Injections, culture shock and hygiene should not refrain someone from volunteering to help people in need abroad, a local volunteer says.

Michaela Cassar Pickard, a volunteer from Karibu Malta (a non-profit group), spoke to The Independent on her volunteering experience in Kenya and Zambia. The group’s volunteering portfolio ranges from building schools to providing fresh water and education, the latter being academic or sanitary.

Michaela told The Independent on Sunday that people in such countries have to walk for hours to get clean water and that toilets and other sanitary essentials are at times non-existent.

“Empowerment for these people does not only come from what we give them but also by embracing their culture, trying their cuisine, learning about their lives and getting to know them and their families on an individual level,” she said.

When asked what the government and local organisations can do to support the group’s plea for humanity, the volunteer said that monetary donations, sponsoring materials, attending activities or buying from non-profit sales activities can help immensely in supporting future altruistic endeavours. “One can contribute even on an emotional level by showing support and appreciation towards people who are planning to go or participated in a voluntary experience,” she said.

“Our children do not appreciate anything since they are 24/7 on a computer screen,” Michaela said when contemplating on how children in these poor countries experience the little things in life. “I have learnt to appreciate the little things that we usually do not think about, such as clean water, working appliances, electricity and safety.”

She recalled one experience: “I once bought a ball as I knew that the children enjoyed playing football with a ragged sort of ball, all tied up in string. When we arrived, I gave this ball to a boy and the way his face lit up when he saw this toy was mind-blowing.”

She asserted that Karibu Malta prepares the volunteers holistically, organising weekly meetings to prepare people to be mentally and spiritually engaged for their upcoming experience, which in turn “aids in having our participants well prepared to fight their fears”.

“Giving is better than receiving,” were the concluding words of Michaela, stating that such experiences throughout the years helped her to grow more independently and spiritually.

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