For National Volunteering Week, we’ve asked our volunteers why they go to far away places to help people they don’t know and what it is that makes them come back for more. These stories may inspire you to get started in volunteering.
Here are some of the answers they gave us as to why volunteering benefits their lives (and many others).
If you’re looking to get started in volunteering, have a look at our:
Laura: Get your hands dirty
For my first trip I wanted to volunteer in Africa and went to Mozambique. The country will always have a place in my heart because it was my first experience of ‘poverty’ and a real eye-opener for me.
This exposure to poverty and the housing issue these families face really helped me understand the importance of the work we are doing and is why I have continued to take part in builds. Every dedication ceremony (when the house is handed over to the family by the team) is a special memory too, each for their own reasons.
Volunteering has changed my life – it gave me the opportunity to get my hands dirty, do something really practical and make a difference. On each adventure I have worked with incredible people:
- Homeowners
- Volunteers
- Tradesmen
- and the local community – making lifelong friends along the way.
Habitat for Humanity continues to inspire me with their vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, I believe this should be a basic human right.
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Ailsa: People matter, whomever and wherever they are.
Our house building team of volunteers are finishing our last day and were getting ready to hold the key ceremony for the home owner. After trying unsuccessfully to get us to sing a local song, Nandi gathers the local children and they all started singing the South African National Anthem for us.
I still get goose bumps when I hear that today. Unforgettable moment!
I love volunteering abroad because with Habitat for Humanity it is about healing rifts and bringing communities together, not just raising money. It’s not just about the physical work, it’s about leaving the message behind that you’re cared for and you matter, whomever you are, wherever you are.
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