Gaining a new perspective on life: Duffy’s Awaken experience.

22 Nov 2019
Author: Kathryn Chung
2 minute read

Duffy, one of our 2019 Awaken participants, shares his Awaken experience and how it gave him a new perspective on life.

I was living in the Middle East when I first heard about Awaken. Me and my wife were looking for a way to give back. Someone who had been on a previous trip had stopped in and told us about it and it piqued our interest. There was this fit with the theme of empowering women which had always been something we’d talked about together.

At the beginning, the biggest challenge for me was actually signing up and saying “yes we’re going to do it.”

But once we’d said yes, we were amazed by the generosity of the people around us. Friends would organise events back home to help us fundraise, these kinds of things were massive in getting us across the line.

Arriving in Malawi.

When we arrived in Malawi, I was struck by was the massive contrast between the villages where The Hunger Project had been for years, and the ones that had just started out.

One community had been working with The Hunger Project for eight years. Seeing the transformation of a whole community was incredibly moving, and witnessing the ways people had taken back control and transformed their own lives convinced me that this strategy works.

Understanding where my priorities stand.

My whole Awaken experience gave me a better understanding on life and where my priorities stood. I learned that a lot of it starts with yourself and your own self care and leadership skills.

Having recently become a dad, commitment to family was a huge priority for me. Awaken has opened my eyes and empowered me to reflect on my priorities and find a positive balance in my life.

Are you looking for a new perspective on life? Sign up for Awaken 2020!