Thursday 31 January 2013

Volunteer blog: Karlijn


Follow Medical Volunteer Karlijn as she blogs throughout her time on our Medical Outreach and HIV Awareness project. Karlijn writes about what it's like to volunteer on a day to day basis, as well as her weekends off doing tours around KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. 
Karlijn's Blog

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Guestbook entry: Gaby


The following is one of the last entries in our African Impact - St Lucia Guestbook for 2012. Gaby was a two-month volunteer on our Orphan Day Care and HIV/AIDS Education project in October and November of last year. Before coming to volunteer with us, she was at another African Impact project in Cape Town! 

Read about how Gaby's visit with us, and her four months in South Africa, influenced her life...

I came to South Africa 4 months ago and they have been the most amazing months of my life. I’ve grown as a person and changed in many ways.

First of all, I know that I want to do something like this in my life; helping others. I seriously don’t know how I am going to go back to my ‘normal’ life in Mexico. How boring! 

I hope that I influenced the kids that I worked here with in a good way; even by bringing a smile to their faces every time that we were together. But I am sure that they influenced me a lot more than I did to them. 

The people that I’ve met in south Africa are the most positive, strongest people that I’ve seen. It’s truly inspiring. I hope that I never forget what I learned here. That I bring home with me even a little of that joy of life, positiveness, and dedication for the people that surround you. I hope I can keep it with me forever. 

If you come to African Impact St Lucia and are reading this, you already made one of the best decisions you can make. Here you will meet volunteers that are as passionate about helping others as you are (where else do you find that?) 

It gives me hope of a better world when I meet incredible people like the ones that I’ve met. There are so many people that want to help! 

Hopefully slowly we will make the world a little better, a little more selfless.

Thank you to all my amazing friends that I’ve met here. Believe me I am not going to forget you.

Thanks to my African Mama that was here to give me a hug everytime I needed it.

Thanks to the African Impact team. You are doing a great job and made sure my stay here was as life-changing as it was.

I hope to see all of you again. It has been an honor.
-Gaby

Back in the field for 2013


We're back on projects for 2013, and the first order of business was to clear our main garden of all its weeds. Despite the heat, volunteers managed to clear about half of the plot, and even cultivated some tomatoes and chilies to be handed out to our home based care patients later in the week.