| While I wouldn't say I went to Tanzania with OHS on a whim, exactly, I definitely had no idea how profoundly my life would be changed in the space of a month. You'd never guess how much good can be achieved and how many seeds planted by so few people all working towards a common cause. Once you've seen the very real changes that have happened in such a short time, it's hard not to get excited about what's to come and even harder not to want to be a part of that change. Tanzania is always in my thoughts and my experiences with OHS has convinced me that this is the kind of work I want to be involved with for the rest of my life. Gwynne Evans UCLA Summer Volunteer 2008 |  |
| All of the children touched my heart in more than one way that I cannot describe in words. They are unique, extremely inspiring, caring, thoughtful, and mature. It is because of them that I can look back on my experience and be proud of my work and feel honored to have been around their presence for such a short while. I think of them all constantly, and they truly are the future that they motivate me to strive to make better. I cannot wait to see them again! Nora Hall LMU Summer 1 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| I first heard about One Heart Source through a friend and I eventually applied for its 2 month summer volunteer program on a complete whim. There was something in me, spur of the moment, that finally realized my choices in life solely lie in the palm of my two hands. And although I was scared out of my mind as to whether or not I was actually capable of traveling across the world to taste life in a way I had never tasted before, my heart calmly steered me in that direction knowing very well there was nothing else I'd rather do at that time. While living in Tanzania, I unexpectedly felt at home and surprisingly felt at ease with a group of human beings I now consider family. It was my embrace of allowing each and every moment to exist as a defining moment in my life that impacted me wonderfully, beautifully and memorably. It was honestly an incredible experience and I look forward to going back next summer. Alex Mathews UCLA Summer 2 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| I applied for OHS thinking that I was going to teach kids and spread knowledge but in actually doing it I found that the kids taught me so much more than I could have possibly taught them in a whole lifetime of class. Working with the kids serves as an awesome reminder to enjoy the little things in life and to remember that a little laugh and smile can go a long way. OHS has given me another perspective on life, I’ve realized how fortunate I am to be in the situation that I am but at the same time I see where I need to improve. Kevin Schmidt UCLA Summer 2 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| 3 months, 10,000 miles away, speaking different languages with 40 amazingly different people should have highlighted the strength of human individuality, however, it was undoubtedly the strength of human oneness that shone most brightly this summer. Together we found beauty in the simple truth that people are people. Brian Hengesbaugh UCLA Summer Volunteer 2008/ Summer 2 Manager 2009 |  |
| I went to Africa knowing it would be cool, but never did I expect this. There are things you can do at home that are just as good for society as a whole and between those things and One Heart Source is that the process of this realization is accelerated, and you end up solidifying in your mind a lot quicker than you would at home the things that matter in life. I learned so much in such a short period that I spent the majority of the trip just trying to swallow what had just happened to me and began to expand beyond what I previously had thought about. It's something about the detachment from your former life that allows you to start fresh and rebuild more of your thoughts than you would have imagined possible. You go to Africa expecting to change things there, but more than anything it's you that changes. It was in Tanzania that I discovered very quickly that all we really do need is love. I loved the trip so much I'm going back. You should come too. Andrew Freudman UCLA Summer 2 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| The time I spent in Africa this summer simply cannot be described through words. The people, the kids living in the OHS house, the village, my 4th grade classes who we taught- every day was an experience that changed the way I view the world and the part I play in it. While many people's hearts would break experiencing what we did, mine only grew. No matter what I'm doing or where I am, everyday I think about those two months in Tanzania and am antsy to get back to that place that is now a part of me. Carly Johnson LMU Summer 1 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| Working with OHS was like turning a new page everyday. I learned a great deal about myself, and discovered that I'm capable of much more than I imagined. Living so simply and on such a beautiful, serene site was utterly therapeutic for me. And I was deeply moved by the work I was involved in and by the people I had the pleasure of working with. My experience with OHS has touched my soul and inspired me to pursue more humanitarian work. And I hope to continue to work with OHS over the next few years. Stephanie Tavitian UCLA Summer 2 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| My experience in Tanzania brought clarity to my life. It was the most challenging and rewarding learning experience I have yet encountered, and I feel its lessons will be ingrained in me forever. I have never felt as passionate about anything as I did working with those children, who taught me that life is simple, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I owe the person I am today to the road of self-discovery this experience has set me on. Emma Carroll UC Berkeley Summer 1 Volunteer 2009 |  |
| Tanzania taught me how to see colors more vividly, breathe more deeply, love more openly, feel more passionately, smile more joyfully, sing more openly, and live more completely. Life is the greatest opportunity I have ever been given, and my time spent in Africa last summer brought me closer to the foundations of what life is really about, and what it means to truly live. Last summer I fell in love with a place, and so many people- people who became my family, and that place my second home. That love won't ever fade. Jessica Hoover UCLA Summer 2 Volunteer 2009 |  |
