Significant Change Story (Raheel Ahmed)

Hi, I am Raheel. I am from Lahore, city of Pakistan. After getting master’s degree in Psychology I have taken some of my major life decisions and dropped everything and took a decision of reinventing myself and self-searching. So I applied for Global Exchange to gain life experience, to learn about different cultures and people and to better myself. My exchange was in Pakistan, Scotland and Kenya.

Before GX I did not have any professional experience, but working with PEEK organisation in Glasgow for the children, and with Visions Magnet Theatre organisation gave me work experience. Now I am very much aware of the overall structure of the organisations. Now I have a more practical approach towards life and UK people inspired me a lot in terms of practicality.

I am the youngest one in my family and did not take much responsibility before in my life. But now after this exchange I am ready to take every kind of responsibility. I had always been interested in contributing for community, but I did not have the proper direction and clear vision. Now I am much aware of my direction and have a lot of ideas to implement in the community.

Before GX I was much disorganised and had lost some of very good opportunities in my life because of it. But now I am quite organised and manage time well. Working at PEEK has taught me how to deal with children and youth. It also taught me about child psychology. Working at Visions Magnet Theatre in Malindi has overcome my lots of inhibitions like stage fear, media skills, publicly speaking, and has improved skills in delivery of workshops, communication and creativity.

I have never ever cooked in my life before and neither washed washroom, which I both learned in this wonderful exchange programme. Now I am more self-sufficient that before. This experience has boosted my confidence and I feel more open to others.

Living in two host homes has provided me very good understanding of lives of developed nations and also about pros and cons of individual and family lifestyles. I always avoided politics in my life, but living with Joyce and Andy provided me a source of information regarding politics. I have learned a lot about international politics and have decided to remain more aware of world politics as it is deeply rooted in our lives and with every person of this world.

I am now much better at informed decision making and taking initiatives.

This exchange has given me a new approach and direction in life and helped me discovering and achieving the progressive and permanent milestones along the path of my own unfolding higher, deeper and wider potentials.

I have also learned about group dynamics, how to participate in group decision making and how to maintain good relationships within the group. I have become more adaptable and I think I can adjust myself wherever I go in the world. I am more globally aware and feeling more connected with this world and more responsible for the world. My approach has developed from Ethnocentric to World centric. The interaction with different people, from different parts of the world, with different attitudes, belief systems and lifestyles has taught me a lot. My attitude towards people has become more accepting and unbiased which is a very good development as a student of psychology.

My role in life is getting clearer to me and also feeling freer, independent, lighter and more ambitious. And I hope my family would be surprised to see such changes in me. I have decided not only to bring gifts for my family and friends but I will also bring some of the learning’s and principles to Pakistan, to implement in my life. In the end I would like to say in order to see the beauty of life, you have to be a volunteer in some part of your life.