關注社會:大學生志願者走進非洲

Volunteering is hardly a new thing for college students. But how about volunteering in Africa?

參與志願者活動對於大學生們來說早已不是什麼新鮮事了。但去非洲做志願者呢？

Of course this conjures up stereotypes such as shabby accommodation, unmade roads, malaria and huge expense.

當然，談到這，相信很多人腦海中又會浮現出一些對非洲的固有成見，諸如破舊不堪的住所、未經修築的道路，瘧疾以及鉅額開銷等等。

With young Chinese's horizons expanding thanks to the country's deepening integration with the international community, volunteer work in Africa is gaining momentum.

隨着中國同國際社會的不斷融合，中國青年一代的視野也變得開闊起來；志願者走進非洲活動發展迅速。

According to Guangzhou Association of Youth Volunteers, during a recruitment drive in March more than 650 students applied for 18 volunteer jobs in the Republic of Seychelles in Africa.

廣州青年志願者協會表示，在今年三月份舉辦的志願者招募活動中，有650多名學生參與申請了赴非洲塞舌爾共和國的18個志願工作機會。

"The number of college students applying to do volunteer work in Africa has increased over the years," said Yang Guang, a staff member of the Wuhan Youth League Committee. For Chinese volunteers their African experience can be rewarding.

來自武漢共青團委的楊光（音譯）表示："近年來，大學生申請走進非洲做志願服務的人數呈上升趨勢。"而對於中國的志願者來說，在非洲的這段經歷的確令人受益頗豐。

Pan Di, a 25-year-old from Tianjin Foreign Studies University, went to Kenya two years ago as a volunteer English teacher in a ghetto in Nairobi, the capital.

25歲的潘迪（音譯）來自天津外國語大學。她兩年前曾以志願者的身份，前往肯尼亞首都內羅畢的貧民區做一名英文老師。

It was a community of half a million poverty-stricken people. Pan was robbed upon her arrival. Verbal abuse to foreigners was not unusual. Living conditions were even worse than she imagined. Pan admitted she felt frustrated and disappointed.

那裏是一個擁有50萬貧民的社區。潘迪一到那裏便遭遇了搶劫。對於外國人的言語中傷也是常見的事情。那裏的生活條件甚至比她預想的還要糟糕。潘迪承認自己當時感到沮喪和失望。

"But my experiences there taught me to remain calm and collected in the face of adversity or even mistreatment. Now I'm more open-minded," said Pan.

潘迪表示："但在非洲的經歷教會了我在面對逆境，甚至是不公時，要保持鎮靜。現在我變得更開通了。"

Li Chen, a Shandong University graduate, found his experience of volunteer work in Africa more substantial.

而畢業於山東大學的李晨（音譯）則認爲他在非洲的這段志願者經歷更有實質意義。

He did volunteer work as a publicist for AIDS/HIV in Tanzania last year. Li, 23, made new friends from Canada and the US. They are veteran volunteers who travel around the world working with international organizations and groups.

去年，他作爲一名志願者前往坦桑尼亞從事艾滋病的宣傳工作。在那裏，23歲的他結識了來自加拿大和美國的新朋友。這些義工老兵環遊世界，爲一些國際組織和團體效力。

One of them recommended Li to a Guangzhou-based NGO as an intern and Li was later offered a full-time job there.

他們中的一位將李晨引薦給廣州某非政府組織做實習生，後來他在那裏得到了一份全職工作。

"International organizations and NGOs of every kind have a presence in Africa. It is the ideal place to form a network that would help your career in a related field," said Li.

李晨表示："各種國際組織及非政府組織都會長期駐紮非洲。那裏是一個建立關係網的理想之地，這將對你今後在相關領域中的職業生涯有所幫助。"

Zhang Qi, head of Sunshine Volunteer Group, based in Beijing, agrees that volunteering in Africa can be rewarding.

北京陽光志願者協會負責人張琪（音譯）表示去非洲做志願者的確大有裨益。

He encourages more students to think out of box and to broaden their horizons in order to cope with China's international role.

他鼓勵更多的學生能打破常規，開拓視野，以便應對中國在國際舞臺上的角色。

"Many college students are either too busy studying or too confined to campus life to explore the world," said Zhang.

"許多大學生要麼一心撲在學習上，要麼將自己封閉在校園生活之中，無法去探知世界。" 張琪說。

"Travel abroad as a volunteer is one of the best ways to open one's eyes."

"以志願者身份出國旅行，則是拓展視野的最佳途徑之一。"