SOUTH AFRICA

In the summer of 2012, I decided to visit the beautiful country of South Africa and do some volunteer work over there at an orphanage.

As I drove from the airport to the place I was staying at for 2 weeks; it was apparent to me the drastic difference in the amount of wealth each area had. With the cities like Durban and Johannesburg looking more developed than most western countries to the rural areas of South Africa which makes your heart yearn to do something to change the conditions some of these citizens are living in.

Visiting the Nelson Mandela museum gave me an insight into the hardships the early South Africans had to go through in order to obtain independence. In fact, I began to feel a sense of hatred towards the behaviour of humans. Money, power and respect. Is that really what living is all about?

Khaniysa Children’s Home in Mthatha. If I was rich, I would adopt every child in this wonderful orphanage! My first day there led to me walking out upset by the stories behind how each child was abandoned. What made the situation worse was the hope and sadness I could see in each child’s eyes as they longed for a loving family to whisk them away to a new home.

My experience in this wonderful country has taught me two things: Never take anything for granted and to always help those that are less fortunate than you. I probably sound like I want to be Mother Teresa or I may sound too ambitious! But I am determined to change the world, or at least the world of another human being.


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