‘Why Africa?’ she asks, her brow scrunched with concentration as she scribbles across her note pad whilst I begin my response. ‘Well, I first decided to volunteer in Africa when…’

Two days later, I am riding to work when I am abruptly ‘hey, hey, you’re the girl from the paper’-ed. Bypassing the newsagency, I walk in to find my face smiling up at me from the front page of the Bright Observer, ‘Walk to help Kenyan orphans,’ the headline reads.

As much as I hate to admit it, up until a short time ago, I used to be one of those people, who on seeing something sad on the television or in a newspaper would quickly avert my attention. These images left me feeling guilty at how lucky I was, having been born into a loving, healthy, socio-economically stable family, and I was left with the mind set that there was nothing much I as one person could do anyway, so why bring myself down.

To be honest, there was no single, stand out moment that made me decide to go to Africa. My interest for the continent has probably stemmed from listening to my parents fondly reminisce over their time spent there. I can however pinpoint the moment when I decided I wanted to volunteer. On the eve of my 20th birthday, I sat down and watched the movie Hotel Rwanda with some friends. The film alone was enough to leave me upset, but the knowledge that the plot was based on a true story left me dumbstruck.

The types of emotions portrayed throughout the film are some, which luckily I have never had to fathom. While terrorism is becoming more and more common in our day-to-day lives, it is still not enough to control who I am. I can’t even begin to grasp the concept of living in utter fear for my life every day. What’s more, I also can’t imagine having to worry each day about what I consider to be the simple things, such as where I am going to sleep or where my next meal will come from.

Many Australians have the ability and opportunity to do almost anything they chose and so, I decided then and there that I would use this facility to go over to Africa and help those who may just do the same for others if they too had the chance.

While it was over a year ago that the volunteering seed was planted, I have spent many hours since in a state of deliberation, wondering if it was the right thing to be doing. Now, as I sit reading the second article to be published about my Kenya fundraising appeal in three weeks, I begin to realise the decision has been well and truly made.

It was on finishing my university degree late last year that I began to look into different non-profit organisations and volunteer programs in Africa. I found several of interest, but settled on IVHQ (International Volunteer Headquarters), an organisation based in New Zealand. The next decision was what type of work to do while I was there.

‘Due to the high incidences of poverty and illness, orphanages in Kenya can host 50 to 300 children at any one time and there is always a demand for more volunteer assistance’… It was this sentence alone that made my choice – to work in an orphanage in Kenya. When I am there, I will be helping with general work and daily chores such as cooking and cleaning, working on the farm, assisting with feeding programs, caring for children and babies and teaching. I realise these tasks may seem trivial in the scheme of things, but I once read a quote by Mother Teresa that has always stuck with me, ‘we can do no great things, only small things with great love’.

My mum and I joked the other day that she is the thinker and I am the doer, but really, I do think a lot, about everything in fact. Sometimes though, I have been guilty of doing now and thinking later. On finding the IVHQ orphanage volunteer program, I booked it almost immediately and then I began to think about the logistics.

The program alone would cost me over $700, and then I had to cover costs such as airfares to Kenya, in country travel, visa and vaccinations. On top of this, I had decided I would like to invest in a project within the community where I will be working. On tallying the figures, I knew I couldn’t afford to do this on my own.

Living in an E-World, the easiest way I could think of to gain the attention of everybody I knew was via facebook. My contact list is comprised of 700 people, the same number of people who die each day in Kenya from AIDS & HIV infections because they don’t have access to affordable medicines. 700 people. That is everybody I know. Gone. I set up an event and sent out invitations to my friends and family to make donations. Within minutes of sending out the invitation I already had responses flooding my inbox and by day three I had raised an unexpected $500.

Over the following weeks, donations also began to come from customers of my parent’s restaurant Tillermans. People continued to give generously and I raised a further $1,500, with each donation accompanied by warm, positive comments congratulating me on my courage and efforts.

Thanks to the kindness of my friends, family & everyone else involved, I have so far managed to pull together the funds for my flights and program fee and have paid both off in full. I will be flying into Nairobi on September 29th this year and will be spending one month in a small village just outside of the country’s capital.

Having now paid for everything towards this trip, with the exception of vaccinations and my visa, my funds are looking dismal once more. I have come to the decision over the last few days that since I have committed to this journey, I am going to give it everything I have. That is why I have chosen to temporarily move back north to live with my parents, to save every cent possible.

But still, I feel I have more to give and there is more awareness that could be raised. Last November, a friend of mine set out on the Great North Walk, a 260km walk from Sydney to Newcastle, to raise funds for Prostate Cancer. While I have never been much of a hiker, I am currently training for a half marathon and as a result, spend a lot of time walking and running.

Before I know it, I have come up with the idea to hike the Great Ocean Walk - a 104-kilometre hike, as a fundraiser. While I know it will be no walk in the park, no pun intended, I am certain I can handle the challenge. I contacted several different newspapers with the intention of them running a story to raise some public awareness, and was greeted with great reception.

The walk will begin on April 27th at Apollo Bay, Victoria, and even though I had originally planned to do the walk alone, I now have two friends accompanying me for moral support. I can’t stress enough how appreciative I am of everyone who has helped me thus far along my journey. Not only those who have made monetary contributions, but also those people who have taken time out of their lives to assist me. Andy, the director of Soulfree Adventures, a company who organise Australian walking holidays, has more than generously devoted his time to helping me, providing me with an itinerary for the walk.

The Great Ocean Walk will take place over the course of four nights and five days, finishing up at the 12 Apostles. We will be carrying everything we need on our backs, including tents and food and will be camping each night at campsites organised for me at no charge by Parks Victoria, who have willingly supported me in my journey.

Several days after the publication of ‘Walk to help Kenyan orphans’, I received a phone call from a lady in Wangaratta. Apparently the article had also featured in the Wangaratta Chronicle and the Myrtleford Times. ‘Rebekka, I would like to send you a cheque. I think what you are doing is just absolutely amazing and your efforts should continue to be encouraged’. By the end of our conversation I am almost in tears. While I am not doing this to receive recognition, it is always heartening to receive such a positive, warm reception.

So please guys, I couldn’t do this without your love, support and generosity. Keep up the good work.

Until next time,

Bek.