The Treasure of the Heart: The Wealth of Volunteering
By Emelli Laleska, Development Volunteer team April 2024
You have certainly heard about volunteering or even had the opportunity to experience it. But if you haven't yet, allow me to share a bit of my experience. More than just donating time and effort, for me, volunteering is an experience that nourishes the soul, fills the heart, and sparks deep reflections. By the end of this text, I hope to inspire you to embark on this transformative journey as well.
I came to give my help – but received much more…
I believe that most people who engage in volunteering seek to contribute to the development of a community, a group, or society. However, what may not be immediately apparent is that this experience gives back much more than we offer. The impact we create is undeniable, but the impact we receive is immeasurable.
I volunteered for six months with DAPP Malawi after spending three months studying and preparing at CICD. Before embarking on this journey, we received a description of the work we chose to do. My choice was to work as a Preschool Supervisor, collaborating with communities and helping children in their early literacy stages. But no matter how much we read and prepare, reality always touches us differently.
After six months of volunteering in Malawi, working in the communities of Dowa and the Dzaleka refugee camp, I reflected deeply on the exchange I experienced there. Was my contribution as significant as everything I learned? At first, it seemed unfair to compare. I returned home with a suitcase full of lessons, stories, and personal transformation. Had I managed to give back at least a third of what I received?
I cannot answer that question. Perhaps those who felt the impact of my actions are best suited to do so. But this experience provided me with an invaluable treasure.
The importance of “small“ daily things
Observing and valuing small things is a habit I have learned to practice more. In everyday life, we often don't stop to reflect, for example, on how easy it is to have drinking water always within reach. Turning on a tap and filling a glass with water is something routine, yet in other realities, water to quench thirst must be fetched from miles away, most often by women or children. Experiencing this reality strengthens our awareness of the resources we have access to and the conveniences of daily life.
Facing hunger and seeing it materialized in small faces and tiny bodies becomes even more unsettling when we cannot offer a definitive solution to this problem. It is something that, unfortunately, exists in many parts of the world but should never be normalized. One of the many difficult situations I experienced was seeing a child kneel at my feet and beg for food. It was an image that hurt deeply and one I will never forget.
Hunger is not solved with just a plate of food, we need to think about and implement alternatives that ensure these children have access to nutritious and quality meals every day.
One of the most striking moments during my volunteering experience was witnessing two realities crossing paths. On a road, a fork separated two groups of children: on one side, those living in the Dzaleka refugee camp; on the other, the children of teachers from the school where I was staying. They were of similar ages, but those from the refugee camp bore visible marks of suffering. I could see the weight of hunger on their shoulders, their lack of access to basic needs, and their sense of not belonging to that place. The world is unequal, and we know that, but I believe we can be agents of change to make this reality a little fairer.
A community sticking together
But not everything was learned through pain. I also learned about happiness in simplicity when I introduced a game to the schoolchildren. It wasn’t the game that made them laugh, it was the interaction. The empathy shown when many volunteered to help with tasks that were second nature to them, like helping me carry water from the pump to our accommodation or lighting a fire when we had to cook without electricity.
The patience in teaching us their language and culture.
The collective celebration when the rain fell, bringing hope to their crops.
The community working together to ensure children had access to education.
The strong sense of togetherness as everyone communicated and took responsibility for their community.
And the great lesson of generosity from those who have little but share with full hearts.
Volunteering taught me that helping is not just about giving, it is also about receiving. Receiving new perspectives, new lessons, and a deeper understanding of humanity and ourselves.
I could tell you to seize this opportunity if it ever comes your way. But in reality, what I wish for you is to create this opportunity, to decide to live it.
The ideal moment will never arrive, but in the end, you will realize that you chose the perfect moment. Allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone and dive into an experience that will transform not only the lives of those you support but also your own. Perhaps you won’t change the world, but without a doubt, the world inside you will never be the same.
