There's no denying it, these bloggers are bound to make you jealous. Whether it's their guts, their energy or their tan you admire, overseas volunteers have got plenty to share with you about their remarkable work in fascinating countries. Read on to find out what you could be missing.

All | Ashley | Natalie | Jonathan | James | Fiona | Community_Action_International | Emily | Dana | Selina | Lucy | Hannah | Sally | Lucille

Friday Jun 30, 2006

Let me tell you about myself

I never know what to write when trying to paint a picture of who I am, to outline my personality or talk about what I have done to get me where I am today. Ironic isn't it, that the only person you live with constantly, twenty-four-seven is the very person who becomes most difficult for you to analyse. The person you look at in a mirror every morning, the only person you have ever experienced every bout of laughter and every tear with, every crush and every arguement with friends and family. But then maybe that is what life is for, self-discovery.  

 I shall start by telling people what I do. I'm a human rights and politics student studying in Kingston University who turns twenty three this December. Some people have hinted on me being ancient and compared to most fellow students I have encountered in my time down south, I am a few years older and I would not take back any actions and descisions that hindered me in getting to university at the age of eighteen. This is because I had some amazing experiences in my home town of Wrexham. I took opportunity to volunteer with young people who have disabilities for example and have also involved myself with one off volunteering days helping the elderly around Christmas time. I have also been politically active, both with working alongside Cafod to help people from North Wales get to Gleneagles for the G8 and with peace campaigning both in Aberystwyth and London.  

And so I came to university at the ripe age of twenty one, having never really travelled the world or experienced London and had the good fortune of being put in to halls with two Americans and a young man who was originally from Ghana, but who had lived in Holland for a lot of his life and a friend who is studying architecture who comes from Gloucester (I have no idea how the heck to spell where he comes from!) and already I had fallen in love with the student way of living. Cheap beer at the union bars and the fantastic opportunity to meet people from all walks of life! The first two months flew by in a flurry of beer bottles, takeaways and stumbling across the dancefloor like John Wayne in wet cement and it was only by chance that I actually walked past the student union offices one day to meet somebody fantastic who changed mine and undoubtedly other people's lives with her support (love ya Lynette!). I wanted something more out of university. Endless nights drinking were starting to hurt both my liver and my wallet.     

Through the volunteer co-ordinator I found myself involved in appropriate adult training, which means that if a young or vulnerable individual is taken in to custody, we go in and make sure that their rights are looked after. I also am currenty involved with another pilot project acting as a mentor and working with a local chairty to help them run more sustainably. Both projects are fascinating and I have learnt so much from them, they are the sort of experiences that change your way of thinking and way of living completely. I have also been invovled with both environmental and peace activism in my time down south and loving every minute of it. I am soon to be Kingston University's Environmental and Ethical Officer too. I love it down here, there's so much to do, I feel completely blessed.

Posted by Selina ( 12:42 PM )
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