Alexandra Ijeoma Ikpe said one of her favorite moments from a GIVE trip was when a local guide told her she was a genuine and beautiful person.
“Just hearing that from someone who barely knew me and someone who was welcoming me into their community, no strings attached, made me realize that I am a beautiful person and that everyone has beauty inside of them,” Ikpe said.
GIVE is a global volunteering organization aimed toward college students. During summer and winter breaks, GIVE hosts trips to several different locations, including Nepal, Tanzania and Laos.
Ikpe started volunteering for GIVE as a college sophomore. She has travelled with GIVE to Nicaragua, Tanzania, Nepal, Thailand, Laos and the state of Washington.
Ikpe added that going on GIVE trips helped her grow and find her confidence.
GIVE focuses on what is called asset-based community development. Amanda Melillo, former GIVE volunteer and current GIVE employee, explained that asset-based community development focuses on attending the wants and needs of the local community.
“We aren’t going in as outsiders,” Melillo said. “But we are going in and listening to what ultimately they want out of these projects that we are helping them with.”
Melillo volunteered with GIVE on a trip to Thailand. During that trip, she had the opportunity to teach English as a second language and work on a permaculture plot. Melillo said that volunteers could choose each day what they wanted to work with, so they were not stuck with one activity during the entire trip.
Melillo and Ikpe are now both working with GIVE as ambassadors to find “global citizens” and inspire them to help create global change. According to Melillo, “global citizens” are people who don’t identify with a state, tribe or nation, but as a citizen of the globe, willing to stick up for shared human values.
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