My Service Trip to South Africa

I am a second year nursing student at UMass Dartmouth and a member of the Endeavor Scholars, a scholarship program that emphasizes dedication to community service and global awareness as well as academic achievement. In an effort to broaden my service horizons and experience new cultures and ways of life, I will be traveling to South Africa in May with Volunteer Eco Students Abroad to perform various service projects for small communities in St. Lucia and Swaziland. These projects entail building school rooms and teaching the students English and basic hygiene skills; repairing and remodeling an orphanage; constructing sustainable farming units for families, especially single mothers, to create a microbusiness for these families as a source of income; and working with conservation groups to relocate and maintain local cheetah and crocodile populations. The trip totals to a little more than $3,000, and the money is due mid March. The lessons of service to others, hard work and determination will be so valuable to me as a future nurse and a lifelong servant of the community. Any and all help towards my goal would be so appreciated as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to perform service with dignity and gain greater respect for cultural differences internationally. Thank you!