Student Survey Responses to 2017 South Africa Trip

• It was one of the best experiences of my life. I'm so thankful that ODFL and Cuddle Trust were able to set up so many opportunities and activities for us.
• I loved the South Africa trip this year! I met so many new people, learned more about new cultures and had the chance to help people. I think it was amazing to get to know kids and families in South Africa and I also made new friends from the ODFL group. This experience really helped me see how we often take things for granted, while there are people living happily with so little. Finally, even though we only helped a little, I really feel like we made at least a small difference in some peoples' lives and I am very grateful to be given that opportunity.
• It was more than life changing it was life inspiring and motivating. I will do everything I can to go next year.
• This trip absolutely changed my attitude towards the world. I realized that in California we focus so much on ourselves and our own future that we take life for granted instead of being thankful for our privileges. I am now more aware of how differently other people in the world live. I truly want to use my life to help other people instead of just myself, and I hope I can do this by applying the lessons I learned this summer in South Africa.
• I really loved this trip and I honestly wish that I was still in South Africa.
• It was so great to get to do all of these things one on one, around the people we're helping and with them, and knowing that more hands and effort on our part matters just as much as the funding.
• This trip was everything it was promised to be and more. This really changes how I look in life and how much I appreciate my life now while also changing the lives of a good amount people we met on the trip.
• Meeting the KINOS kids and interacting with the locals made the trip 10x better. I want to thank Cuddle Trust, Lucas & Leona, for making the trip possible and so much more fun. Without them, the trip definitely would not have been this life changing.
• I have been able to do so much on the trip, and I really thing it has made me more grateful. It has made me appreciate so much. It has also made me realize how great it is to help people, and how it's possible to make a change.
• The trip was the best 2 weeks of my life. The amount of good we did as a group is amazing and I already hope to go next year. My attitude or thoughts have not been changed but reinforced and I have a learned so much.
• The trip has changed my outlook on life. I appreciate every meal, the water, the luxury, the comfort, even the bed. I always felt like I had a bad life but this experience set me straight and has made me appreciate life a lot more.
• This trip will resonate with me for the years to come. Being up close and experiencing these things will be very hard to forget. As a result of this trip, I feel more aware of my surroundings and am learning to be more appreciative/thankful for what I have. I can't take things for granted, knowing that there are people out there (that I have now personally met) that don't have the same opportunities and resources as me.