When I arrived at my new site as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I was filled with excitement, ready to contribute, and eager to work hand-in-hand with the community. But I quickly came face-to-face with a wall I had not anticipated—deep mistrust. This was a place that had never known CorpsAfrica. The people had been let down too many times before by organizations that came in with big promises, only to leave disappointment behind. Some lost money through contributions. Others gave time, energy, and trust—only to watch projects vanish without explanation. So, when I introduced myself and mentioned CorpsAfrica, I was met with cold stares and cautious smiles. To them, I was just another stranger with familiar sounding words. Many people did not show up when I called for meetings. A few boldly told me that unless I swore on the Bible that I was not lying to them, they would not believe a word I said. I realized then that this was not just about introducing a project; it was about rebuilding something far more delicate -“hope”.
So I chose a different path. I stopped trying to convince people with words. Instead, I focused on action. We started with small, visible projects. At Chakaka Primary School, we organized training sessions on how to make reusable sanitary pads for adolescent girls. It was not just a health or education initiative—it was a statement. It said, “We are here. We care. We are doing this together. Next came the tree nursery. With minimal resources, we used what we had—locally available materials, community hands, and shared knowledge. Slowly, people began to take notice. They saw things happening. They saw consistency. They saw seedlings growing not just in the nursery, but in their trust. It was then that I facilitated a participatory needs assessment, and together with those who had begun to believe, we identified the Goat Pass-on Project as our primary initiative. But even then, some community members stayed back, unconvinced. They did not want to risk believing again but chose not to be part of the process.
News broke that our Goat Pass-on Project had been accepted and would be supported. The energy in the community shifted. Those who once doubted began to ask if they could now join. Some even started knocking at my door as early as 6 a.m., eager to be part of something they had once dismissed. People I barely knew began greeting me warmly in the market square. Others approached me with hopeful faces, saying, “Alangizi, mutigaileko mbuzi” meaning volunteer, include us in the goat pass-on project. It became a common phrase I’d hear almost everywhere I went. Some even went as far as speaking negatively about their fellow community members, trying to get them removed from the list just so they could take their place.
It was a mix of emotions—some heartwarming, others challenging but at its core, it showed one thing: people believed again. From being seen as “one of them” just another person with empty promises—I had become our volunteer. Not because of what I said, but because of what we did together. That was the breakthrough. Not just the acceptance of a project, but the restoration of faith.
Being a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in a new site means more than just implementing projects—it means earning trust where it’s been broken, showing up even when no one else does, and believing in people until they begin to believe in you. This journey has just begun, but already, it’s been worth every step.
