Volunteers: Love In Motion
Story by Thabiso Thando Khoza
An integral part of our work at Flying for Life are our volunteers. The success of our work is mostly reliant on their services. Volunteering their time and specialties doesn’t only help us in uplifting rural communities but enriches their lives too.
To express our gratitude and pay tribute to them, we’ve taken a moment to investigate how giving back impacts the lives of the givers. Making a difference can be as joyful and exciting as can be shattering to see other people suffer. With the help of our volunteers, we’ve been able to capture and share the true essence of their work.
Mercy, a nurse who worked with us on one of our projects, shared how she had always wanted to help the less fortunate using her specialty, but had no idea how or where to start. Upon expressing her gratitude to Flying for Life for providing a platform to give back, she shared how volunteering enlightened her about the hardships faced by the people in rural communities.
“It has taught me a lot,” she said. “Where I work, people can afford insurance to pay for all medical needs. But in the rural communities, even the cheapest medicine in the market isn’t available. It’s sad to see how people suffer.” When asked what her highlight for volunteering with Flying for Life is, Mercy said seeing the happiness of the patients after getting surgery warms her heart. The excited kids who are always at the airport to welcome them are her favourite part as well.
A volunteer teacher, Tanaka Dhliwayo, from one of our partner organisations, was happy they could take a few high school students from the rural communities to their aviation and space technology camp during one of our projects. It’s an experience she’s certain will be life-changing for these young people.
We’re humbled to see how our work has changed the lives of our volunteers for the better. Volunteering is an empathetic experience that gives a volunteer joy when they share hope to hearts that have been overwhelmed by poor living conditions. Most importantly, the harmonious culture of work within the Flying for Life family encourages our volunteers to continue serving rural communities.
Read below more highlights from our volunteers:
“The fact that I got the opportunity to reach out to rural communities with such an amazing team of professionals, who were all there to deliver an excellent service to humanity,”
-Berna Groenewald, nurse.
“It is humbling to work in rural communities, and it is fulfilling to help patients who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to receive cataract surgery.”
-Hettie Kruger, ophthalmologist.
“I got an opportunity to translate for Cecilia, the general practitioner. It was a great experience for me because I learnt a lot. I want to initiate touching lives more where I live.”
-Elton Ramabu, evangelist.
The expression of love for humanity is the ability to recognise the pain and sufferings of others. Even more, it’s having the heart to try and bring them relief whichever way you can.