It's kind of scary to know that in six days, I will be embarking on another mission to make a difference. UBELONG provides their volunteers with an invaluable opportunity to immerse themselves in real communities who could use the assistance. The people I met during my time in Ecuador were genuine and kind, and so appreciative for the volunteers who took the time out of their lives to help their community. I'm scared to be on my own for real this time, but I don't doubt that the people in Mérida will be just as welcoming and generous to me and the other volunteers, even though they don't have as much as we do. I was lucky enough to meet someone through UBELONG who said these wise words:
“I learned very quickly that I wasn’t going to change the world, but I still might change someone’s world.”
Volunteering for three weeks at a time may not make a huge difference in the short-term, but it can make some difference on a small scale. Acts of kindness are contagious, and it only takes a few volunteers to start a movement towards making the world a better place.I'll be documenting my experience abroad this time (sadly, I didn't do that last time I was in Ecuador), and hope to create some sort of portfolio where I can look back on this in my later years to see the places I've been and hopefully see the slightest bit of positive change that I can say I contributed to. :)
