A '20 something year old (times two)' volunteer, Don Carney has spent 16 years of his life dedicated to volunteerism and away from his family. Seeking a better self and a transformation in his personality, he chose to travel out of his country and leave the life that he was used to.

'It is a sacrifice, a sacrifice because you are disconnected from home, but it is also assistance and service to organizations and communities,' says Don who is the World Food Programme UNV Vulnerabilility Assessment and Monitoring Officer.

Starting in 1993 in Cotabato, Philippines, Don's first years as a volunteer became the hardest part of his life. With no cellphones, no internet, and expensive and limited telephone connection, his life in Cotobato was not only risky but also lonely because of the distance and disconnection from his family. With the age of the new technology today however, Don enjoys learning new things from the different places he's lived in and different cultures that he's encountered.

He spent two years in Cotobato, then was assigned to different countries and returned to the Philippines in 2004. 'The hardest decision has been leaving the organizations whom you assisted, all of them are hard to leave most especially the ones you have worked with for a longer time,' he says.

With resilience acting as his foundation for survival in his chosen career, he has enjoyed volunteerism despite the sacrifices. Don easily coped with the change in the way of life in the Philippines and leaving his home town in United Kingdom. Being a scientist, it was his curiosity for exploring and analyzing situations that inspired him to pursue what he has chosen to do.

According to Don , volunteering has made him 'sacrifice the comfortable life to be able to give help and guidance where it's needed,' but he doesn't regret anything, for he has achieved his goal of changing himself and gained a sensitivity to other peoples' situations.

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Interviewed and written by Francheska Garcia, UNV Communications Intern
Editted by Louise Pine, Online Volunteer