EXPLORING TRANSITIONS
VOLUNTEERING AS A STEPPINGSTONE TO THE ADULT WORLD
Apart from the value provided to communities in need, volunteering has life-changing
benefits for the young people who do it, and it carries weight on a resume.
In a study by Volunteering ACT,
all students reported that among
other benefits, they experienced
enhanced feelings of self-worth,
growing self-efficacy; they found
direction, acquired skills and
developed empathy*.
Two teens share their experiences
Callum Firth (16 years old)
‘Last year I journeyed to Addis Ababa in
Ethiopia to visit my mum’s friend, Karen, who
had recently set up an orphanage. Our job
was to help prepare, stock, landscape and
maintain the orphanage centre and grounds.
A big eye-opener for me was when my mum
and I visited a government-run orphanage
and were shown the sleeping quarters.
Each room was crammed to three times its
capacity. The smell of the nursery hit me
like a truck as I walked in to see two or three
hard-working Ethiopian midwives caring
for twenty-five babies. My most confronting
experience was visiting the room where the
disabled orphans stayed – another room
filled past capacity, but with children who
needed even more attention than the others
did. They would rock back and forth, and the
director of the orphanage told us that this
was due to lack of stimulation.
We also visited Salam Village, which is an
orphanage with its own school, farm and shop.
The children here happily run around and
play after school, and the self-sustainability
of the community sends a positive message
from a country known mainly by the amount
of external help it needs.
If anyone is interested in helping the
orphanage, search for “Shamida Ethiopia”
on Facebook or Google.’
Amelia Dorey (15 years old)
‘My two trips to South East Asia have
changed who I am forever. Both volunteering
experiences were mission trips with Pacific
Hills Christian School.
On the first trip, we visited a school in
Singapore, where we met the students who
had been our pen pals for a number of
months. It amazed me to see the impact
that the Aussie and Singaporean students
had on each other. We all ‘clicked’, forming
connections in those few days that would
overcome the distance between our countries.
On my trip to Thailand, I learnt how to
lead people confidently by teaching a
range of English classes in a tribal Thai
school. This took me right out of my comfort
zone, and was very challenging at times,
but it was a truly great experience.
I came back from my trips with a new
outlook on life. Everything I saw and
experienced filled me with wonder and
immense thankfulness, and made me
passionate to explore, discover other cultures
and befriend people in every country that I
visit. I also gained a much stronger sense of
self, greater confidence and people skills.’
* Volunteering Victoria http://bit.l K