Audiopedia would be nothing without its volunteers. We would like to introduce to you some of them with our "Volunteer Stories". This one is about Memy from Rwanda.
"My name is Emmy M. Mmbone my friends call me Memy. I was born and raised in a small town called Voi in Kenya. I love nature, traveling, volunteering, cooking and so much more. At the moment I am residing in Kigali, Rwanda. When I was barely introduced to the world, my parents taught me the importance of helping others, serving the poor, the needy and being a good citizen. My journey as a volunteer began immediately after I completed high school in 2006 as a way to connect with my community.
I believe that we as individuals have a bigger responsibility to society and the world outside of the roles we have at school and at work. Winston Churchill said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." I always feel satisfied whenever I help someone. When we connect with our communities and the world at large through social service, volunteerism we can affect real change. Like a lot of young people, I have a very busy life. However, I’ve always made room for social service and volunteering.
I came to know about Audiopedia through social media, Facebook to be precise. I developed interest and visited Audiopedia's Facebook page and got the link to their website. I informed them that I would love to be a part of them and they accepted. First they gave me a role as English to Kiswahili Translator, later on, based on my experience as a presenter & editor they promoted me to a proofreader. My journey with Audiopedia has been exciting and informative.
The founder Madam Felicitas Heyne and Co founder Mr. Marcel Heyne have also been a great help to me. They are amazing people to work with, however if they get more help from translators, proofreaders and funds from well wishers I know they will be able to reach out to more people around the world.
Even after all of these years of volunteering, I’m still motivated to do the same, and to help everyone who wants to be of service. The biggest thrill I get from volunteering is the joy I feel and the sense of pride that comes from each time I serve people. For me, volunteerism is the conscience of humanity: it transcends us as individuals and as people. Through our love for volunteering, we serve our country, region & the entire world and progress as a people.
The biggest honor I’ve gotten from volunteering is the intrinsic value of giving. The appreciation I’ve received as a volunteer for Audiopedia has been a huge inspiration for me, and has encouraged me to continue my volunteer service. When you do good to someone, don't expect to be paid lots of money, just do good and walk away because the greatest reward that you will get might not be instant or visible however it will impact someone's life tremendously.
The largest and most substantial impact we can have as volunteers is to inspire others to take up the same passion, the passion of volunteerism. Many of the youth today might think volunteering is not their "thing" or rewarding, however, that’s not true. My advice to you is to seize any volunteer opportunity, especially Audiopedia, because it is memorable and immensely rewarding. Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. What are you waiting for?"
Click here to learn more about our Volunteer Translator Program.