The day of departure

Today is my last day on the African continent until new year’s eve. I am a few hours away from embarking on a journey to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will be working with AIESEC Rio in collaboration with NGOs in the area to help children, teenagers and young adults with issues of citizenship, human rights and leadership. The ultimate goal is to empower everyone we come in contact with, so that they can feel the burning desire to positively impact their communities.

We need passionate young people in all communities to change their nations from the inside out. The ultimate goal of this exciting journey to Brazil is simply to change one person’s perception about their life. If we can change one person’s perception of themselves, so that they have greater confidence or a greater desire to do good in their community, this endeavor will be a  huge success. I believe it is important to never underestimate the impact that one person can have on a community. Thus, if we can positively affect one person, we may be indirectly involved a ripple effect of positive change in Rio de Janeiro, possibly Brazil, possibly South America, possibly the world.

Imagine a young Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jnr sitting there on a warm (read: boiling hot) afternoon in Rio, void of confidence, skewed self-image, and apathetic about the world around them. Imagine if they never had anyone to believe in them, or open their eyes to the atrocities of this world. Imagine if they were never encouraged to follow their passions in the face of adversity.

I trust that God has put this opportunity in my path for a reason. I am so thankful to Him and I deeply want to glorify Him during my time in Rio.

Many lessons will be learnt, friendships will be gained, challenges will be faced, and fun will be had… Lots and lots of fun.

Let the adventure commence!

The Year of Growth

I hope to look back in 20 years and say, “2013 was the year in which I began fulfilling my potential”. On January 1 2013, I had hoped to use this year as a means to grow as a son, brother, friend, Christian and leader.

Thus, I have adopted the “yes man” mentality to accept all opportunities that have come my way. This has been the year in which I have grown more than any other year in my life.

I joined a Toastmasters club in February to improve my public speaking skills. In July, I became President of that Toastmasters club. In March, I applied to become a Google Ambassador, and in June I was accepted and sent to Nairobi (Kenya) for leadership and Google Apps training. I now represent Google at my university, in the hope of integrating technology into the education infrastructure. I have attended 2 TEDx events, in which I have met inspiring people and heard perception-shattering talks. This has all been while completing my Honours degree in Physiology.

The excitement and responsibility of these involvements has been great. It has helped to build my CV, and fleshed out my Linkedin profile slightly. But that is not why I have embarked on this journey. These experiences have helped me step out of my comfort zone, and forced me to learn with each new step.

From 18 November, I am going to close out the year by going to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) with AIESEC for 6 weeks in order to help young people build their understanding of human rights, and leadership skills. This is another extremely exciting opportunity that God has blessed me with.

I have noticed that opportunities will intermittently (yet constantly) come our way in different forms, and it is our responsibility to be open-minded at all times in order to seize them, grow as people, and help others.    

I never want achievements to define me. 

I want to make a difference in this world, and I want to glorify God every step of the way. 

I have been really blessed in my life, and I thank God hugely for that.

I’m excited about what the future holds!