Hi I’m Waqar I’m 21 and I am very proud to say that I am a Platform2 volunteer. Without sounding cliché or cheesy I can honestly say that is the greatest experience in my life and has changed me for the better.

Last year I was a first-year student doing what all freshers do, but I always had a drive to make a difference in the world and was never sure on how to go about it.

 So one day while I was watching the news (something I rarely do), I saw something about Platform2 and I was so hyped up about it! I went on the website straight away and applied. I wasn’t too sure about where I wanted to go but was definitely sure that it was something that I wanted to be a part of. At first some my friends and members of my family were a little iffy about why I wanted to do something like this and thought I was having one of my crazy phases.

Whilst applying, all I could think about was going away for the summer instead of getting a job at a supermarket which is what would’ve happened if I didn’t go. So come May, I was very stressed as I was leaving on the 26th but had three exams to get through! I couldn’t even revise as all I could think about was Platform2.

When I discovered that I was going to Peru I had no idea about the country apart from it being in South America and that the spoken language was Spanish. I didn’t even think that was a developing country!

Once I got to Peru I was introduced to the family that I would be living with for the next 10 weeks which was so awkward at first as I never knew a word of Spanish and they spoke very little English. Despite the language barrier, my family made me feel so welcome and did their best to help me and little-by-little I started to get used to the lingo and even managed to start cracking jokes with the family even though the joke was on me. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to go with as my fellow volunteers were some of the best people I have ever met and will be my friends for life. For me, they helped to make the experience. It was a journey of self-discovery and being around different people help me to discover things about myself.

When I first got back from Peru, things were so weird. I felt so out of place and many things were going through my mind. I was so happy to see my friends and family who I missed mucho (sorry had to get some Spanish in) but after a while I started to feel blue as I missed Peru and my friends there. It was cool because we were all neighbours there but back in the UK were miles away.

I could honestly say that before my experience I never thought about issues like climate change and fair-trade that much, but now I’m back I see things differently and try to go out of my way to make changes in my life to help me become a better person and to help make the world a better place. Here comes the cheesy bit but I really feel its necessary… so guys - don’t wait for change to happen go and check out the site now and apply. Really don’t know why you wouldn’t take up a life-changing opportunity like this!

Good luck with the application and hope you get as much as I got out of it.

Ciao Hasta luego

Waqar Azam