Making the Most of an Unforeseen Opportunity
Volunteer: Al Kwak
Age: 41
From: Oakland, CA
Occupation: Finance Professional
CCS Program Site: Bagamoyo, Tanzania
Why did you choose CCS?
Well, while I was looking at different opportunities to volunteer overseas, to be honest, I couldn’t really find anything from other sites that was a good fit. The great thing about Cross-Cultural Solutions is that the time commitment is very flexible, which is very much in line with what I needed. In my case, it was three months.
Had you traveled in the past before doing this trip?
I have traveled, but never in a volunteer capacity. It’s always been mostly on tour groups. This really adds a whole other dimension to travel. I feel like I got to know the community so much better through the volunteer work.
What was the best moment of your trip, if you had to choose one?
It’s really hard to say, but at the end just the realization about how much the people in the community valued my time and how much they appreciated it. The school where I taught threw me a farewell party that was incredibly touching. I think that’s just when I realized that I had made an impact and it made me feel great.
What surprised you about the experience?
I would say I was mostly surprised by how open the community was. How curious, and fascinated, and openly friendly they were. I think I’ll always remember the incredible friendliness and generosity of the community.
What was it like living at the Home-Base for you?
It was great. It was great to live with the other volunteers and to hear about their experiences, and to share mine and compare notes. The staff couldn’t have been any friendlier, any more supportive. I never felt out of comfort or nervous with them there as a support group.
Describe your overall experience in three words.
Liberating, just the ability to expand and go outside my normal, defined boundaries and do things I’ve never done before and just try. Rewarding. Very rewarding in terms of the relationships that I formed, the experiences I had and the insights that I gained. So liberating, rewarding and… I’d say moving. It was a very emotional experience.
You have a unique experience. You were laid off right before you decided to go on this trip. How did that affect your overall experience?
I worked for Dreyer's Ice Cream for 11 years in Oakland. When a re-organization occurred in my division, I felt that for the first time in my life I needed to just go out and do something different and not fall into the trap of just trying to get another job. It kind of grinds you up, particularly working in corporate America, and I just said I need to try something different and I need to make the most of this opportunity.
Do you think it was a good decision in the end?
Oh absolutely. I would not change it for anything. It’s continued to change my outlook on things. I’ve decided to become more involved in the community. I recently joined a mentoring program and I’m mentoring a 9-year-old boy who would be considered to be at-risk. It’s really important to continue to focus outside and remember that there are a lot of people who are not nearly as fortunate as we are.
Why do you think other people should volunteer abroad?
I think it’s important to go overseas because ultimately it can lead to a better sense of happiness and a better understanding of the world around you and how we really need to become more integrated in a global capacity. International volunteering is great because it forced me to go out of my comfort zone. You can develop a lot of self-knowledge through the experience.
