Volunteering in Africa: A Visual Diary

There are many different types of journalism: investigative, emotional, news, political, feature, experiential, experimental, photojournalism... and the list goes on. Photojournalism is a significant form of journalism which we forget can tell a narrative comparable to how a news report or a feature story does. To me, journalism is the courageous act of seeing the world with fresh eyes and sharing what you see in order to instil awareness or demand change. Sometimes we cannot express our emotions and thoughts in a language which captures the heart of our message but, sometimes, photography can.

In January I spent three weeks in Africa with Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA) volunteering and exploring some of Africa's less touristy gems. As my first time travelling overseas alone and my first time participating in good and proper 'volunteering,' I let go of any expectations and made the most of every experience that crossed my path. In addition to the tight friendships I formed with like-minded people from across the world, the time I spent volunteering taught me a lot about myself as an individual in regards to my ability to work in a team, my core values and the little things that truly light me up.

The volunteering I undertook with VESA was comprised of animal conservation, house construction and education. I cannot recommend the VESA programs enough, and encourage everyone to explore the various other countries you can visit with them through their website https://www.vesabroad.org/?c=7. Unfortunately, the experiences I am so grateful to have and the special memories I made are hard to communicate with language. Fortunately, I can come a little closer through photography. Here are some raw, unedited moments I hold dear to my heart.