{"id":3161,"date":"2020-10-17T13:58:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T08:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifegram.org\/?p=3161"},"modified":"2021-06-05T14:33:53","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T09:03:53","slug":"life-lessons-learned-from-volunteering-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/life-lessons-learned-from-volunteering-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Important Life Lessons Learned From Volunteering Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;\">Volunteering is a noble cause and it teaches you\u00a0a lot. Last year, I took a volunteering trip to Kenya, and here are the best lessons learned from volunteering trip.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><em>\u201cIt&#8217;s impossible to be involved in all situations, but there&#8217;s no excuse not to be involved in something, somewhere, somehow, with someone. Make an ounce of difference.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 &#8211; <strong>Richelle E. Goodrich<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Most of us are born in privileged families and are lucky enough to have the basic necessities of life, along with certain luxuries. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">But not all are blessed like us, and it\u2019s our humanitarian duty to stand by them and help them have better lives. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">While charity and donations are bygone things, more and more millennials are taking up the path of volunteering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Spending your valuable time for serving a community and sharing your love with someone is the most precious thing to do, and soon you\u2019ll realize that you are gaining much more than you are giving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Have you ever imagined how wonderful it would be to travel to a different country and teach little children there? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Or maybe help the staff to paint a school? Or helping the mahouts to clean and feed the elephants?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">In general, we are always thinking of how to make life better for ourselves, but for once, if you decide to make life better for someone else, I can assure you that you won\u2019t regret making that decision. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">And the lessons that you will learn would help you throughout your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Best_lessons_I_learned_from_my_volunteering_trip\">Best lessons I learned from my volunteering trip:<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Lesson_1_Small_steps_can_make_big_differences\">Lesson 1: Small steps can make big differences.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_2_Life_8216out_of_the_box8217_isn8217t_that_bad\">Lesson 2: Life &#8216;out of the box&#8217; isn&#8217;t that bad!<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_3_Material_objects_cant_be_a_source_of_eternal_happiness\">Lesson 3: Material objects can\u2019t be a source of eternal happiness.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_4_The_best_way_to_connect_with_people_is_by_learning_their_language\">Lesson 4: The best way to connect with people is by learning their language.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_5_Learn_to_make_friends_out_of_strangers\">Lesson 5: Learn to make friends out of strangers.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_6_Your_ideas_will_get_wings_when_merged_with_others_ideas\">Lesson 6: Your ideas will get wings when merged with others\u2019 ideas.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Lesson_7_First-hand_experiences_are_always_better_than_lessons_learnt_from_books\">Lesson 7: First-hand experiences are always better than lessons learnt from books.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Best_lessons_I_learned_from_my_volunteering_trip\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Best lessons I learned from my volunteering trip:<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_1_Small_steps_can_make_big_differences\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 1: Small steps can make big differences.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">We&#8217;ve all grown up listening to the saying &#8211; &#8220;Every drop counts&#8221;, and during my volunteer trip, I came to realize how true these words are. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">No matter how small your contribution might appear to you, it can actually make a big impact in someone else&#8217;s life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Nothing really is small as long as you are dedicated to what you do. If you are teaching alphabets and numbers to the little ones in a rural school or helping people to build houses in their community, you&#8217;re making a difference. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Spreading happiness is one of the best things we can do &#8211; and volunteering abroad taught me that it doesn&#8217;t take much to sprinkle sunshine on someone&#8217;s dull day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_2_Life_8216out_of_the_box8217_isn8217t_that_bad\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 2: Life &#8216;out of the box&#8217; isn&#8217;t that bad!<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Growing up in an urban middle-class family, I&#8217;ve been blessed with a certain way of life. When I decided to take a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.volunteeringsolutions.com\/blog\/a-journey-of-happiness-volunteering-experience-in-kenya\/\">month-long trip to Kenya and volunteer there at a Children&#8217;s Home<\/a>, I barely had any idea of what challenges I&#8217;ll have to face. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">On the first day at Makimei, I wasn&#8217;t sure of how to spend my entire day with the kids who don&#8217;t understand or speak my language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">I felt clueless in the first few days, but eventually, I fell in love with those little ones and the work I was assigned. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">With every passing day, as I was stepping out of my comfort zone, I felt more confident and realized that life &#8216;out of the box&#8217; was immensely enriching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_3_Material_objects_cant_be_a_source_of_eternal_happiness\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 3: Material objects can\u2019t be a source of eternal happiness.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Were you sad when you lost your favorite pen? Or you stopped fitting into your favorite dress? Or when your father refused to buy you the latest iPhone? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Once you go through the volunteering journey, all of that will seem vague to you, and you&#8217;ll no longer find any meaning for the desire of those material objects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">The entire process will change you for good and you&#8217;ll learn that happiness comes from the little things in life which probably money can&#8217;t always buy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">A hug from an orphan or a word of blessing from an old man would seem more precious to you than any material object. You&#8217;ll learn to value the intangible things that can last forever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_4_The_best_way_to_connect_with_people_is_by_learning_their_language\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 4: The best way to connect with people is by learning their language.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Although English is mostly understood (and spoken) by people across the world, there are still areas where the local language is more predominant. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Especially in the rural areas, the native language is widely spoken &#8211; and it&#8217;ll be easier to bond with people if you can pick up the basics. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">I remember how happy the kids and the caregivers used to be, when they heard me speak Swahili (although broken!). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">It felt like bliss when they would hug me and say &#8220;Nakupenda&#8221; which means &#8216;I love you&#8217;. And not just that, but learning a new language will also add some brownie points to your Resume.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_5_Learn_to_make_friends_out_of_strangers\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 5: Learn to make friends out of strangers.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">For all our lives, we have been making friends with people we&#8217;ve either grown up with, attended school or college together, or perhaps work in the same office or through some connection. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">So basically, we befriend people who have something in common with us. But a volunteer trip will help you to befriend people who are absolutely different &#8211; yet, you&#8217;ll end up sharing some of the best times of your life with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">You\u2019ll get to meet people from different parts of the world, who\u2019ve traveled miles (just like you!) to make a difference in someone else\u2019s life! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">You\u2019ll be living with them in the same house, go to work with them, spend weekends with them and before you\u2019d even know, you\u2019ll have some amazing friends for life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_6_Your_ideas_will_get_wings_when_merged_with_others_ideas\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 6: Your ideas will get wings when merged with others\u2019 ideas.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">On a volunteer trip, you will meet like-minded people from all across the world, and get to share your ideas. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">There might be ideas that you have had since long but never understood how to make them work. Those ideas might finally get wings with a little help from your fellow mates. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">You should know that each one who&#8217;s a part of this noble deed has something unique in them, and each of them has the potential to make a mark in your life and vice versa. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Make the most of the time that you have at your disposal and give proper shapes to your ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Lesson_7_First-hand_experiences_are_always_better_than_lessons_learnt_from_books\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Lesson 7: First-hand experiences are always better than lessons learnt from books.<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">After you reach your volunteering destination and spend some quality time with the locals, you will soon start realizing that your history 7 geography lessons in school weren&#8217;t good enough! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">You&#8217;ll come to know a land differently, and every little thing about the lifestyle of those people &#8211; for example, their festivals, their choice of art and music, their dating style and wedding rituals, how their society has taken the present shape, their cooking habits and much more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Living and interacting with the local folks on a daily basis will help you learn more than you did in your classroom lessons. First-hand experiences are always more enriching and effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">While all these might seem to be easy lessons to learn, let me tell you that they aren&#8217;t as easy as they seem to be. But, once learned, they can totally change your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">If you are convinced about the benefits of volunteering, then put a pause to your procrastination and decide how you want to contribute towards making the world a better place. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">And through that process of the outer journey, what lessons can you learn to make life better for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volunteering is a noble cause and it teaches you\u00a0a lot. Last year, I took a volunteering trip to Kenya, and here are the best lessons learned from volunteering trip. \u201cIt&#8217;s impossible to be involved in all situations, but there&#8217;s no excuse not to be involved in something, somewhere, somehow, with someone. Make an ounce of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[684],"tags":[709,674,754],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3161"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3161"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5270,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3161\/revisions\/5270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifegram.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}