The Joy of Reaching Out: My Journey with Humanitarian Service

_{During a humanitarian service as Youth Corpers last year}

I realize that reaching out to people who need help is one fulfilling thing to do. It brings a sense of comfort, hope, and encouragement to them. You know how worry can weigh someone down, even to the extent of leading such a person to commit suicide or doing things to hurt themselves the more, but when someone comes around to encourage them, it makes a huge difference. They feel warm, they feel good, and they are cheered up. This brings a light of hope to them.

Humanitarian services are something essential in our world today. We have people who are in need — the refugees, the homeless, orphans, and even those affected by disasters. I have seen people come together to proffer solutions for this set of people and also to give them a glimmer of hope again. Everyone is suffering and going through one pain or the other, and many times, all we have to do is reach out and, in different ways, help.

If everyone in this world could practice just one act of kindness or help to another person, trust me, the world would become better, mostly when we agree to do things in unity and not come up with disagreements.

I understand when people are in some pain that I have gone through. I remember how it was hard for my dad, siblings, and I to cope with feeding when our mom left us to the great beyond. I knew how hard life was, and when I see people in such situations today, I don’t hesitate to reach out and give them what I’m capable of doing.

During my service, I ensured I became useful around my neighbourhood. There was this family I made sure I was always reaching out to, plus other people who I could see around me who needed my help. I would lend my support to them, not for anything but for the fact that I know how difficult it is for most families in today’s economy to be able to feed. And since I had enough to share, I saw it as fulfilling purpose because it’s what God is pleased with.

Whenever I watch or read online how people come together in groups to help and support those who are dying of hunger, those who are sick, in pain, or going through depression, and they extend their help with necessary resources, I feel so happy and pray for them. It warms my heart. This is what our world needs. It’s important to reach out to those who are suffering because there are a lot of people who are going through hell just to survive, and even if little help is given, it goes a long way in turning things around for them.

Humanitarian services also have to do with creating awareness of certain things, like giving tips on how to live healthily.

_{Reaching out to the students at my PPA on a career talk}

I loved how the program hosted during my service in my CDS (community development service), in creating awareness about the abuse of drugs, was executed. We all teamed up together, going from house to house, from street to street, creating such awareness. It pleased the king of the town to see how passionate we were in bringing such initiative to reach out to every individual under drug abuse, and I was proud to be part of it, too.

It has been a long-time dream to reach out to any orphanage home someday, and it's something I will like to do in the future. I hope everything works out well by then so I can share with the children and put smiles on their faces. I believe they are those we mustn't forget, but rather extend our humanitarian services to.

So, I believe in reaching out to those who need help and also in providing services that would be of benefit to people in the world and around us. A change starts from one person, and it continues like that until we have a better world that makes everyone equal and encourages living together in unity.

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_{This post is in response to the prompt hosted by the Hive Reachout community which can be found by clicking this link. I will be inviting @emerald24 and @oluwa-tosin to participate, too.}

_{All images belong to me}