Two mice suddenly ran across my bed and climbed onto me. I screamed, jumped up, and ran outside shouting. That was the night I realized that volunteering would test me in ways I never expected. I was staying in a dilapidated house in my community, far from the safe and private home I was used to. Every night felt exposed, unfamiliar, and overwhelming.

I was hosted in a house that was uncomfortable in ways I had never experienced before. Nights were the hardest. I could barely sleep. I was used to living in a safe home where privacy was guaranteed and the inside was protected from the outside world. Here it was the opposite. My room felt vulnerable and unfamiliar. Every sound made me jump. It was awkward, unsettling, and sometimes it just felt impossible.

As I lay in bed trying to sleep two mice suddenly rushed across the room and climbed onto me. I panicked. I jumped up ran outside shouting and started banging on the door. My host family rushed after me worried. When I explained what had happened they burst out laughing.

At first I felt embarrassed. But that moment became something unexpected. It brought us closer. What began as fear transformed into shared laughter. Slowly I began to feel less like a stranger and more like part of the family.

The challenges did not stop there.

One day I heard that a huge snake had been found in a water barrel in a nearby house just behind mine. That thought stayed with me. That night fear returned with a new intensity.

I stuffed every hole I could find with old clothes and stones a habit I had started. But it did not feel like enough. My mind would not stop racing. What if something still got inside?

Then two cats burst into the room through the front entrance making loud strange noises. My heart raced. Sleep was impossible. I stayed awake the entire night listening to every sound tense and exhausted.

That night I reached my breaking point.

In that tired fearful moment I realized something had to change. My first instinct had been to report my living conditions. I had already contacted the CorpsAfrica office through my Volunteer Liaison or VL. But then I realized something important. I was not alone. Other volunteers were facing similar struggles.

That understanding changed my mindset.

Instead of waiting for a solution I began thinking about a word we often hear but rarely live. Resilience.

As someone trained in Asset-Based Community Development I knew the solution was not just about what was missing but about what already existed in the community. I began asking questions.

Where could I find clay to make bricks

Through conversations with community members I learned clay could be found on land at the edge of the village. That was all I needed to start.

The work was exhausting. For three days I carried water from the community nearly two kilometers to the clay site. It was physically demanding but I stayed committed. By the end of those three days I had produced enough bricks to begin renovating my house.

I documented my progress and shared it with the CorpsAfrica office sending pictures of the bricks I had made. The following week a team visited my site my VL Kalipha and Ousman, Sadou the M&E Officer and Njie the Bookkeeper.

Seeing both my living conditions and the effort I had put in they responded immediately. My request was approved and I received the support I needed to move forward.

With support the real change began. Together with my host brothers we transported sand using a donkey cart. I purchased essential materials including cement and a door and began construction. We sealed gaps in the walls and roof plastered the walls improved the flooring and created space for a proper window.

What was once unsafe and uncomfortable slowly became a place of dignity and safety.

But the biggest change was inside me.

This experience reshaped my understanding of resilience. It is not just about enduring hardship. It is about taking initiative being creative and staying determined. It is about using what you have even in the most difficult situations to create real change.

It also reminded me that community is not just about buildings but about people. From the laughter I shared with my host family to the knowledge shared by neighbors every step of this journey was supported by those around me.

As I continue my volunteer journey I carry this lesson with me. The most uncomfortable and frightening experiences often push us to act. They force us to grow adapt and find strength we did not know we had.

This journey did not just transform my living space. It transformed how I see service community and myself. With CorpsAfrica I learned that even in the hardest moments we can turn discomfort into action and challenges into opportunities to grow together.