31 January 2023
Hello everyone
Through our university, Lotte and I got the opportunity to volunteer somewhere abroad for three months. We came across iKhaya LikaBaba and I am glad we did because we had a fantastic time! The children are lovely, the staff is welcoming, and Loressa is an excellent host who made us feel at home right away.
As we are psychology students, we got to organise some group sessions with the children and conduct research for our university programme. Furthermore, we spent our time helping with everyday tasks such as entertaining the children, going on outings (the pool was a big hit!), and sorting out donations and school necessities.
Besides the volunteer work, we explored the area. We went on safaris, a weekend trip to Durban and Lesotho, and experienced the rural Zulu lifestyle. These trips were made possible by the many kind-hearted people from the local community who often invited us into their homes and were more than willing to show us around.
Even though going abroad was outside of our comfort zones, it turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime and we would make the same decision again in a heartbeat.
Lotte Weernink and Nynke Nynke Kreuwel
Oct 2022 to Jan 2023