Volunteering With Raleigh Changed My Life — Maybe Even Saved It

When Emily joined a Raleigh Expedition in South Africa as a VM Content Creator and Photographer, she didn’t know it would end up being an experience which would totally change her life. 6 months on, after completing her South Africa Expedition and a further Borneo Expedition, she shares her powerful story on the transformative and impactful experience that she had with Raleigh.

My Raleigh Story

This will sound cliche, I know, but if the me from a year ago met the me of today, I doubt she’d recognise her at all.

This was the realisation I came to 35,000 feet above sea level, sat hunched over an untouched tray of aeroplane food, trying (and failing) to sob discreetly on the way home from my Raleigh Borneo Expedition.

I had been crying, but these weren’t really sad tears. Of course, I was emotional about the end of my half a year with Raleigh International, and aching at the thought of leaving behind the people and places I’d come to love so deeply.

I was overwhelmed by a rare feeling of self-pride: “I did that!” Overwhelmed by self-realisation and a love for life that I hadn’t felt in years. Overwhelmed by the utter relief that I was finally living my life instead of letting it pass me by.

For about six months, I volunteered with Raleigh International as a Venturer Manager (VM), Content Creator and Photographer in South Africa and subsequently Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Those who know me know that I have a flair for the dramatic, but I mean this with all my heart: volunteering with Raleigh International changed my life… and honestly? Probably saved it too.

Before Raleigh

Without going into too many details, I was at a stage in my life where things were rough. Stagnation was destroying me, and I knew I had to take a huge leap into the unknown to make a change in my life. Joining Raleigh International as a volunteer was that leap for me.

I had heard about Raleigh before… My Mum had done it about 30 years ago, had the time of her life, and many of her best friends now are from then. At first, I had thought I was too old and that the cut-off for volunteering was 24, but when I realised that I could go as a VM, I started looking into Raleigh more seriously.

Everything I would hear about Raleigh sounded almost too good to be true. But after doing my research and being reassured that Raleigh wasn’t a “white saviour voluntourism” sort, I decided I would give it a shot. I applied to be a Content Creator and Photographer for South Africa, and the rest is history.

Find out more: Raleigh International Venturer Manager Positions

Raleigh South Africa

My first Raleigh experience was in South Africa, from September to December 2024.

During our VM training, I got to know the incredible Raleigh South Africa team and my co-VMs as we lived together at the farm-house-field-base, having a braai and playing ice breaker games together.

While working as a Content Creator and Photographer, I gained a newfound appreciation for my multimedia storytelling skill set. I ran the @raleighsouthafrica_ Instagram account, conducted interviews, edited videos and photos and even wrote a few articles! Additionally, as a VM, I assisted the Project Coordinators with supporting the Venturers (young people aged 17-24).

Community:

We worked in partnership with Nourish Eco Village. Together, we built netball courts for school children, created a hydroponics system, helped teach the “Eco Kidz” programme, painted educational murals and games for the local community, and much more. The team at Nourish taught us the phrase: “Ubuntu” -I am what I am because of who we all are- and I can’t think of a better word to encapsulate this project.

Environmental

We camped in the bush at the Cape Vulture Conservancy, where we were surrounded by gorgeous South African wildlife! I joined Venturers in conservation work like making firebreaks, maintaining a permaculture garden, clearing invasive plants, surveying vultures and other birds, and conducting snare sweeps.

Trek

We trekked through the bush and into the breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains! We swam in waterfalls, sat outside our tents and watched the fireflies circle us, and made incredible friendships. This phase is all about personal growth, and every single person on this trek had to push themselves physically and emotionally. It took teamwork, resilience, and a lot of determination, but watching everyone realise what they were capable of was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.

I got to see so much wildlife as I explored the Kruger area with Raleigh while also getting to live and work alongside members of local communities. The whole Expedition was such a diverse experience!

Read now: Raleigh International 2024 Impact Report

Raleigh Borneo

When I got the chance to do another three months as a Content Creator and Photographer, I threw myself at the opportunity. Between January and April 2025, I spent an extraordinary time volunteering in Borneo.

As a Content Creator and Photographer, I helped launch the new @raleighborneo_ Instagram page. I took and edited hundreds of photos capturing the Venturer’s once-in-a-lifetime experiences in Sabah, conducted interviews, managed social media and also filmed and edited 9 “Raleigh Debrief” videos for Raleigh Brand Ambassador Aydan Al-Saad.

In this position I continued to realise the potential content creation and multimedia storytelling have for promoting connection, education and social change. Some of my proudest moments were interviewing Mastupang, the head of the indigenous mangrove community of Sungai Eloi, and Efsie, a Raleigh alumna and now community liaison from Rumantai village, about their community’s histories and the impact of their collaboration with Raleigh.

In my VM position, I supported the growth and well-being of Venturers, helping in facilitating their leadership journeys. This pushed me out of my comfort zone, and taught me a lot about adaptability, compromise, confidence and empathetic leadership. I even helped create mental health support plans and taught some of the venturers about mindfulness.

Throughout the Expedition, I took part in all three Phases:

Community:

Living and working in Rumantai, a village only recently recognised by the government, where we supported infrastructure and development projects. We worked on road maintenance, drainage and rain mitigation projects, as well as building an extension for the church guest house.

Environmental

Environmental work in the coastal mangrove village of Sungai Eloi, working closely with JOAS, an indigenous peoples organisation. We were building a jetty to facilitate the community’s transportation, fishing and recreation, as well as doing mangrove wildlife data collection!

Trek

Trekking through the Bornean jungle carrying everything we needed on our backs, sleeping in hammocks and community halls, and developing resilience, leadership and teamwork skills.

It wasn’t all hard work, though. My memories – seeing wild orangutans along the Kinabatangan River, visiting a Sun Bear Conservation Centre, walking along the beach, trekking through the jungle, falling asleep in hammocks to the lull of nature and singing, dancing, and sharing meals with the fantastic communities I found myself in – will stay with me for the rest of my life.

It is also wonderful to volunteer with an organisation like Raleigh International, which refuses to subscribe to the “white saviour” mindset and instead collaborates with local communities and NGOs. I was excited to be able to do a small presentation to the Venturers during induction, discussing “white saviourism”.

My time in South Africa and Sabah wasn’t all smooth sailing, of course, I had my fair share of “blips” and moments of exhaustion.

There were challenges that I had to grit my teeth and push through… we trekked through the bush and mountains of South Africa or the thickets of the Bornean jungles, digging our own toilets, carrying all our food on our backs,. But Raleigh is tough because it’s meant to be. In fact, some of my fondest memories were moments of euphoria when I overcame an obstacle.

My growth didn’t just come from overcoming challenges, however, but from the roles that I found myself in.

My role as Content Creator and Photographer showed me that I can utilise both my creativity and my passion to help promote some incredible causes through multimedia storytelling. I felt so supported and appreciated for the work I did, which was a huge boost to my self-esteem.

When I originally signed up for the role, I was a bit doubtful about how I’d fare. Now I see the power that social media and multimedia storytelling can have in raising awareness about important issues and connecting people. I have much more confidence in the work I am capable of, and am considering continuing to do photography and content creation in my future now.

The combination of collaborating with awesome organisations for important causes, getting to be a part of a lot of young adults’ leadership journeys and supporting them in every way I could, AS WELL as getting the creative freedom to produce content that I believed in, was just so empowering.

Where I Am Now

I am endlessly thankful for the opportunity I got to explore the world in a meaningful way, all while growing as a person.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend becoming a VM to anyone who wants to inject something new into their life, or who wants a change of pace. You don’t have to be a 19 year old on a gap year to volunteer and have these incredible experiences. I worked with people of all ages, many of whom were taking a sabbatical. It is the sort of programme that gives you no choice but to grow into a better version of yourself.

Last year I was -for lack of a better word- rotting.Raleigh reignited that passion for life and creativity in me. So when I say Raleigh changed my life, saved it even, I’m not just saying it to be histrionic.. I believe in myself now. I can’t tell you that I am 100% the woman I want to be – maybe that’s not possible for anyone – but I am moving in the right direction. And that’s what’s important.