Did I survive? This is the question I ask myself every day.
Do you recall the excitement of finally being accepted into your dream role? Yes, that one! The feeling of meeting new people, seeing new faces, learning new ideas, and building new connections.
I experienced all of that during my 5 weeks of training with CorpsAfrica. It has always been my dream. Witnessing the impact volunteers have in communities made me eager to embark on my own journey.
Then the day of deployment came, and reality hit. I suddenly realized I was far from everything familiar. The excitement mixed with fear, expectations, and a sharp dose of reality. I felt alone. This wasn’t what I had imagined, or at least that’s what I told myself.
But after a day or two, the community introduced me to what they call a family connected not by blood, but by bond. That’s when I realized I wasn’t alone. I just had to learn, adapt, and accept that I now had a new home.
Someone once told me, “CorpsAfrica service is not for the faint-hearted,” and I finally understood what they meant. But it’s really all about adaptability. As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
So far, it has been a great journey from shaking and biting my tongue the first time I stood in front of the community to introduce myself and not knowing how to pronounce the simplest Tumbuka words to working on real issues affecting people, and gaining confidence through every “Mulimakola alangizi” and their support.
The journey has just begun, and I look forward to all the lessons it will bring. One thing I’ve learned is that CorpsAfrica’s service isn’t just about facilitating community-led development; it has also helped me grow personally through the ideas of the community, the challenges I’ve come across, and the great moments that come out of it.
As a volunteer, it’s important to live not only for the community but also for yourself. At the end of the day, it’s the feeling of fulfillment through each challenge and success that truly matters.
The question is, did I survive?
This is only the beginning of my journey serving in Engucwini, which is at the heart of Northern Mzimba.
