NEVER TOO OLD
A new volunteer experience.
Julien Comeau had long considered doing volunteer work abroad and last year he decided it was time.
The Belliveau Cove, Digby County, resident – who spent three weeks in November in the African country of Ghana as part of a group working at a school – recalls the thought process that led to his decision.
“I had what you might call an age reality check last summer,” he says. “I realized I was 75. I said, ‘well, gee, I better open up my bucket list again’ and that’s basically what I did.”
Comeau learned about International Volunteer HQ, a New Zealand-based organization. He communicated with them, liked what they had to offer and decided to pursue a volunteer opportunity in Ghana.
It ended up being “an extraordinary and very fulfilling three weeks,” he says.
Comeau was by far the oldest of the 10 people in his group. One man was 48 and the rest were between 18 and 25. During his first day on the job Comeau asked the foreman what was the oldest volunteer he’d ever had working there. The foreman said he wasn’t sure, but when Comeau asked him if they’d ever had a 75-year-old, the foreman gave a definitive no.
Comeau responded by saying, “Well, you have one now.”
The foreman was surprised, shocked even, telling Comeau it was quite an accomplishment and an inspiration for others.
Comeau was the only Canadian in his group of 10, the others being from Germany, Romania, England, Ireland, the U.S., Cyprus and Ecuador.
“There were only three of us who were actually in construction,” Comeau says, referring to his work during the Ghana trip, which consisted mainly of repairing walls, making new concrete steps, painting, pouring new concrete floors etc.
The school they were working on had been built by volunteers at least a decade or so ago. The locals were very friendly and appreciative, Comeau says.
He and the others in his group stayed in living quarters consisting of bunk beds, a dining room and recreation room, with meals provided by in-house cooks and caretakers.
“We walked 30 minutes to the construction site every day, very early in the morning,” he says, “and we only worked until noon because of the heat. Afternoons were spent relaxing, playing cards or games with the children.”
Weekends were a chance to do some sightseeing in the local area or go to Accra, Ghana’s capital and biggest city. The village where Comeau’s group stayed had electricity (available only to those who lived close to the road), no running water, no cars or bicycles or internet.
As he reflected on the experience, Comeau says he will have fond memories of the local residents.
“The hospitality of the village people and the smiles of the children will have a long-lasting and beneficial effect on me,” he says.
Comeau – who has travelled extensively – is already planning to return to Africa in April, again through IVHQ, this time to Zambia and Botswana to work in an elderly-care facility, he says, “basically doing anything that’s required, whether it’s maintenance or cleaning or doing dishes or preparing meals.”
A grandson of the late Edmond Comeau – founder of the E.M. Comeau lumber and sawmill operation – Julien Comeau owned and operated R.A. Belliveau Building Supplies for 31 years, closing it down and retiring in 2008. Prior to acquiring that business, Comeau had spent nine years as a dentist, starting in 1969.
“My father was one of the sons of E.M. Comeau,” he says. “I was born and raised in that environment ... So in 1977 I had a chance to buy a lumber and building supplies store, which I did. I left dentistry and I bought the business and I never looked back.”
As for his experience in Ghana, Comeau hopes it will inspire people to consider taking on a similar challenge.
“Volunteering is for anyone with an open mind and a desire for adventure,” he says. “Some people think it’s only for young people, but I highly recommend it for a capable senior or retired person who wishes to help in any area in the world in need of assistance. There is no age limit to volunteering. There is no limit to giving.”