Reconnecting with Passion in life: Melinda's Story!
What's life without happiness? And what's happiness without passion in life? We often associate happiness with passion, as what we do is the key to contentment in life. And contentment equals to happiness, for the most part! So, does it need an age? Isn't age just a number? Don't think so? Read the adventure of one of our community project volunteers in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Have a look at the story of our Cambodia Community Project volunteer, Melinda!
Child education, child protection and anything related to the betterment of children was Melinda's passion in life, ever since she was 17. But life always got in the way, and her passion took the back seat. Growing up, she read a lot about Cambodia and its history, so one day when she stumbled upon Globalteer’s community project for kids in Cambodia, she didn't think twice!
This time she didn't let her passion take the back seat. She made the most of the opportunity, decided to volunteer, bought DIY craft supplies for the kids, and helped raise funds for the project. Better late than never!
Here is what Melinda had to say, in her own words, when we interviewed her after volunteer experience:
What do you do back in the UK?
"I work as an administrative support for a telecommunication company --BT. I have been working there for 24 years now."
How did you stumble upon Globalteer?
"I thought there wouldn't be many volunteering opportunities for older people. While some of them were too expensive, the majority of them were for young people. Not many places offer volunteering opportunities to people of my age. I did some research on community volunteering projects for kids and ethical NGO's, where Globalteer checked all the criteria boxes for me. Besides, I have been wanting to do this for a while, and this time there was no stopping me!"
How was your volunteer program experience?
"It was magical. The crafts that I brought for them was absolutely worth every penny. They enjoyed it very much. It also developed an interaction among themselves, which you don't get to see back in the UK as it is something very normal for them. But it was a big deal for these kids. It just got me thinking as to why did I not do it all this while."
What did you love the most?
"I loved working with the kids the most. They wanted to read with me, practice their English and put letters together. As a Community volunteer, it was a breath of fresh air and a rejuvenating experience."
Why didn't you volunteer when younger?
"Life always got in the way! Sometimes it was about the job, sometimes it was about the timing. Something just always got in the way. There's always going to be something or the other. Just do it, take that phone call or send that email."
Are you planning to volunteer again with Globalteer?
"Yes! Without a doubt. In fact, if you get more volunteers from UK for the kids’ project, I would love to send over more crafts and project stuff with them."
How did you like Cambodia?
"More than I expected! People are very apprehensive. I was worried about safety to be on my own, but in the end it’s all about being aware, anywhere around the world."
What is your advice to the people looking to volunteer?
"I would say just do it! For young people, this is your time to explore. Life will always get in the way, but that should not stop you from pursuing your passion. And for older people, life is too short for regrets, so it's now or never."
Good enough Motivation?
Going with the norm that "passion makes work effortless" is a myth. On the contrary, having a passion is both effort and work, and that's the beauty of it. In the end, the hard work is rewarding. Melinda flew to a different continent to pursue her passion and was more than happy that she did it, taking ample memories, new bonds and experiences with her back home. And if that wasn't enough, she has no regrets anymore!