The art of not getting homesick is a much necessary requirement for any fully fledged traveller, astronaut, or ICS volunteer, right? Three months working abroad with complete strangers is a task only doable by the thrill seeking, wild spirited type, and anyone without these required attributes will be well and truly hopeless and firmly DECLINED from the programme.
Ha! If only…. Funnily enough, if you’d asked me BEFORE the placement whether I’d get homesick, you’d have gotten an almost immediate, NO! However, I do hate to be the bearer of bad news - even when delivering such news to myself - but the reality of such a scenario was quite the opposite.
As I write this blog, as a THAO (Tovwirane HIV and AIDS Organisation) volunteer in Malawi, there are currently 31 days until I arrive back in England. And as you have most probably deduced, I am indeed missing home! Now in real terms, being homesick does not detract from anything I have done or learnt whilst being here. Throughout my placement here in Mzuzu, not only have I developed masses of self-assurance, understanding of others, and naturally huge amounts of knowledge on issues of HIV and AIDS, but I will also leave my placement having made a visible, tangible difference to some of the youths and young adults of Malawi. In the bleakest of times (literally... you’ll find during blackouts your desire to flee back to the well-lit streets of England grows) you will find that the reality of the work you do acts as the biggest comforter and suppressor of any late-night bed missing thoughts that brush your mind.
But what about when it just isn’t enough? Of course there are times when even coming home with 16 referrals for VMMC (voluntary medical male circumcision) and having a total outreach number of over 1000 youths will simply not be enough to fill the emptiness that only a Netflix and a Dominoes could fill.
So for those times, here’s a top list for both current volunteers and those ‘soon to be’ volunteers, of things to do to finally master the art of not being homesick…
1.REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE THERE! - I can almost guarantee that out on your placement you’re making a much larger positive contribution to society and other people than you would at home. And in terms of volunteering, three months of your life is really not that long of a time to donate to doing some good.
2.In the words of Jessie J - “it’s okay not to be okay”. TELL SOMEONE - they say a problem shared is a problem halved, and although I’m not entirely convinced of its accuracy, it is a good way to get some hugs which can sometimes be all you need.
3.(For those of you at pre-departure training) MAKE SURE YOU STOCK UP ON ALL YOUR BRITISH CONVENIENCES. Trust me, things like chocolate and biscuits that actually taste like biscuits are things you can never get enough of. For the ladies, don’t do what I did and think that in the wilderness of Africa you won’t want to paint your nails; trust me, you will. And for everyone else, stock up on films, music and any other pass times that will help you keep your sanity!
4.Remember, everybody at one point in their life will have been somewhere on the spectrum of missing home. Whether its missing pet dogs, ex-lovers, or even their own bed, everyone misses home at one point.
5.Time flies when you’re having fun - back to the previous point of remembering why you’re there - stay positive and make the most out of your time. Go outdoors and observe the differences between your cultures and people, because trust me, England is VERY different to Africa.
No speech or pre-departure training or even blog can ever truly prepare an ICS volunteer for the journey they will embark on. That’s partly the beauty, everyone has different thoughts, feelings and experiences, even when on the same placement. In my experience, to be happy solely depends on your ability to allow yourself to be. When working with some of the poorest, most marginalised people, and seeing that they too find happiness in their everyday lives will always act as a reminder of two things:
1.Happiness comes from within; not from laptops, movies or even chocolate. If people without these things can (especially here in Malawi) be some of the happiest people I’ve ever met, then so can we!
2.Just as Progressio puts it, “the power of people”; we humans have the ability to communicate, share emotions and experiences, it’s what gives us relations, it’s how we survive and essentially it’s what stops us from being lonely. Now I’m not saying that your friends and family can ever be replaced, but here on placement you’re never alone. With so many people around, by sharing a joke, a worry or a fear there’s never an excuse to feel alone (very cringey but true).
Your team may not be perfect, they may certainly not be who you’d choose to acquaint yourself with at home, but, well, they’re all you’ve got! So use them. Plan events, reflect on your goals and carry on counting down the days till you’re home!
Through all the unusual food, blackouts and maggot-infested mangos, trust me it’s not that hard.
See you soon England.
Written by ICS volunteer Leah Chuwen
