Volunteer Voices

Explore stories of service, connection, and transformation directly from CorpsAfrica Volunteers across the continent.

Featured Volunteer Voices

Filter By Country:

Driving Change From Within: The Journey of Community-Led Development

Introduction Did you know that in many communities across the globe, unemployment rates soar above 20%, leaving countless families struggling to make ends meet? Yet, amidst these challenges lies untapped potential, waiting to be harnessed...

Read More →

Five Months On, A Reflection of My Journey as a Volunteer Teacher

As I sit down to reflect on my journey as a Volunteer teacher with my community school kids, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and pride. Teaching isn’t just a profession; it’s...

Read More →

Joining Hearts, Building Bridges: My Integration Adventure as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer

It all started when I arrived in the vibrant community of Nakaseeta A and B in Lyantonde District, Uganda. From day one, I was greeted with warmth and open arms by the locals, and that’s...

Read More →

Give a Man a Fish and You Feed Him for a Day: Teach a Man to Fish and You Feed Him for a Lifetime

In the heart of Ndune village, Mbondoni, amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, Tabitha Nyokabi found herself at a crossroads. Struggling to make ends meet, she was determined to find a way to...

Read More →

Bringing Our Community Together: Working As One For Change

In our busy lives, it’s easy to feel distant from our neighbors and the community we live in. However, some great things can happen that may bring us closer and make our communities stronger. One...

Read More →

Transformation Required

“Wow, how time flies, the integration period is over? Working outside of my comfort zone has been fascinating”. Over the past two months, I have been working with my community members to carry out integration...

Read More →

Plan Today to Plan Tomorrow

“Failure to plan is planning to fail” It is a cliche phrase to utter but it carries a lot within it. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I have learned so much about planning as a skill...

Read More →

The Youth Are The Future

Last year, I was lucky enough to start working with a youth group from a nearby village. I say lucky because interacting with them has been an amazing experience because they have taught me so...

Read More →

From Being a Visitor to Becoming One of Them

During my first month in the community, I was scared as I knew nobody. However, within five months, I became the most confident person and got to know many people. I participated in many activities...

Read More →

Les Échos du Fleuve

Ibrahima Diop, volontaire de CORPSAFRICA/Sénégal, est affecté à Thiasky, une communauté au cœur de Dandé Mayo à Matam. Dandé Mayo, une localité profondément imprégnée par les eaux du fleuve Sénégal-Mauritanien, est le berceau ancestral des...

Read More →

Relationship Building With My Community: A Requisite for Development

I couldn’t be more proud of myself that it has already been three months down the line serving my community in Majariro/Karonga as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. I can attest that such a milestone indicates my...

Read More →

Integrating with An Open Mind

Being open-minded involves being receptive to a wide variety of ideas, and information, critical thinking, and asking questions. It also involves embracing other people’s beliefs and ideas to learn and grow personally. Integration in communities...

Read More →

Embracing Community: A Journey of Connection and Growth

Throughout my service, one important element has continually shaped my experience as a Volunteer in my community: the sense of togetherness of the community. In reflecting on my journey, I am struck by the bonds...

Read More →

My Journey Is Not Yet Over

My journey is not yet over but I have much to share. Stepping into an under-resourced community, I was met with challenges that seemed insurmountable. Yet, through the lens of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Asset-Based...

Read More →

The Backbone of Progress: Women Driving Community-Led Development Through Active Participation

In the heart of my community, where development faces unique challenges, lies a source of unwavering commitment and determination: “Women”. Their active involvement in community meetings concerning the development of Hamunyepo village serves as the...

Read More →

Lighting the World

Imagine a mother lifting lit firewood for her child to do homework, children staying in total darkness for hours at night till they develop eye conditions, families earning 5 dollars a week through casual labor...

Read More →

Silver Lining

If someone had told me that I would become a school teacher at some point in my life, I would have never believed them, no matter how many alternate realities there may be ( Spiderman’s...

Read More →

I Can Because We Can

In CorpsAfrica’s effort to ensure empowerment in people, both the African youths and the under-sourced communities in Africa have majorly benefitted; the youths through gaining tremendous knowledge, exposure, and getting a chance to impact African...

Read More →

Guiding Stars

As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, mentoring youth has become important to me. I’ve learned that knowing, loving, and protecting every child is so important. Working closely with the young members of our society has not only...

Read More →

Understanding Community Contribution In A Project

As we are actively engaging the community to come up with the desired project, this has given me an avenue to understand and embrace the importance of community participation in a project. Apart from the...

Read More →

Un Voyage Vers l’Inconnu : Les Larmes de la Découverte

Dans le silence accablant de ma première nuit à Sass Mack, un village sérère inconnu, j’ai ressenti l’écho de l’incertitude et de la peur résonner dans chaque recoin sombre. Tout était nouveau et étrange, et...

Read More →

Une Semaine d’Immersion : Mon Aventure de Volontariat à Corpsafrica/Sénégal dans le village de Wassataké

Après une semaine d’immersion dans le cadre de mon service volontaire à CorpsAfrica Sénégal, je ressens le besoin de partager mon incroyable aventure dans le paisible village de Wassataké, niché au cœur des îles Amorophiles...

Read More →

Give Yourself Grace, You Are Doing A Great Job

This is my fourth month of volunteering in my community. A community that has been gracious to me, allowing me to pursue what I love. This at times however falls short when covering up the...

Read More →

From Strangers to Family

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life,” (Richard Bach). When I first landed in Balaka, my CorpsAfrica site, living with strangers...

Read More →

For the People, By the People: Re-Thinking Development and Growth Theories for Africa

The concept of development is an essentially contested one admitting to a variety of incommensurable competing interpretations. Arguably, development is not only difficult to define but also in terms of measurement. As much as development...

Read More →

Embracing Change: My Journey as a CorpsAfrica Female Volunteer in Mulanje

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Tiyamike Makuluni As a young girl from Lilongwe my hometown and who just graduated from college, joining CorpsAfrica Malawi marked not just my initiation into the workforce but a profound...

Read More →

People and Patience: Tales of a CorpsAfrica Volunteer

It has been four months since I started my volunteering journey with CorpsAfrica. The first thought I had in my mind was that I might not make it. But the people have the power to...

Read More →

LESSONS OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY

Perseverance, patience, and resilience have surely been learned and exercised. An entire three months have gone by since I became a northerner. Fully immersed in the culture, traditions, and language of this new site, I...

Read More →

Chasing Progress: A Narrative of Malawian Rural Volunteerism

Volunteering has given me a platform of expression where my deepest desire dwells, being a development enthusiast and finding the opportunity to understand community development issues at the grassroots level has propelled me to even...

Read More →

A Parallel Journey: Pedaling Through Personal and Collective Growth

As I navigate the ups and downs of mastering bicycle riding, I ponder whether introducing concepts like Community-Led Development, Human-Centered Design (HCD), and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) might pose similar challenges for the community. Just...

Read More →

The Beauty of Integration

Filled with anxiety, fear, and nervousness, a new chapter had begun in my life, September 23, 2023, to be exact. A life away from home and family, and this is someone who has never been...

Read More →

EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN: Reusable Sanitary Pad Making Training

In my community like many other communities in Malawi, access to safe and sustainable menstrual hygiene products is still a challenge that is constantly faced. As a way of eradicating this particular challenge, I trained...

Read More →

Embracing the Unknown: My Journey as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in Mchinji, Malawi

In the heart of Mchinji, Malawi, where the regularity of life is guided by tradition, I embarked on a transformative journey as the first CorpsAfrica Volunteer in this rural community. Leaving the comforts of home...

Read More →

Unspoken Challenge During Project Identification

During my IST-1 training, while conducting presentations on community project ideas, I realized that an often-unspoken challenge for some community developers in the project identification phase is distinguishing projects that genuinely serve the greater good...

Read More →

Reminisce

Sometimes I like to curl up in my comfortable position and scroll through the videos and photographs, moments captured while spending time with my fellow volunteers. A smile escapes my lips unknowingly, and a deep...

Read More →

Bahari ya maendeleo

CorpsAfrica imekua kufikia maeneo mengi ya vijijini. Sio tu kwa njia za kuleta maendeleo bali hata kwa njia wanazotumia ili maendeleo haya yakubalike vijijini. Kuwashirikisha wanakijiji kumekuwa chanzo cha wao kukubalika kwani kumewafanya wanakijiji hao...

Read More →