Trip of a lifetime for Bendigo student
LINDSAY Robinson is hoping her first trip overseas brings about some positive change – both for her destination and herself.
On Monday, the Bendigo student will head to South Africa for a four-week trip with the International Student Volunteer program.
Lindsay, 20, will spend the first two weeks of her trip working in the heart of Cape Town alongside 14 fellow young volunteers.
“We’ll mainly be working with kids in school and providing activities for them outside of school so they’re not out on the streets,” Lindsay said.
“We’ll also be building a vegetable garden and we’ll be going into the slums to upgrade some houses there.”
Lindsay first heard about the ISV program through La Trobe University where she is in her second year of studying education.
She chose to become an ISV volunteer to help others.
“ISV really researches the areas where they send people to volunteer so they know what work will have the biggest impact on the area,” she said.
“It’s good to know that what I’ll be doing will have a lasting effect on the community. Even though I won’t be there to see it I know I’m part of something bigger.”
The last two weeks will see the young volunteer enjoy South Africa through various safaris and tours. Ahead of her month-long journey, Lindsay said she was looking forward to the cultural experiences the most.
“I’m looking forward to submerging myself into another culture, it will be good to see how other people live.
“Particularly because we’ll be in Cape Town where there’s a lot of poverty and that’s something we don’t really see in Australia.”
Lindsay hopes these experiences will also benefit her career in education.
“Cape Town is known for being quite multicultural and it’s going to give me that interaction with people from different countries,” she said.
