Building in Africa
by Alexandra Brown
In December this year,
UniSA student Nicole Murray
(pictured), is going to Mutumbu, a small village in Kenya,
Africa to volunteer with World Youth International.
The third year physio student has worked with children all her life and has always wanted to travel overseas and help those in need. Also going to volunteer is Nicole’s partner, Ben Moffatt who will use his skills as a builder to help with the projects.
"What drives both of us is making a difference to someone’s life over there," he says.
The couple has a number of things planned for their time there, all dependent on how much money they can raise before they leave.
While in Mutumbu they will be working on projects already established by World Youth International that are waiting for people like them to implement.
The projects will include building homes for children and women widowed by HIV and AIDS, and feeding and caring for children orphaned by disease. They will also work on a number of sustainable income projects that will assist the community in being self-sufficient once they have returned home.
As a third year physio student, working with the development of children is extremely close to Murray’s heart.
"When I finish my physio degree I hope to work in Paediatrics," she says.
"I recently completed a paediatric placement with UniSA and it further encouraged me to want to work with children all over the world who don’t have the privileges that Australian children have."
Despite being unable to practice physio while there, Murray’s knowledge of things like nutrition and child development, will be invaluable to the people of Mutumbu.
The couple have already paid for their own airfares and WYI program fees. Now, they are raising money that will go directly to their organised projects in the Mutumbu community. For more information or to donate go to their website.