My name is Carolina Herrera, I’m from Colombia, and I live in Costa Rica. I’m 41
years old, and I started this project four years ago. However, the pandemic came
and changed all my plans. Even so, I believe that God and life were preparing me to
keep trying, to be resilient, and not abandon my dream of making this program a
reality.
When someone decides to do volunteer work, they must keep in mind that things will
not be like when we are in our safe environment and comfort zone, and that’s okay,
because a program like this has taught me so much resilience, tolerance, and
patience. The change in culture, the climate, the people around me, the food—these
are all challenges we overcome, learn from, and come to appreciate.
The experience in Saint Vincent, as well as here in Zambia, has been very much
worth it. I’ve gotten to know other cultures and customs, created new routines,
and I have met wonderful people who became my family during this experience.
Spending 24/7 with them for just a few months, in the end, it feels like we’ve spent a
lifetime together because we managed to build a solid, sincere, honest, and diverse team.
When we were at the school in Saint Vincent, many people told us what to expect,
gave us advice and recommendations, but living the experience firsthand is
something else entirely, and it’s very challenging. Learning to live with the occasional
lack of water and electricity, getting used to the food, the heat, the pace at which things are
done—for me, one of the lessons has been resilience, patience, and learning to have
peace with myself.
For each person, this experience is different. Everyone came with different
expectations, and even though we have the same project and share experiences,
for each of us, it’s unique. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned here is to have
faith in God, that everything will turn out well, and to live day by day. Because here,
for me, time stops, and you can only wait, think, and make decisions at the right
moment—not before, not after. The solution will come at the right time, when it’s
meant to.
At the Childrens Town here in Zambia, at first, it was a process of understanding how
everything worked, learning new names of the people who work here and of the students.
Ohhh, the students! Beautiful beings full of kindness and joy with every greeting and smile
they give us, curious about our cultures, and always very willing to help and work together.
To conclude this amazing yet very challenging journey, my expectations have been
met and exceeded. I firmly believe in the law of communication, and I know that
everything that has happened and that I’ve experienced over these past six months
(three in Saint Vincent, three in Zambia) was exactly how it was meant to be. I’ve
learned it and will carry it in my heart for the rest of my life. It’s a unique experience
for mentally and emotionally strong and brave people who want to try to help and teach in a
world and to people very different from us, but in the end, they are the ones who help and
teach us with their love, their kindness, and their way of living.
