crazymalc.co.nz - Home Page of Malcolm Trevena

Reactions to African Trip

6th May 2006
It is an unwritten law that when you catch up with people, you're expected to give a 30 second speech about what you are doing with your life. I've been catching up with a lot of people recently and my 30 second speech goes something like this:

Well, very soon I'll be spending three months inside a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana teaching everything from verbs to long division to how to put a condom on. Maybe some adult literary and computer training thrown in for good measure.

I'll then be off to Uganda for six months. I'll be doing lotsa youth mentoring (unprotected sex bad, education good), teaching, some prison visits and helping out people with AIDS.

The reactions to my 30 second speech have been quite varied.

Here are a few interesting ones:

Africa is full of black people right? Why would you want to help them?
The most disappointing by far. I was shocked when I got this reply.

It was followed up by a "I'm not a racist, but...". If you're not a racist buddy, then you don't get to tack a "but" onto the end of that sentence...
Wow! That's so cool. Do you mind if I live vicariously though you?
I've had this a couple of times. Much cooler than the one above...
Are you mad?! How can that possibly be safe?
I'll talk more about the safety later. G.V.N. takes great care in placing volunteers in safe locations. I have no concerns about my safety.
Cool. You're life is so interesting.
This one I do like. I know this guy who lives by himself in a tiny apartment. He divorced from his wife about 15 years ago. He seems like a very sad and lonely man.

Whether he knows it or not, he served as a big inspiration for me to get out of my apartment in Sheen Street and head off volunteering. I saw myself becoming like him and didn't like it.
I think to do what I am doing on any sort of long term basis, you have to at least give up security. This is what I have done. When I return from Africa I will have no money, no job and no assets to speak of.

You may also have to give up responsibility. Mortgages, jobs and children in particular would prevent most people from doing what I do.
That's great! Can I have all your babies?
Well, this one hasn't happened yet... Applicants can contact me here.

Questions? Comments? Try contacting me.
Wanna receive an email whenever this site gets updated? Click here.

(c) 2005 and 2006 Malcolm Trevena.
All the stuff on this site is written by me, Malcolm Trevena. Feel free to link to this page. Heck, you can even copy stuff from here if you want. Just make sure you sight me as a reference.