When I first came to the village, I knew people would compare me to the previous Volunteer  but I didn’t think it would be like this. Let’s call her Sarah (pseudonym) “Super Sarah”.

Super Sarah was amazing, she would walk into a room and make everyone happy. She learned the local language very fast and could talk to anyone. She was always busy, visiting different places, greeting people and still finding time to train people in different activities in the community. Everyone loved her.

And then there’s me, I’m the shy and quiet one. I don’t like talking to big groups, I prefer deep conversations with a few people. I’m still struggling with the local language and since I have not started implementing my project yet, people compare us, and sometimes it hurts.

It started with small comments. “Super Sarah visited us every day”, someone said. “She liked sitting with us and talking for hours”. I smiled, but inside I thought, I like sitting with people too….just not for hours.

Then came the language comments, “Sarah spoke the language so well! She learned so fast!” Meanwhile, I was still trying to remember the word for “salt” without butchering it. (yes, I failed, but that doesn’t matter, right?).

At first, I felt like I was not good enough. Why couldn’t I be like Sarah? Why wasn’t I friendly and fluent? Why wasn’t I moving around as much as she did? It felt like I was living in her shadow. 

Then one day, I was sitting with Mr. Samson (pseudonym), a kind Mr. in my project team. He looked at me and said, “you’re not like Sarah. you’re quiet. But it’s okay, you don’t have to be everywhere.”

That one sentence changed everything.

I realized I didn’t have to be Super Sarah. I didn’t have to be loud, talk to everyone, or be the fastest at learning the language. I could just be myself. I don’t have as many people as Sarah, but when I do, I take my time. I sit, I listen, I ask questions. Slowly, I am making real friendships in my own way.

As for my project, it’s still in progress, Sarah implemented her project and that’s great. But I’m not here to compete with her. I’m here to make my own impact, we are both from the same mother CorpsAfrica making us sisters.

Being compared to Super Sarah taught me something important: I don’t have to be anyone else. My journey is my own, and the relationships I build are special in their own way. In the end, it’s not about following someone-else’s path- it’s about making my own.