Katie, a final year Sociology and French student, gives us the low down on her month long placement in South Africa last summer.
What organisation did you volunteer with?
Tearfund, a Christian organisation in the UK who partner with other organisations in the various countries. I chose Tearfund because I agree with their ethos of sustainable development. There aim is to help, teach and encourage the local people to make a difference in their own communities, which I believe is the only way poverty can be tackled effectively.
Where did you go?
A township called Mpophomeni outside of Durban in South Africa.
How long did you stay?
One month.
Accommodation?
We stayed with host families in the township. It was a real eye opener into the lives of the local people. They were so welcoming and amazing cooks. It was great to be living and working in the same place; it really helped us to build strong relationships with the people we met.
How much did it set you back?
About £2,000.
How many charity walks/bakes did you do?
I did a bake sale after church one Sunday, and a barbeque for my friends and my parents’ friends; I also put a few hundred pounds of my own money towards my flights.
What did you actually do on a day-to-day basis?
The organisation we worked with is called Ethembeni, meaning ‘place of hope’ in Zulu. They work with the local community in the township, through a health centre where they care for patients with HIV/AIDS and TB. They also run a family centre where we spent most of our time. The centre is a place where disadvantaged kids in the township can come for an extra meal or some extra tuition. As well as giving them the opportunity to play games and just be kids for a few hours!
Do you feel that you made a difference?
Despite Ethembeni being a very well run organisation we knew we weren’t there to change lives, but we hoped to make some kind of difference. As our last week came closer, we began to realise we were having more of an impact than we had thought. I can say for certain that the people we met made more of a difference in our lives than we made in theirs. We learned that change is made through relationships that are built with people over time. Our expectations were that we would work hard every day and leave after a month feeling great about ourselves and all we had done, but in reality we left with a sense of gratitude for the experience we had been given, and with our eyes opened to a new culture and way of life.
For more info go to: www.tearfund.org