Name: Arielle Abrahamson
From: Johannesburg South Africa ??
Volunteers in: South Africa
What type of volunteer work do you do?
I work with a humanitarian aid NGO to distribute hand to hand aid, and CADENA SA is running a new campaign where we are collaborating with a pastor and a minibus taxi sanitising project. We will be cleaning taxis at various places throughout the day with a new type of hand sanitiser. They are pills which become a sanitiser when mixed with regular water. This not only brings down the cost, but it cuts down on the trash caused by all the plastic bottles.
I have also been working with a heritage center reviewing policy reform for equal rights of refugees. Community work is also an active part of my volunteering, like working in refugee camps. Before COVID-19 hit, I was supposed to be part of an international team to open up a hospital for those displaced by the Gaza war.
How did you know you wanted to volunteer?
Advocacy for injustice, wanting to be a part of the solution to pain in systems in society, and being a voice for the unseen has been part of me since I can remember. One event that prompted me to volunteer was attending the March of the Living. Going to Majdanek death camp, which could be up and running within 8 hours was a shock to my system. After that experience, I chose to commit to doing what I would have liked to be done for the Jewish nation during the Holocaust — administering humanitarian aid for refugees.
How is your life different now that you volunteer and work in humanitarian aid?
I feel deep. I feel fulfilment, excitement, pride, passion and a desire to do more. It’s gotten my creative juices flowing and had caused me to reflect more deeply, taking a look at my ethics and principles. It causes me to consider the mark I want to leave on this earth.
For social media
How is your life different now that you volunteer and work in humanitarian aid?
I feel deep. I feel fulfillment, excitement, pride, passion and a desire to do more. It’s gotten my creative juices flowing and had caused me to reflect more deeply, taking a look at my ethics and principles. It causes me to consider the mark I want to leave on this earth.
We will be cleaning taxis at various places throughout the day with a new type of hand sanitiser. They are pills which become a sanitiser when mixed with regular water. This not only brings down the cost, but it cuts down on the trash caused by all the plastic bottles.
