Curious to see what an exchange experience is actually about? What adventures expect you when you decide to step outside of your comfort zone? If yes, check out the story of Love Ifechukwu Nebo, and find out more about her volunteering experience with AIESEC in Côte d’Ivoire!

What was a girl who didn’t speak French doing there? was one of the questions I asked myself a lot of the times. But isn’t that what an experience should be about? Doubts that end up disappearing into thin air as you start discovering the world and yourself?

Hi, my name is Love Ifechukwu Nebo. I’m from Abuja, Nigeria and this is a story of how I lived the experience of being a volunteer with AIESEC.

Je ne parle pas français!

I was assigned to work for a non-governmental organisation called MESAD- Mouvement Pour L’ Education La Santé Et Le Développement. The NGO is based in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa and I was there between August and September 2017. The moment I first thought about the importance of loving what you do was when I first stood in front of the kids in Koumassi. I was meant to say a few words, introduce myself and get to know them. It all started with a quiet “je ne parle pas français”, but what followed can only be described as true magic!

Overcoming challenges

I worked as a Drawing Class Manager. My job roles ran from teaching street kids of Koumassi about art, specially animation, music, theater to English.

The whole experience can be summed up as a jumble of mixed feelings. I felt disappointment, awe, anger, happiness, sadness, love… But at the end of the day, the amazing people I met during this journey made it all worth it.

International friendship

Someone worth mentioning is definitely Abby. She lives in France but was born in England. I was amazed at her doggedness, her passion for life. She was my translator during the time we spent together and the witness of my insatiable quest for adventure and experimenting.

My roommate Christy, from Nigeria, was like an annoying baby sister. She became a friend before I discovered how young she was, but I enjoyed every moment spent with her!

Last but not least is Steven. I met him for just a few hours, but he’ll be in my heart forever. We talked about my stop over in Accra, and I listened all about the project that he came for.

There are a lot of other amazing people I got the chance to know, but unfortunately I could never fit into sentences what everyone brought me. I’m lucky to have met and shared some memories with all of them.

I won’t be the same

Something changed inside me after crossing the border and realizing that there’s no going back home for six weeks.

All the good and bad experiences shifted my perspective. The people I met, the kids I taught, the places I went to, the food I ate and even the air I breathed… they all took part in this amazing transformation. Thank you AIESEC for this amazing platform to exchange, experience and explore! What you’re waiting for? #LiveTheExperience