Mohammad Zia in Dakar

 

The following is a guest post by Mohammad Zia who has recently returned from his trip to Senegal where he volunteered with abandoned youth. To find an amazing volunteer opportunity, search the AUA Directory of Recommended Organizations© today.

 

 

 

 

           Earlier this year, Mohammad Zia had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Dakar, Senegal through a UK based international volunteer organization called “Love Volunteers”.  He worked with a partner NGO in Dakar that gives assistance to abandoned children. Through his volunteerism, he made a difference at the grassroots level while also making people-to-people partnerships. He was able to share values of a citizen diplomat and assisted in development and care of children. In his previous travels, Mohammad volunteered in Tanzania and Morocco as an Unofficial Ambassador.

Here are some photos from the community center and the abandoned children he worked with in Dakar.

“Reflecting on the services the center provided-food, naptime, laundry, bathing etc.-I was moved by the impact of the people who were behind the community center. The work done at the center was heart-warming, necessary, and life changing. The center’s work was not perfect, however, and there were issues of efficiency but the center was definitely an essential part of the community.  The center where I worked was at the forefront of international development and it was able to diplomatically maintain relations with its donors, local community, and Maribos, all in the best interests of serving the abandoned children. I was especially impressed with the center’s Senegalese manager who maintained a positive, sincere attitude. The other volunteers, from Belgium and France, who were at the center for 6 to 9 months impressed me with their compassion, dedication, and kindness. The center for the abandoned was truly a welcoming place that provided so much for those who had so little.”

You can find out more about Mohammad and his volunteer work by visiting his personal blog and his blog from Tanzania!