (people who were born into bonded labour and forced to work in slave conditions for landlords to pay their families debts) to build houses in a small village - 25 houses in all. After a crash course in cement mixing, foundation laying and brick work we were good to go, working alongside local masons and communicating in our limited Nepalese, their limited English and a whole lot of pointing. By the end of our time there we managed to sort the foundations and damp proof course on all the houses :) ... A real acheivement saving the community months of work.
The 10 day trip was brilliant!! The work was hard, as carrying sacks of rocks and mixing cement in that heat does take its toll but I've never met such grateful and welcoming people as the villagers there. These people literally have nothing - 10 of them sleep in a room smaller than my living room, they rely on two wells for cleaning, eating and showering, there is no infrastructure. Yet they greeted us with chains of marigolds, laid carpets down for us and fed us nuts, bahjis, rice wine, cakes or whatever they could afford. It was brilliant and so so humbling. Little kids would run after us gesticulating for us to take photos and show them on our digital cameras as they had never had their photo taken or had access to a mirror - they got so excited when I said I'd post their photos over. We had the chance to visit some other village projects and a school and these kids, who have no idea what the iPad generation, is would spend hours entertained with a simple song, blowing some bubbles, or a made up game with a pile of rocks. Give a kid a pencil at home and they'd throw it in your face but there you became their friend for life. It was emotional leaving camp but I'll definitely be doing another community project or build again ... maybe in Uganda where my sponsored child lives as I still feel like I missed out on the opportunity to go to Africa!
#12 - ACHEIVED
Difficulty - 8/10 (fundraising that amount of money is hard and the work was quite physical)
Thrill factor - 6/10 (Nepal is an amazing country and trying not to get runover in the street is a bit of an adventure)
Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 10/10 (most rewarding thing I've ever done)
Recommend to a friend - 10/10 (it really puts things into perspective)
