A simple thank you

What does it take for a person to live a life of giving straight out of the learning stream?  It is not that easy to perform tasks that you have been trained and taught to do for certain periods and serve without the necessary pay. However, what makes it even more impossible is where one decides to travel to a far away country to do volunteer work for people who do not even speak your own language. For those who have gone through such paths, it is a fact that such a phase of their lives were not easy yet it some how fulfils the yearning in becoming content and at peace through helping out others.

This brings me to the achievement of a 19 year old from Edgware in London named Ameila Henriot. She had gone through training to join the health and fitness industry through the Lifetime’s Fitness Instructor Apprenticeship programme. From there, she decided to volunteer in Fiji for five months on Batiki which is a small island in the northern division. She is a good example of youths who work for the betterment of others. Hence she has also proven that volunteer work does not go unseen or unrecognised because she has been named as one of the top 20 Lifetime LearnerAchievement Awards.

In an interview on  one of United Kingdom’s newspapers , Times, she revealed that;

“I was able to use all my skills and knowledge learnt to teach underprivileged children and young adults who are not as educated as us Brits about health and fitness. I would teach them how to stretch and the importance of warming up before exercise, and truths about certain foods. I wanted to help others achieve their health and fitness goals and really make a difference to people’s lives.”

Moreover, even though the award where Miss Henriot has been nominated in is not directly meant for volunteers, it was in fact her interest in volunteering as well as using her skills which she had learnt from the institution to do so. I commend her efforts of teaching the people of Batiki on the importance of warming up before exercising and the facts about food.  

I believe this is where organisations in Fiji and the Pacific can learn into recognising the humble work of those who sacrifice their time and work in volunteering especially with their specialised skills. Although, there may already be certain organisations that do show gratitude to their volunteers in varied ways, the organising of a national or regional awards perhaps may motivate others to join the field of volunteering. Hence, in influencing others to help communities who are under privileged, we can be assured young ones will grow in a society that gives a helping hand and not one that often gives for a pay cheque.

Therefore, the volunteering experience of Miss Henriot and her nomination for an award is a gleaming example to those who are yet and who continue to carry out volunteer work whether it is on a every day basis or at least during the week ends. People must keep in mind that it is not the trophy or certificate that volunteer s highly appreciate yet it is the effort that others take to actually support and thank them for what not many may choose to do. Thank you my dear fellow volunteers for braving what ever obsticles which you may had faced in this journey of a life time, for lifting up those who were in need and for making people aware of the issues that endanger our environment and its inhabitants. Vinaka!