VOLUNTEERING REVIEW 2017
Volunteering
Many of you will have had contact with Sally at some point but one of her main jobs is to organise and co-ordinate the volunteering trips. Sally is also a trip leader visiting Memusi both in February and October this year. Here is what she had to say about this years trips and her own experiences:
“So yet again it has been another outstanding year of volunteer trips with 6 groups in total…and not one complaint!
Memusi provides all the pupils at Memusi Schools with the essential items they need in order to receive a quality education. However for the past 4 years now they have received further enrichment of knowledge and experiences through our volunteering programme. This year our volunteers have continued to bring the world to the pupils. Here are just a few, and i stress just a few, of the highlights from trips in 2017:
- 3 medical camps delivered
- Self Defence classes for adolescent girls,
- New mural painted for the early years block
- Arts & crafts galore!
- Games and sports galore!
- Lessons about the UK
- Science lessons.
- Water filters and life straws delivered
- Solar IT classroom.
- Donations & Food Bank
I can not list everything the volunteers have done this year to make a difference at Memusi as it would take me forever! But i can say that their generosity, compassion and enthusiasm blows me away. They continually give without any expectations….and this is how they make a difference!
And the response from our volunteers after the trips is always the same…they come away with so much more than what they came with including new found friendships, love, value, compassion, respect and perspective.
On my very first visit to Memusi I have never experienced so much emotion in one week. I came home from the trip with a lot on my mind. I was inspired by everyone; the pupils, the teachers, Simantoi and especially Matthew. I had made so many new friends, I had felt so much love and I came home with the promise to value everybody & everything. I can easily put trivial things into perspective with just one thought of Memusi and the community there. I never complain about the rain anymore and I try my best to teach the boys to value everything they have…their education, their home and their family. I always felt I had compassion for the world we live in but now I am eager to show it in more ways.
A lot of hard work goes into the volunteering trips behind the scenes by our trip leaders, trustees and our friends & support in Kenya but it is so worth it. I love organising the volunteering trips knowing what happiness and excitement it will bring to both volunteers and the 360 Memusi school pupils.
I have just booked my flight for my sixth trip to Memusi in February and I can’t wait. The welcome you receive at school does not get tiring, the love never fades and the smiles, I swear, get bigger!
I will leave you all with one of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite authors, “Oh the wonderful way you’ll feel, you hear? If you just go out and volunteer” - Dr Seuss. Here, here!”
