Sometimes, the cure for unhappiness isn’t to do something for yourself, but to do something good for others. If you’ve been a bit down and you’d like to make yourself just a little happier, why not try this: volunteer in Africa!
Sometimes, we need to look away from ourselves and realize that giving back to the larger community will not only make them a lot happier, but will also give us an undeniable sense of accomplishment. In this way, we can help a family keep their home, put food on the table, and have clean water to mention a few: small things that we too often take for granted.
Volunteering is generally an act of kindness. Therefore, there is little to no promise of payment for services rendered. It is also a great way for college students and job seekers to make their résumés and CVs look even more impressive as it demonstrates initiative, leadership and selflessness.These are characteristics potential employers admire.
With that said, deciding where to volunteer can be daunting. With so many volunteering opportunities, it is easy to fall into the trap that you must have a specific place in mind. However, you mustn’t know exactly where you want to volunteer. You can think of volunteering in Africa as a chance to give back while exploring a continent of endless unknown treasures. A great question to begin with is: “Where would I like to travel to within Africa?” It is easier to take the next step from there. So, say you have always wanted to visit Ghana: You have heard wonderful things about the country and you’ve been dying to visit. By choosing to volunteer there, you get a chance to work and also visit the slave castles in Elimina and Cape Coast.
One organization that gives its volunteers a chance to give back and have valuable cultural exchange and cross-cultural exposure is “Volunteer in Africa.” According to its website, “it is dedicated to disseminating information on volunteer work and volunteer tour programs in Africa.” Within this program there are smaller programs dedicated to the social, educational, health care, media, journalism, legal, and religious sectors.
So, I welcome you to join in the adventures of traveling to Africa and volunteering your time by giving back to people who so desperately need help, and you will be giving yourself an absolutely priceless gift. For more information about the organization, “Volunteer in Africa” visit www.volunteeringinafrica.org.
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