Youth speaks: Sam's story

It’s the weekend, so it’s a ‘youth speaks’ blog and the chance to hear from one of the young people I’ve taken out on a trip this year.

It’s a real privilege to be part of these trips with young people, and to witness the life-transforming effect that the trips have. It’s one of the great aspects of the CRED team trips, as they go and get involved in voluntary work, learn about life in that country, get inspired by the projects and return to the UK with a renewed or even new focus on life.

Today’s blog tells the story of one young man who came on a recent trip to Uganda. I’ll call him Sam, for confidentiality reasons, and after a bit of background about him and his life circumstances, will give his thoughts on the impacts of the trip, both immediately and then a few months later.

Sam has a younger brother, 4 years his junior, who has foetal alcoholic syndrome and ADHD. He also has an older sister. His mother is an alcoholic and Sam’s only memory of her is when she was drunk and bringing home a different man each night.

When Sam was age 5, he and his siblings were removed from the mother’s care and went to live with the grandmother; they stayed there for 5 years until grandma had an emergency health scare with her liver resulting in sudden hospitalization. Sam and his siblings then went to stay with his maternal uncle who opted to foster them long-term, so as to ensure they stayed within the family. They have been with the uncle, and his male partner ever since, although Sam’s sister has now moved out and lives independently.

Sam, who has had about 20 social workers in his time, has been cited many times as a success story regarding fostering as he has never been in trouble and has done well at school. He progressed through the education system in the regular fashion, and has just completed year 13. He has a conditional offer at University to study Educational Studies and Physical Education and will be the first person in his family to go to University

When chatting about the Uganda trip, the highlight was knowing that the team have potentially made a change for the better in the lives of some children, and that they can continue to help when get they home through financial support of projects and raising awareness.

Sam spoke of chatting to lad at a street kids centre where we helped out for a week, and the lad had said how he really wants to be able to go to school again. Sam was able to do some worksheets with him and help him with some educational input and at the end of the day the lad came up to say goodbye and Sam used the chance to really encourage him in keeping on trying to get back to school – ‘it felt good to be able to have the chance to encourage him in that way’.

‘I just feel so so lucky to be here doing this’

At the end of the trip, Sam summed up how he thought the trip had changed him: ‘the way I think about things, what people need in life and the path I’m going to take – all that is changing in me, and in the way I think’.

He’d like to get on another trip like this one so that he can continue to change lives in such a positive way.

Three months later, I met up with Sam and we chatted about what the longer-term impacts of the trip had been.  Here are his thoughts:

The lasting change this trip has made to my life is that I should make the most of what I have, be happy with what I have, and value life, because I’ve seen children living on the streets. When I look back to myself months before the trip, moaning to my uncle I wanted my room decorating, I feel really disappointed in my behaviour. This trip has taught me a lot of things and changed the way I look at certain things. This trip will forever be in my memory and it won't be my last trip. The trip gave me a hunger to help and get back over there. Every little bit of work we put into the build up seemed effortless when we got out there because we realised that how they live is tough, we have it easy!

When I asked him what changes his family has seen in him, he responded thus:

My uncles saw that I was a lot less wasteful! Whether this be electricity, food or water I would not waste like I did previous to the trip. I was a lot more thankful for what they had done for me, I appreciated them and what we had more because I know families in Uganda have next to nothing and are fighting to survive. It just made me realise how lucky I am to have a home, a healthy life, and a loving family. He was happy that I saw what I had because he knew that I had changed my behaviour and mind set.

Finally I asked Sam how did he see the trip having any further impact on his life, and this was his reply:

This trip has made me hungry to go on another trip just because I know we have made a change to people lives for the better. Also I think when I am older and I have children when they are a similar age to me I would try and persuade them to be a part of a trip like this because it changes how you act and think. It's the perfect opportunity to find yourself and realise where you want to be later on in life; and a trip like this makes you want to keep on working till you succeed.

 Well done Sam! A great team member, and may the impacts live on in you.