Once without a home and living at a garage in Mount Darwin, 21-year-old Bright Dhamu found hope through vocational training with Young Africa, supported by SERVE and Irish Aid. Now employed, independent, and helping his family, Bright is living proof that access to skills can turn hardship into opportunity.

For me, volunteering abroad was never about wanderlust or ticking a box—it was a continuation of a lifelong commitment to empathy and service. Coming from a background rooted in care and compassion, and now working in Social Care, I’ve seen how real change begins with understanding. Volunteering was a chance to step outside my own world, connect with others, and ask a simple but powerful question: what can I offer? — Dyna, SERVE Volunteer

At just 20 years old, Lisa Hazel Munyuru is defying the odds in a community where early marriage often ends a girl’s dreams. Married and a mother by 16, Lisa once struggled with dependency and a lack of direction. But through life skills training with Young Africa, she discovered her rights, built her confidence, and launched her own salon business. Now financially independent and empowered, Lisa is not only contributing at home but aiming high — with dreams of becoming Zimbabwe’s leading hair extension supplier. Her message to other young mothers: “Use every opportunity to gain skills. It can change your life the way it changed mine.”