SURF OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER HQ

Megan Jenkinson Start Date: Mar 23, 2016 - End Date: Jun 10, 2016
  • Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

My Travel Story

by: Megan Jenkinson Start Date: Mar 23, 2016 - End Date: Jun 10, 2016
This summer will be the longest summer I will ever have In my lifetime. Which of course means I could venture out to Magaluf or Ibiza on a "girl's holiday". And although I'm sure it would've been a blast and is quite appealing, I feel the need to do something more, give something back. Rather than seeking a holiday of self indulgence I have chosen to volunteer in South Africa. And I am running this campaign to raise funds/donations to help get me there!

We learn the most in uncomfortable, unfamiliar situations. In daily routines, I know how to act and respond to people and my surroundings. Being in a completely new place with different people from different corners of the world, who hold different values and go about life differently strips all that familiarity away. Not to mention the slightly terrifying prospect of having to make my way to South Africa by myself! Embracing this discomfort will allow me to connect with people despite differences, helping me to become less reliant on others and grown as an individual.

It will be a great chance for me to regroup and rediscover. With the stress of exams and constant strains and pressure of being a student it has left me feeling burnt out, out of touch from myself and the rest of the world! It will give me a chance to reflect on my future goals and aspirations.

In September I will be moving to a new city. The prospect of this move is quite intimidating. I am hoping to adopt a "can-do" attitude after my trip to South Africa. If I can do it abroad in a completely foreign system, I will be just fine in a place where I at least share the language!

South Africa is an extremely diverse country, with 11 official languages, and various cultures and life styles. There is the amazing Kruger Park, the Table Mountain in Cape Town and amazing wine vineyards. It is not surprising therefore, that Desmond Tutu started calling this nation the rainbow nation. The major diversities that exist in the country make South Africa as beautiful as it is. Behind these beautiful elements, a lot of problems become visible, for which volunteer projects are essential. Poverty, economic disparities, major health problems, human rights violations and gender based violence are part of daily live in South Africa.

I will be joining the Dreams to Reality (DTR) team of volunteers in Cape Town, South Africa for 2 weeks. I will be working within the Vrygrond Community helping disadvantaged children and lending a hand in efforts to bring the children's 'Dreams To Reality'. On the Surf Outreach project I will work with children aged between 9 and 15 years old, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds where poverty, abuse and violence is common. As a Surf Outreach volunteer my days will start at 7am and finish at 7pm. I will be there to provide a positive influence for the children and help them to build their self-confidence by providing them with an opportunity to spend their free time in a healthy and productive way. I will also be spending one day per week in a local school to see how the children are performing in an academic setting.

My enthusiastic drive for this project is certainly unmeasurable.
Believe it or not, there are places in Gaza where Israelis and Palestinians surf together. They share waves. They laugh. They set aside millennia of blood-drawing religious differences in order to surf. “Surfing is an equalizer”. The moment you confront a building-size wall of ocean energy crashing on your head, self-awareness disintegrates. We are all small. A wave can bring such immense joy where there is none. I think for deprived poverty-stricken children introducing them to this abyss of happiness is a way for them to truly express and experience joy.

I believe it is a vital factor to maintain the connection between human behavior and the natural world as it is the only way to improve our Google Glass-wearing, iPhone-fixated outlook on life.
As an individual I consistently lack the ability to contextualize my place on this planet. In the ocean in South Africa amongst people who have very little I am sure that this will not be a problem and I will learn to be far more appreciative and will become less entwined in materialistic consumption.

I will never be this young. I will never have this opportunity, or this time in my life to go again. Finally thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you can support me in my big trip!
  • Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa