|By Lucky Mwenze|
Early one Saturday morning I joined the exuberant team of volunteers and off we went to Angel Centre for Abandoned Children located in Dagoretti, Nairobi.
One of my new year resolutions was to socialise more and be of service to society. Following a conversation with Nicole, a volunteer from the Community Outreach Programme (COP), she sent me a link to sign up as a volunteer. This is one of the Programmes run by the Community Service Centre. In no time, I was added to the WhatsApp group where all communication about the activities was shared. Admittedly, I was anxious as I didn’t know what to expect but my friend, Nicole, reassured me that all would be well. I admired how she socialised with the other volunteers and I quickly became comfortable with them. Little did I know that I was making one of the best decisions of my life!
When we arrived at Angel Centre for Abandoned Children, we were received warmly with smiles and hugs from the children at the Centre. Their smiles and laughter impressed me a lot. We came to understand that the Centre would be closing down and the majority of the children had already been adopted while others reunited with their families. Despite the uncertainty that lay ahead, these children were jovial and very active. They kept us busy all day long!
I am grateful that I was reminded by these little angels that happiness comes from within and that I should always pursue it, in spite of and especially in the difficult moments in life. To step back and reflect on the fact that each trial is a learning opportunity and could be a blessing in disguise. There is light at the end of the tunnel. As we carried out our duties, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many volunteers were employed but had taken time off to give back to the community, which was really encouraging. A masterclass on prioritisation at that.
The afternoon was spent sharing a meal with the children and cleaning up. We then settled down for an entertaining game of cards known as wolves. I must brag that I got to the finals of this game thanks to my sly moves. We then set off back to the University and my colleagues settled on the 50-50 Kenya Board Game that surely left us in stitches. A beautiful way to bid farewell to an even better day. Honestly, I cannot wait for the next adventure COP has to offer for they took me into their family and I felt as though I was always part of them!
But until then…au revoir.
This author of this article is a Bachelor of Commerce student, 1st Year.
