GIVE: Discovering a Purpose
Written by: Greyson Kountz
8/2/2013
When asked, “What are you going to do after you graduate college?” my response in the past would be, “I don’t know” and walk away feeling frustrated and unsure about life after school. I wanted to find a purpose for my life that was meaningful and could potentially change the lives of others. However, it wasn’t until I joined GIVE’s Tanzania volunteer program that I began to discover my answers.
I have always loved to travel and to help others, so when I first heard about GIVE I was ecstatic! Signing up to join a GIVE excursion was a no brainer; it was everything I was looking for in a volunteer program.
Little did I know that this journey with GIVE would soon be the most life changing and inspirational trip of my young life.
As a volunteer in Zanzibar, Tanzania, I was thrown into a world of surprising discoveries.
Waking up each morning half way across the world from my home, should have been an uneasy feeling. But Kiwengwa Village quickly became my home away from home. Not being with my family should have been uncomfortable, but I came to view my fellow GIVErs as my family. Living in Zanzibar felt like home, and my new family was incredible. Life was definitely good!
Working alongside the locals at construction each day, and seeing all the children come out to help build their future school with us, gave me a sense of community that I have never felt before. Even though there were obvious language barriers between the locals and us, we always seemed to share smiles and laugh with one another while we worked. This sense of community was wonderful. I felt accepted by complete strangers, who I now consider my friends. The satisfaction I received from lending a helping hand was enormous. I absolutely loved it!
Teaching English in the schools was a complete eye-opener.
Seeing the students’ determination to further their education was amazing. Also, seeing how much they enjoyed being in class gave me the inspiration to be a better student myself. Trying to teach English without knowing Swahili had its challenges, but there was no better feeling than when a student understood what you were teaching. It was such a rewarding feeling!
Being a volunteer with GIVE was the biggest learning experience of my life. Not only did I help others, I was also taught lessons that have forever changed me. I have learned so much more about who I am as a person, and who I want to become. I will never forget my journey with GIVE through Africa. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity GIVE gave me to flourish and grow as an individual. Without GIVE volunteers, I would still be that guy who had to say, “I don’t know.”
Without this experience with GIVE, I would not have discovered my purpose or future path in life. When asked what I want to do after college, I can now say confidently that I want to do Humanitarian work around the world. I have created a passion for this type of work, and it’s all thanks to GIVE.
