How I did it: I've wanted to visit Africa for as long as I can remember.  My junior year of high school I was searching for a volunteer program to get involved in either the summer or year after I graduated.  Instead, I found a program called World Camp for Kids which was accepting high school volunteers for the first time ever (it is generally geared towards college students, but there are plenty of older people involved as well).  It was one of the most involved programs I found, and I quickly applied. 

The next thing I knew, I was spending a month in Malawi, Africa teaching kids from ages 9-14 about AIDS, malaria, and deforestation.  We would teach at different rural schools for 3 days (occasionally sleeping in the villages on homestays, but generally we slept in a hostel in the capital city, Lilongwe).  We taught mostly with interactive games and activities, after all, we were teaching kids.  On days we werent teaching in schools, we helped plant trees at an orphanage and played with kids in a local street shelter.  At the very end of the trip, we took some time for ourselves and went on a trip to Lake Malawi and went on a safari.

I met so many amazing people and learned a lot about my self.  Spending a month in Malawi solidified my desire to work with developing countries, and planted the idea in my mind of also working in the environmental field.  Next year I'll be attending UC Berkeley to study Society & Environment and hope to use my degree to help work with African countries and their environmental problems such as deforestation.

Lessons & tips:

• If you want to go to Africa, GO! You won't regret it!
• Volunteer trips can be pricey, but I learned that people LOVE to help you out.  If you need to raise money, send an email to family & friends explaining why you want to go and what you'll be doing.  I raised over 1500 dollars, everyone was very supportive of me, even people I didnt know *that* well!  Don't let the price scare you too much!
• Don't be afraid to volunteer without anyone you know.  Trust me, you'll meet so many amazing new friends!
• Research, research, research!  There are a TON of volunteer programs out there!  You'll be sure to find one that fits your interests.  I personally wanted a really involved, non-secular program geared towards young adults, and World Camp was perfect for me.

Resources: http://www.worldcampforkids.org/

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Jul 14, 03:56PM PDT | 0 comments | 13 cheers