Volunteering will take you places | Guilian Asongtia

When most people hear this, their minds immediately jump to global opportunities: scholarships, fellowships, travel. They picture boarding a plane.

But here’s the truth: before volunteering takes you across borders, it often takes you to corners of your own community that you never even knew existed.

Last year, during the Open Dreams Summer Academy #ODSA2024, we visited the waterside community of Dibamba on the outskirts of Douala, where fishing is the heartbeat of daily life.

Together with the pre-scholars, we played, danced, and sang with the children. What started as a simple visit turned into a moment of joy, warmth, and shared humanity.

Those memories came rushing back today as we went out for a site survey, preparing for the community project of the 2025 batch of Open Dreams pre-scholars. This project is one of the highlights of the Summer Academy. For many pre-scholars, it’s their first experience of giving back, and giving back is a value we hold dearly at OD.

Each project humbles me deeply. It reminds me of the privileges I often take for granted. I may not yet be where I want to be, but I remain grateful to God and the universe for how far I’ve come.

If there’s one lesson Dibamba taught me, it’s this: giving does not require abundance.

We went there to donate, but in return, we were welcomed with open arms, overflowing kindness, and even food to share and take home.

I can’t wait to see what this year’s project will teach me, and the lessons we will carry forward as a community of dreamers and doers.

- Guilian Asongtia | Open Dreams