Even as a little girl, watching documentaries about children in Africa, I dreamed that one day I would go there myself. That dream stayed with me for years, until this summer, when it finally came true. I spent a month volunteering at the St. Anthony’s Orphanage in Tanzania, and I returned home with memories and emotions that are difficult to put into words.

Our first meeting with the older children was a little shy and awkward, but it didn’t take long for us to feel comfortable around one another. I think they quickly realized that we were, in fact, just big kids ourselves, always ready to laugh, play and dance. Before long, we had become true friends.

Our days started early, taking the children to school, and after breakfast, we helped distribute school fees. Still, my favourite moments were when the children returned from school. That was when the singing, dancing and laughter began, and in the evenings, we would sit together again and help them with their homework. The children constantly amazed me with their cheerful spirits. Their smiles, their love of dancing, their excitement over ice cream, their hugs, and the special way they called me “auntie” became part of my everyday life. Sometimes I wonder how it is possible for someone to be so full of smiles, almost 24 hours a day. Then I think of them and realize just how much joy can be found in the simplest things.

If Tanzania taught me anything, it was to slow down. Pole pole, as they say — slowly, slowly. To stop rushing towards the next task, the next goal or some future moment, and instead truly be present in what is happening right now. To laugh, dance and sing more, and worry less about things that may not even be that important. Life is happening right now, and I want to learn how to truly live it that way.

Today, whenever I think of Tanzania, they are the first thing that comes to mind. Their smiles, dancing, hugs, and the song “Che Che Kule” that still echoes in my head. I also remember how much I received from them, even though I went there intending to be the one who would give. It is hard to explain how much someone can mean to you in just one month, but now I know that, for some people, time simply isn’t a measure of closeness.

If you are thinking about volunteering, my message is simple: just do it. It will change your life. Not because you will change the whole world, but because certain people, certain hugs and certain ordinary days will change you forever.

Upendo na shukrani (love and gratitude), because that is what it is all about. ❤️

Andrea Sučić