The Impact of Volunteering on Gifted Students
Written by: Hassan Al Hamid, Doroob Al Baraka
The Doroob Scholarship Program’s mission is “to compass the journey of creating your legacy” and this is done through various programs which are part of our Total Giftedness Development Model (TGDM) for nurturing gifted students and alumni. Target-oriented Activities program is one of the pillars of TGDM and last year we took it to the next level by selecting 3 girls, 2 boys and 1 alumnus to travel Zanzibar for volunteering work in an ecovillage and orphanages.
The team helped build a medical centre in the Assalam Community Foundation and spent time with orphans in two orphanages where they got to know the children and distributed gifts to all of them.
The Doroob staff leading the trip saw firsthand the students change in the few days they were there, and to them, the impact was like a beautiful flower blooming in front of their eyes. The lessons in life, the emotional rollercoaster, the laughter, the tears and being forced to think and reconsider what matters and how they see things.
Ahmad, one of the students said that he had lived his life with a clear misunderstanding of what happiness really is. The biggest impact on him was the realization that happiness is within you; it’s inside you and you do not really need much to be happy. It’s all about being content and grateful for every blessing you have.
According to Miral, the trip was a lesson on giving and faith. It was an extraordinary experience that evoked indescribable emotions in her, feelings that you can only “feel if you live them yourself”, and if you have the opportunity, it is an unmissable experience. She says she now knows that gratitude is the key to inner comfort. When you see how people are living in difficult circumstances and yet are full of satisfaction and hope, you also appreciate the blessings you have more. The smile on the children's faces there taught her that even if the world didn't give you everything, you create happiness with your hand.