Saving the World Two Tanks at a Time

Perhaps you're wondering what I'm up to when I'm not doing walking tours of Prague, visiting Bone Chapels or being called a Step-geek. 

Well, I am an intern at an NGO, the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award for Young People: Czech Republic (it’s called the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment in South Africa). I have completed the gold level of the Award, which means that I completed 5 tasks: learned a new skill, did 72hrs of community service, went on a 5-day adventure hike, participated in a sport and spent one month at a residential project. All these tasks had to be completed within the space of 18 months and I had to show progress in each component. 

I'd never really thought about doing the Award until half way through my second last year of high school. The main reason I hadn't considered it, was because of the adventure hike. I am a city-slicker through and through. Hiking is not my cup of tea. But I thought "it's now or never" (I seem to do that a lot) and decided to do the Award. 

Image: http://www.holidaybug.co.za/the-best-hikes-garden-route/

For the residential project, I got to spend one month in Thailand and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. I found myself in a small village in the north of Thailand, in the mountains. The village had no drinking water, no electricity and no showers. It was really basic. The week before we arrived, they had built one flushing toilet. I bet you're thinking "Wow. Is this the same girl who hates hiking?" Well, something changed that year. 

    

Our task was to provide the village with clean drinking water. This entailed finding a water source, digging trenches from the water source to the village, laying down pipes and building two large water storage tanks. Standing in front of those tanks and hearing the water run into them and knowing that the village would have fresh water long after we left, must be the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

Perhaps not the most stable-looking scaffolding. 
Don't look now, mom!

The Team

The Thai people were so warm and accommodating and although we did not speak the same language, we managed to get by with smiles. I stayed in the same little house as the grandfather of the village, with two other girls on the project. Every night, without fail, Gramps would shake the entire house with his thunderous snoring, and every morning, the village rooster would crow right underneath us. Oh, did I mention I’m not too keen on birds either!

With Gramps

I really believe that the Duke of Edinburgh's Award has played an important part of who I have become in the last few years, and it doesn't hurt that it looks great on my CV. But who would have thought that I would land up interning in Prague!

8 million young people from 140 countries around the world have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Check the Award out at: http://www.intaward.org/

On my way to save the world...