Changing the World

I have always said my biggest ambition in life is to help change the world. I figured my time here volunteering in Cape Town is a small step towards that. It seemed as if I were going to change the lives of the children at the orphanage and really make an impact. I was absolutely wrong. I was fooling myself to think I was here for them. Who I am truly impacting is myself. I am here for a few short weeks and yes, I may have taught Timla how to write her name and Lwando knows to say “sorry teacher” when I give him the eye but my time here with the children is a grain of sand in the middle of the atlantic. When I leave their lives will continue to be the same. They will continue to share clothes with 20 other kids and eat frozen chicken heart with a piece of bread for dinner for five days in a row. But I will forever remember them. They are the ones who will truly change my life and they way I view everyday things I take for granted. Is it fair that I shop at Whole Foods for my organic produce while the only fresh produce the children eat is cooked carrots they get in their stew every once in awhile? Is it fair that I buy an excess amount of dresses just because I want them while the only new dresses the girls at the orphanage get are too big used t-shirts someone donated? In all honesty will I stop paying more money for food just because it says “organic”, probably not. Although this is my realization. I personally may not be able to change the world but if more and more people experience what I have been experiencing the past week, then the children would be the ones who are helping to change the world. They have the power to show us just how lucky and fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have. They would be the ones to remind us what is truly important and this could start a chain reaction of thoughts which could lead to actions and then we could ALL help to change the world together.