ETHIOPIA

The beginning of my adventures

Neyu traveler

July 2014, my first big trip

Although I had already made some trips to Europe as a tourist, Ethiopia marked the beginning of my adventures.

I am passionate about children and teaching, so I decided to work with two schools in Ethiopia through IPI-COOPERACIÓ, a NGO based in Barcelona.

This is the only trip, so far, I haven’t done alone. I went with Martí, a work partner. Our academic goal was teaching basic English vocabulary using games and sports as a learning tool.

The truth is that it was a success; the children learned so much while they were having fun. But beyond the academic goal, my personal experience was incredibly wonderful. I learned a lot about myself; I grew up as a person, I began to appreciate my life, the present, the people, the small details, the value of a smile, a look, a gesture, sharing, etc. even more!

I was very shocked that children with no clothes and with no food to put in their mouths, were always smiling. Those children are full of energy and happiness and they have a huge heart full of generosity. I believe I learned more from them than they learned from me. They opened the doors of their homes and their hearts and they introduced me to their families and friends. They shared their lives and they showed me their culture and lifestyle.

When I returned home I was no longer the same, forever changed: the adventurous girl who had always been inside me and had remained in the shadows during the college years, reappeared. My desire to see the world and learn by direct experience, living in the present, became the priority of my life. So I decided to follow my heart, my passions and my dreams and honestly, now I am very happy!