The 7 Types of People Who Volunteer in Sudan

Who Actually Goes to Volunteer in Sudan?

The following are a few traits that are true about most people who come to volunteer in Sudan:

•          Has a genuine interest in travel or learning about different cultures than their own
•          College educated 
•      Doesn’t know exactly what’s next for them in life
•          Has volunteered in the developing world before
•          Doesn’t speak Arabic
•          Did not wake up one morning and have some sort of epiphany about saving the world
•          Owns a copy of the Bradt Sudan Travel Guide

Sunset over Hamed al Neel Omdurman

Declaimer: These are loose caricature profile descriptions, in real life many of my fellow volunteers have characteristics from several of these categories and perhaps some don’t fit into any of these categories, despite my catchy title. Even I don’t fit into all the statements above, this is my first time volunteering, and just because I’m able to give an outline of “who” volunteers, it is much harder to encompass “why” people volunteer. People’s motives are personal and in many cases too complex to fit into a nice short categorized description. 

Building on Tuti Island

The 7 types of people who volunteer in Sudan are as follows: 

The Arabic Student

     The Arabic student arrived to Sudan with two suitcases. One with clothes and supplies and one with books.  The Arabic student declines invitations to hang out at a pizza place with fellow ex-pat colleagues opting for meeting local friends for their cousin’s wedding (the 4^th wedding they’ve been to this week). They throw Arabic phrases in all their conversations even those with their kawaja (white) friends. The Arabic student even buys a jalabiya (local dress for men) or rocks henna on their hands (local tradition for women) and doesn’t shy from talking to people in the street.

The World Traveler

     The world traveler is deeply interested in gaining a new cultural experience. The World Traveler has been a passport holder for as long as they can remember. They’ve camped in the desert, meditated with monks, and became a tour guide in Cairo. This isn’t their first time at the rodeo of working in a “developing country.”  They are interested doing the “touristy” stuff in Sudan to check items off their bucket list, and also meeting and enjoying the company of the Sudanese people. The world traveler can cook cuisine from many countries thru some creative improvisation with local ingredients and gives great small gifts from their past travels. The world traveler has great advice.

The Long-term Volunteer

     The long-term volunteer is a quirky but awesome individual.  One day he/she found an ad in a newspaper calling for volunteer teachers in Sudan and the rest is history. They can’t help themselves but keep coming back with a month trip home every couple of years. Even though they have lived here the longest they aren’t self-centered or conceited in the least bit. They are always willing to share advice, jokes, and stories. They maneuver otherwise sticky situations gracefully with a huge smile, decent Arabic, and a spring in their step.

The Recent College Grad

     The recent college grad is looking for a break, trying to push off the “real world” or seeking unemployment by choosing to come to Sudan for a “meaningful” gap year. The recent college grad probably studied international affairs, history, or anthropology.  In school they specialized in terrorism, women and forced migration, or peace studies. They would like to find work in their government’s Foreign Service, international development, or apply to a graduate program in conflict resolution. The recent college grad expected they’d be living in a hut but is cool with the modern conveniences of Khartoum.

Peter Pan

     Peter Pan is a white man who came to Sudan because he is lost. He talks about his plans to start a business, he is destined to be a social entrepreneur, but never will because then he’d have to grow up. He thinks it’s such a shame that Sudan has let itself go since the British left. Peter Pan complains about how frustrating the Sudanese culture of being late, laid back, and unorganized is but ends up acting this way as well. Peter Pan is a charmer. He fancies himself a number of things. He works the system.  He’d rather “live like a king” in Sudan. Peter Pan doesn’t want to settle down in one place just yet and probably will stay in Sudan until he secures his next gig in Thailand or Argentina.

The Ex-Corporate Lawyer

     The ex-corporate lawyer is a nonsense risk taker who decisively knew they had to make a change in their life and quit their fancy high-paying job at a law firm.  The ex-corporate lawyer is head strong and unafraid of new experiences. They went back to school and decided they wanted a job with more meaning in life. They are the “mom” or “dad” of the group planning socializing time, encouraging volunteers step out of their comfort zones, and making sure everyone is healthy. The ex-corporate lawyer has a strong moral compass and is assertive in stating their opinions. . They throw themselves into their teaching job like they would any work they had done back home,  and plan lessons extensively which can be frustrating when as happens people are late, buses take wrong turns, and classes are cancelled but their enthusiasm ensures that they make great Sudanese friends.

The Religious Person

     I don’t know much about the religious person because up to now in my short experience I have yet to meet someone who fits this profile. I do think its worth mentioning the religious person due to the numerous stories and instances of this character I’ve heard about. It seems as if the religious person is usually female, very sweet, and means well, but at times finds themselves isolated or at tension with life as a volunteer teacher in a predominately Muslim society and with the comparatively less-religious volunteers.

Khartoum Botanical Gardens