Personal Narrative Essay: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Purpose

This personal narrative essay recounts a pivotal experience that transformed the author's life. The author, initially focused on a career in finance, describes a graduation trip to South Africa where an encounter with poverty and hunger in a tribal village profoundly impacted their perspective. Witnessing the struggles of the local community, the author abandoned their ambition for financial gain and decided to dedicate their life to helping others. The essay details the author's shift in career goals, choosing rural development over finance, and their involvement with organizations like "Save the Children" to volunteer in Africa. Through this experience, the author found a deeper sense of purpose and joy in living for others, highlighting the importance of empathy and altruism.

Personal Narrative Essay

Personal Narrative Essay
Personal Narrative Essay
Our life is like a roller-coaster that has ups and downs. There is possibly no one in the world
who can say that his life is simple and straight. Elders said it right that it is the life which
teaches a lot than books. It is also truly said that our life experiences give the best lessons
that help us in future.
In this personal narrative report, I am going to narrate an incident that turned me to live for
others than for self only.
It was the time of March, 2014. I was giving my final year graduation exam. I was nervous
but I was determined as well to score good marks so that I would get into a good MBA
College. My aim was quite clear. I was aiming to be a financial analyst in an MNC so that I
could earn good amount of money and reputation and would live my rest of life in a royal
way. For making an entry into the position, it is required to be an alumni of some of the
reputed institution and for that graduation marks are important. I was fortunate that my all
exams went well and I scored enough percentage of marks to get into any reputed
institutions. I was happy and excited about my future thus, I decided to go for a foreign trip
with some of my friends for relaxation. We decided to go to South Africa for adventure.
I was full excited about the adventure travel as it was my first overseas trip and that to an
adventure one where I could find wildlife closely. We all went to Karoo National Park in
Western Cape. (Poulsen et.al, 2017)We were students thus hired a local guide to visit that
place. It was the 15th April, 2014 we visited the park. I was excited to see the rare species
animals and birds which I only found in books or in internet. We went there in morning
around 7.30am so that we could see the greenery and birds before the scorching sun arrives
on top of our head.
During the 6 hours of visit, I saw cape buffalos, cape zebras, rhinoceros, foxes, jackals,
elephant, and snake. I was thoroughly delighted in the trip and was ready to leave the place.
Prior to leaving the place, I went alone outside the park to a nearby village where I found
tribal African people who were busy in stitching bamboos, melting irons, and some are

Personal Narrative Essay
returning from daily labour jobs. I found some children who were waiting with their mothers
for their father at the door. I found that in one small bamboo shed, a boy was looking at his
father’s bag like doing some sort of inspection. Later, he asked something in their local
language and went inside home angrily. His father followed him inside. I heard some loud
noise from that home like some family fights are going.
On returning, I asked the local guide about the matter. He smiled and answered that the boy
was looking for food to eat. Probably he hasn’t eaten anything since morning thus waiting
for his father to come and give something to eat. As the boy didn’t find to eat, then till next
day, he would have to wait for eating something and had to survive with water.
I was shocked completely as I couldn’t believe such things exist in 21st century with so much
government support, technology, and voluntary organisations for poverty and hunger but it
was reality. I asked the guide and he told everything about the ground level lacking of
support to these uneducated, untouched, and neglected tribal group. I came to know that
only 1 or 2% people are having jobs and rest are job less or don seasonal jobs such as
farming or craft work which they sell it within 5 km. They hardly get any money to feed their
family.
I was moved by such condition of them and I went again to the same place with the guide. I
found all said things are 100% true. I gave few food packets to 5-6 families as that was my
birthday to celebrate with them. I felt so happy to see the small kids smile and blessings
from the local people for the help. On that day, I felt the real joy.
The dream of having money and royal life melted. I decided to start volunteering such needy
people as soon as I reach my home. I couldn’t find a better way to find joy and blessings
than to have money. I returned home and did research on such people and their condition.
Instead of MBA in Finance, I joined Rural Development so that I could go such places and
can help these people who are in need. I joined an organisation called “Save the Children” in
Africa to visit at least 5 times a year to volunteer myself in rural development. (von Grebmer
et.al, 2016)

Personal Narrative Essay
It all started with an accidental witness and now it is becoming my ultimate goal. I really feel
proud of myself and also my parents, friends, society people etc. feel proud of me on my
decision. Living for others is the greatest joy that I learned from the incident.
References
von Grebmer, K., Bernstein, J., Nabarro, D., Prasai, N., Amin, S., Yohannes, Y., ... &
Thompson, J. (2017). 2016 Global Hunger Index: Africa edition. Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
Poulsen, J. R., Koerner, S. E., Moore, S., Medjibe, V. P., Blake, S., Clark, C. J., ... & Rosin, C.
(2017). Poaching empties critical Central African wilderness of forest elephants. Current
Biology, 27(4), R134-R135.