The hosting of the FISU World University Championships Rugby Sevens for the first time in Namibia was not only a special experience for the athletes and the organisers, but a momentous occasion for the many volunteers who gave up their time to make the tournament a success.
Over 50 local students gave up a week of their vacation to help host the 16 teams participating in the tournament, learning valuable lessons and people skills while making lifelong friendships along the way.
Valerie Keja(back) hard at work in her administration role
One such volunteer is Valerie Keja, a student from the University of Namibia in the country’s capital Windhoek, who explains how the journey to becoming a volunteer for the Rugby Sevens Championships started.
“I work as a student intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at the University of Namibia, where I heard about the need for volunteers or this event,” she explains. “I used to be a sporty girl, so I thought this would be something cool to do. So then I applied.”
After initially not seeing her name on the list of selected volunteers, Keja was heartbroken, but luckily it seemed it was just a printing error as her selection was confirmed via a telephone call.
“At first I thought I wasn’t selected as there was a list out, and I noticed my name wasn’t on the list … I was crushed, so crushed,” she recalls. “But then I got a call, saying I was indeed on the list. But I thought it was a prank call, as my cousin’s name was on the list, so I thought she was prank-calling me! But it turned out to be true, and I was so excited, so excited! I couldn’t wait, and I was counting down the days until it was time to come to Swakopmund.”
After undergoing volunteer training, the students gathered at the host venue five days before the start of the competition, and despite being handed a certain role to do, Keja understood that the nature of such events calls for volunteers to be a bit more flexible in their tasks.
“The specific role given to me was administration, but it went from administration to being a security guard, to being a baby-sitter to being everything!” she laughs, before going on to describe her experiences as a volunteer.
“The days have just flown by, and it’s been quite a rush. You don’t feel the time, you don’t feel the day, everything has just rushed by, but it’s been really cool. It’s been hectic, but great at the same time.”
Keja had the honour of singing Namibia’s anthem during the opening ceremony, a moment which filled her with pride.
“It was planned already that I would sing, but I wasn’t mentally prepared for it when the time came as I was busy running around the whole day, and all of a sudden they called me to go sing!” she exclaims. “But it was great, and I was so proud, but I was a bit nervous and kept going through the lyrics in my head, in case I forgot them!”
Valerie Keja sings the national Namibian anthem at the opening ceremony of the championships
Keja, who is in her Honours year studying towards a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, says she has taken a lot from this experience, which helped her put into practise what she had been learning at university.
“I’ve learnt a lot about timing, how to deal with different people from different cultures, I’ve learnt different languages and a lot about people and countries I didn’t know much about, and it has inspired me to want to know more,” she says. “I’ve never been out of Namibia, and the countries I’ve always wanted to visit are now represented here, so it’s been great learning more about them. People, cultures, tribes and countries are all different, so this experience has taught me how to deal with all of that. As a Media student, we learn all these things from a book, and now I was thrown into this situation where I had to take what I learnt from those books and put it into practise.”
The FISU volunteer experience, Keja says, has inspired her, and she hopes to continue this type of work after she graduates at the end of the year.
“This was a beautiful experience, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again,” she says. “I’d love to do this type of work until I am old and grey! I’m hoping to get a job, hopefully in line with what I’ve just done here at the Games, as I love to be involved in planning, in organising events, and with social media involved too, as I am really big on that.”
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