A majority would concur that community service is voluntary work with the purpose of benefiting other people in a particular area. However, do volunteers take action to help only for the sole purpose of assisting others? Apart from aiding others, community service has a far deeper significance. It is a meaningful opportunity for individuals to build rapport and harmonious relationships with the beneficiaries, alongside empathizing with the community. As a fellow volunteer and advocate of community service, I am grateful for the opportunity that Africa has enabled me to bond with the community.

There are many types of community service around the world. However, in the case of Africa, it is a bit disparate. Community service projects in developed countries, such as the United States, tend to fall into societal or environmental enhancement. On the other hand, in developing countries, such as Rwanda, where I am currently residing in, community service projects mainly focus on education, as Rwanda is a rapidly growing nation with its current educational development.
 
In my school, International School of Kigali, students are obliged to complete a year’s worth of an individual community service project in their Service Learning course; my partner and I volunteer every Monday to teach mathematics to 2nd graders at Megs Foundation School, a local school in Rwanda, with Mrs. Epiphanie as their principal. For the last six months, we have been teaching addition through division, as well as cementing our relationship with them.
 
[Teaching the 2nd graders of Megs Foundation School division. Photo Credits: Daniel Wang]
 On the first day at Megs Foundation School, I felt extremely apprehensive, as I never had any past teaching experience. In addition, it was difficult to communicate because the students spoke mostly Kinyarwandan, the national language of Rwanda, instead of English. I was forced to use hand gestures to explain and convey my thoughts. The students are did not seem to comprehend that well either. Reflecting on my first day as a teacher, I had a lot of stuff to figure out.
 
Since that day, I immersed myself on how to improve at simplifying my thoughts, so it would be less troubling for the students to understand. After days of contemplation, I finally came to a conclusion: I just had to match their pronunciation.
 
After that, it became trouble-free. The students seemed to perceive most of my explanations, and over time, we grew closer, and I actually felt as if I was empathizing with them. After several months, the students were enlivened every time we visited to teach. We felt fulfilled and truly as a part of the Megs Foundation School community.
 
[Daniel, my partner, is teaching mathematics to 2nd graders. Photo Credits: Justin An]
During my time at Megs Foundation School, I learned various things. At first, I thought of them being benefited by us in the future by assisting them with mathematics. However, as we taught them, I was able to build rapport and relationships with all the kids we taught. Service learning is not just only for the beneficiaries’ profit, but also a splendid way to communicate and be empathetic for both the recipients and the volunteers. 
 
[The elementary students of Megs Foundation School, with Mrs. Epiphanie in the middle. Photo Credits: Justin An]
I am determined to continue volunteering and inspire these young kids so that they can become more motivated in the future. According to Mrs. Epiphanie, her primary incentive behind the construction of Megs Foundation School was to give the kids a chance to achieve higher goals in their education. I hope that my partner and I are able to continue our project as long as possible alongside Mrs. Epiphanie. In the end, we will continue to contribute to the educational development of Rwanda to fullest of our ability and we hope the country will become a prosperous nation in the near future.


 









Justin An
Grade 9
International School of Kigali
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