When you finally decide to volunteer, one of the questions that arises is: where should I go? And the answer, very often, is the same: Africa. This great continent has something that calls and attracts those who have never set foot on it, and something that hooks those who already know it. Volunteering in Africa is undoubtedly an experience that leaves no one indifferent for many reasons.
Why does Africa call for volunteering? I can think of countless reasons to volunteer in Africa. I will try to organize them all and explain which are, for me, the main reasons to embark on a journey to African lands.
One of the first reasons that comes to mind is that Africa needs volunteers. Africa is undoubtedly the continent where the greatest collaboration needs accumulate and where help is most urgent. Africa has the largest population on the planet (almost half of Africans live on less than $1.25 a day), despite being one of the richest regions in terms of resources worldwide. This only adds an extra injustice to the matter because, without delving into the reasons behind this alarming poverty rate (the exploitation that Africa has been subjected to by the so-called first world, in collaboration with corrupt local governments, would require a separate article), it all boils down to Africa being poor because the rest of the countries have decided it to be so. This urgent need for help is what causes so many cooperation projects to await volunteers and, at the same time, these future volunteers are particularly sensitized to the reality of the African continent due to the desperate situation it faces.
Another reason is to return to our origins. It is where it all began, and it is where we come from. The African continent is where different hominid species that gave rise to humans emerged; Africa is the cradle of humanity. There must be something primitive, instinctive, in that call that Africa makes and in the desire to return to our origins, to the land of our early ancestors. Yes, traveling to the African continent attracts and hooks, and volunteering in Africa multiplies that attraction: the coexistence with local communities and the way of life that only those who have set foot in Africa know, they conquer and captivate you. And they do it in such a way that, almost unconsciously, you reconnect with that origin: the simplicity of things, the essence of life, the relativity of everything we know, the purity of people... And this, without knowing it, calls you first and hooks you later.
Light, colors, and unforgettable landscapes. We all have an image of Africa, a mental picture that represents this great continent. It is easy to imagine that postcard and guess that those endless plains interrupted only by solitary acacias, in an intensely red sunset, are Africa. The colors and light of Africa are not a legend, they exist and leave you speechless time and time again; their beauty and vastness overwhelm you. Take advantage of your moments of rest and solitude to contemplate the immensity of the surrounding landscape. It is priceless.
Living with a different philosophy of life. Surely, there are a thousand ways in this immense continent to refer to this way of life that I have only found in Africa. When you come from a Western environment, where hurry and stress dictate and guide our pace of life, having the opportunity to live immersed in such a philosophy of life is a gift. It is a life lesson that allows you to live and enjoy every step you take and to put into perspective the obstacles that arise along the way. Because as they say here, a big problem is a small problem, and a small problem... is not a problem. Any traveler who sets foot in Africa will realize this within a few minutes of what I am describing, but it's another thing to be able to live it immersed within the community. Sometimes this way of life can be overwhelming, yes, but it teaches you so much that it is better to experience it for yourself.
We must break the stereotypes about Africa. The image of Africa that usually reaches the West is completely distorted: we look at Africa as a homogeneous entity when, in reality, diversity is one of its greatest characteristics; we think that Africa is a continent that lives permanently and entirely in a state of war and armed conflict when the truth is that there are many areas where peace reigns; we are convinced that Africa has not "evolved" (and I wonder... what is evolution?) and that its peoples remain primitive (in the most primitive sense of the word). The media is responsible for selling us this conflicting, dangerous, and primitive Africa, and we, often, buy into it. The reality is far from that stereotype. Africa is a plural and rich continent (especially in terms of humanity and culture), whose path of progress differs greatly (fortunately) from that followed in so-called developed countries, and where the economy does not flourish as it should due to the power and interests of the first world. Living in Africa, from within and firsthand, will help you break down all these preconceived ideas and bring you closer to a very different reality, where what prevails are smiles, hospitality, and good people. We often lose sight of the immensity of Africa. Its natural diversity is only surpassed by its cultural diversity, and that is precisely the greatest treasure of the African continent. It is true that on any trip, more or less organized, you can visit communities, but having the opportunity to stop being a mere spectator and live alongside these communities is a true luxury.
Comments