Jamie stared deeply into her wardrobe, an open suitcase lying empty at her feet.

‘What do I take?’ she asked herself aloud.

What clothes were appropriate when you were packing to join one of the worlds largest humanitarian organisations.

She let out a large sigh and lay back on her bed, her legs hanging off the edge. She stared hard at the white ceiling above her.

The past two months had been a challenge for Jamie and had proved stressful. Not only had she made the biggest decision of her life so far but she had also had to break the news to her family and reassure there doubts and fears.

She had first become aware of the problems that faced the Sudanese region of Darfur several months ago whilst talking to a friend. He had been writing an essay on the political problems that were facing he region and Jamie had developed an obsession. One that was about to change the course of her life.

She spent hours upon hours researching the problems that faced the people in Darfur, discovering that whole villages had been burnt forcing thousands of people to abandon their homes. During the last five years 200,000 people had been killed and many more hurt.

Jamie felt a burning desire to help. A desire that no matter how much she tried just would not disappear. In the end she submitted and volunteered.

This was not a decision that was supported by her mother Sandra. Jamie and Sandra had always been close. More so in the last five years since the death of her father. Sandra had always supported Jamie in what she had done and provided her with a lot of encouragement. Even when she had tried to start a business selling perfume made with water and flowers, Sandra knew it would not work but still, she supported her and helped her recover when the venture fell flat on its face.

This however was too much, and she pleaded with Jamie not to leave. Rather than seeing the good that could be done like her daughter did, all she could see was the immense danger that Jamie would be facing if she went to the Sudan.

She was heading into a place that she had never been before and where things happened that she would never imagine. A place where Colin Powell says that ‘Genocide could still be occurring’.

Her loud protests however were in vain. Jamie was ready to go.

Laying on the bed Jamie thought about all the things her mother had told her. All the times she had pleaded with her not to go, and she felt bad she really did.

She never wanted to hurt her mother but this was something that she quite simply had to do. Not just for the people who needed her but for herself too.

Thinking about leaving later that day Jamie felt relaxed and content. For the last few years she had flitted from one career to another never really feeling like she belonged anywhere.

Now she felt like she fitted in. felt like she had a purpose and that her reason for being was to help. That feeling was to her worth all the danger that she was about to face.

She was excited and elated at the prospect that she was joining an organisation that made a difference to peoples lives.

Sitting up with a smile on her face, she came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter what she took with her. As long as she had clothes on her back she probably had more than the people she was leaving to help did.

She grabbed as much as she could fit in her case not really worrying about what it was and fastened the zip. She was ready!!