Diary entry: 22nd July 2024

My name is Caitlin Ball, and I’m an engineering student  at Trinity College Dublin currently volunteering in Young Africa (YA) Beira, Mozambique. I chose to volunteer with SERVE due to my passion for volunteering and construction.

As a civil engineering student, I am deeply committed to on-site work and promoting infrastructure equality worldwide. Learning about Young Africa and the chance to get involved truly ignited my interest.

Our first project involved building walls around the women’s hostel and the on-campus preschool. I was thrilled with the teamwork displayed by everyone to accomplish the task.

From gathering materials, mixing mortar, placing concrete blocks, and filling the gaps between them, the collaboration between volunteers and Young Africa construction students was remarkable. Learning to work in solidarity has been extremely beneficial and rewarding to all volunteers.

During the third week of my volunteer experience, I reflected on our progress and my personal highlights. A significant project we all contributed to was updating the basketball court by repainting the lines, refurbishing the backboards, and painting the basketball hoop.

These improvements were showcased at the Young Africa Sports Festival (2024), held on the third weekend of July. There was an incredible buzz, and we were all proud of our accomplishments. The teamwork that helped complete the project before Young Africa Sports Festival was mirrored by the participants’ teamwork during the event.

Another highlight for our group was meeting the students in the preschool and donating toys, coloring books, and school supplies. We were ecstatic to see the joy on the children’s faces as we delivered our donations. The students were thrilled to receive the toys.. I’ll never forget the feeling this gave us and the opportunity to contribute to the preschool on the Young Africa (YA) Beira campus.

In conclusion, volunteering with SERVE in YA Beira, Mozambique, has been a transformative experience. Meeting the staff and students and overcoming language barriers to work together has been truly inspiring. The projects we’ve completed and the connections we’ve made have shown me the profound impact of collaboration and dedication. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work and for the memories that will stay with me forever.