HANDS TO SERVE AND HEARTS TO LOVE

These words were written by Mother Teresa years ago, but today they seem more important than ever. For these women, love and humanity have become a way of life

Words to live by

‘I took my little girl to Africa – and it changed our lives’ Stepping outside her comfort zone to help people who have nothing has brought Lottie Moore a lifelong sense of purpose and community

My path to volunteering started almost by chance. I was a social worker living in Oxfordshire and raising my daughter, Maddy, as a single parent. Life hadn’t turned out how I expected, and I was beginning to feel dissatisfied. I felt a pull inside me; the sense that there must be more out there than this.

Around that time, I had a chance meeting with the founder of an aid organisation in Burkina Faso, in West Africa. I found his experiences fascinating, and when he said ‘come and see for yourself’, I said yes. I longed to step outside my comfort zone, have new experiences and make a difference in the world.

Nothing could have prepared me for our year in Burkina Faso. It was then the third poorest place on the planet, and some of my family and friends tried to talk me out if it. For Maddy, it seemed like a big adventure. At 10, she was still dependent on me – she took it in her stride, accepting that as long as Mum was with her, everything would be okay. She had tuition in Africa to keep up with her studies.

When we arrived, I began to feel less certain of my decision. Our accommodation was extremely basic. There was often no electricity and we had to get our water from the nearby well, leaving plastic bottles out on the balcony to warm up before we could wash. There had been serious flooding, and thousands of people were trying to rebuild their lost homes. It was

devastating to see the way they were living, and gives me goosebumps to this day.

It was Maddy who opened my eyes. As we walked through the dusty, bustling streets, she turned to me. ‘Look, Mum, everyone’s smiling,’ she said. From then on, my outlook changed. I saw the community spirit, the generosity and beauty. I stopped focusing on what I didn’t have and learnt to appreciate what I did.

I taught English and helped in the local health centre. Classes often had as many as 90 children, some of whom had walked over 10km to get to school. Hardly any had eaten breakfast and many weren’t wearing shoes. Yet they were all so keen to learn, and greeted me with beaming smiles.

Maddy helped the children with English and taught the teachers IT skills. Once a fortnight the local hairdresser would put braids in her hair, and she became good friends with the hairdresser’s two daughters. She still remembers how they had one Barbie doll between them, and they’d take it in turns to have it for the day.

Our time in Africa was life affirming. When we came home, I walked into a supermarket, then walked straight back out again in tears. The calls to spend money and the huge range of choice was simply too much.

Now I support Giving Africa and I’m a trustee, volunteering alongside running my own business. I’ve learnt to be more grateful for what I have. Living in Africa came with hardships, but the people showed us that life is a blessing and there’s always a reason to smile.