Why did you decide to volunteer with Love Volunteers in Ethiopia?
Michaela: I decided to volunteer abroad with Love Volunteers because of their affordability, their care and promptness in answering all my questions, and that they made it easy to find and talk to people who had volunteered in their programs before. When I decided I really wanted to volunteer abroad in Africa I spent a lot of time looking into programs online, and all of them just seemed so incredibly expensive for only a few weeks of being abroad! Especially since flights are never included, and the cost really begins to add up. Love Volunteers finds programs in the country of interest that provide housing, food, airport transportation, and basically all the things that other programs provide, but for almost half the price.
It is always hard to trust what you find online too, especially when you find it on your own, but the easiest way to put yourself at ease is talking to others that have done the program, and can confirm that it is what the program claims. Love volunteers provides a lot of different outlets for finding those people, whether it is through their website, their facebook group, or simply them giving you the contact information of people that are willing to talk to prospective volunteers.
I was also extremely impressed with how quickly they responded to all my questions, and I am definitely someone who will ask a lot of questions! They took the time to look into what I needed, and reassured any of my concerns (which was anything from the visa needed, to the details of the specific program I wanted to do). I also really liked that they offered so many different programs (from teaching, child care, medical, to even environment and wildlife preservation) and in so many different countries. Ethiopia specifically interested me, so I participated in their medical program located in the capital city of Addis Ababa.
Any time I have a friend mention that they want to volunteer abroad, or even just go abroad I recommend they look into Love Volunteers for all of these reasons.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Michaela: I volunteered in Ethiopia with the medical placement for 10 weeks over the summer. The medical placement ended up being a local organization that was setting up one of the first Hospice programs in Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia). It was an incredibly unique experience in that the program was really just starting when I went. I had a lot of involvement in deciding what was important goals for the program, meeting all of the possible patients to enroll in the program, and helping with educational trainings for the patients once enrolled.
What I did day to day always changed, but I would start around 8:30 in the morning and head to the center. In the beginning of the week the guy who heads the organization would explain the tasks we needed to get done for the week, or it was an open discussion to decide what the mission of the organization would be, or the criteria for the patients. The rest of the week was dedicated to getting the goals accomplished. The Hospice program is a home-visit set up, so always during the week we would visit the patients. At first we went to visit the one's who wanted help from the organization, allowing us to meet them, learn about their medical situation, collect medical documents, and set up files for them. I should mention that program was aimed towards individuals suffering from HIV/Aids, Cancer, or both.
Once we had set up a patient base we spent a lot of time figuring out which of their needs needed to be addressed first. All of them lived in one of the most poverty stricken areas of Addis Ababa, and they were all of very low income, or had none at all. So figuring out what they needed could include anything from who needed supplies for basic living (such as bringing them food, or helping fix their living spaces). We also began holding informational sessions for things like the importance of hygiene, sex education, and basic education on HIV/Aids.
Since the program was just starting up I would often volunteer until about 1 in the afternoon and go home for lunch, which was always delicious, authentic food prepared by a wonderful woman. The organization I volunteered with also had a school, so in the afternoon's I helped with their after school program. This would include things like leading about 20-30 kids (ages 8-16) in activities like games, arts and crafts, or teaching some how to use a computer.
What made this experience unique and special?
Michaela: What made this volunteer experience abroad unique and special was being able to help set up a hospice program that was so incredibly needed in the community we lived in. Going to the individuals houses, if you can call them houses, hearing all of their stories, and getting to know them was so incredibly humbling, inspiring, and devastating at the same time. I remember the first day I went to some of the patients homes it was so overwhelming because of the extreme lack of the things every human being needs to live (such as water and food), and of course hearing the stories of how they contracted HIV and the response from their village, families, and husbands. It was heartbreaking.
It was also really special that I was able to play with the kids in the afternoon. My mornings were very emotionally intense with sorrow, yet hope, while my afternoons were a little bit more light-hearted and fun. I also every day could feel the difference I was making, yet at the same time I was getting so much out of the experience. Another great aspect of the experience was that I lived in a guesthouse right in the community I volunteered in, and with the local Ethiopians that ran the organization. I felt I was immersed in the culture, and was able to learn and live the customs first hand. The Ethiopians I came to know really well, have become like a family to me, and that can be a really unique experience compared to some programs were you may not be as immersed.
I also was able to travel a bit around Ethiopia, which was absolutely wonderful. I went to a few other cities, and was even able to do a little volunteer work in one city with some orphaned kids.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Michaela: My experience has impacted me both personally and professionally. Personally my outlook on life has changed so much; I was very humbled by everything I saw, and I appreciate a lot more of the simple things. I felt as though I was the best version of myself during my trip, and everyday I try to hold on to that here at home. Professionally I have changed a lot too. I went to Ethiopia with one career in mind, but after the work I did I developed a passion for a different career. I now have a strong desire to become a nurse and work in third world countries with people in desperate need for medical treatment. I have also started volunteering for an amazing organization in my own community that helps those with HIV/Aids.