It seems that once you’re bitten by the humanitarian bug, it’s hard to get rid of, and it couldn’t be more true for Jasperite Kai Okazaki. 

The first-year university student is getting ready to head to Vincente Guerro, Mexico this summer for a two-week stay as an intern facilitator for Hero Holiday. 

The position means that Okazaki will not only get a chance to go along on the trip, but he is there to make the transition and experience easier for first time humanitarians. 

Okazaki spent just over two weeks in Kenya in the summer of 2010 helping to build a school for the village of Sikirar. He heard of the Hero Holiday position through friends at the University of British Columbia, where he is taking Natural Resource Conservation and working towards a bachelor of science. He hopes to continue his education with a Global Perspective degree that will further his humanitarian work. 

“I can incorporate my two biggest passions of conservation and humanitarian aid together,” Okazaki said.

Okazaki’s friends told him he would be a perfect candidate for what Hero Holiday is looking for. 

“They insisted that I should apply to intern as a facilitator in either Mexico or Dominican Republic,” he said. 

There was space for six to eight people, and Okazaki was one of the few that was able to keep up with the strict deadlines for applications and keep in contact with the right people. 

With the position his, Okazaki is now turning his attention to fund-raising. He is beginning the process in Vancouver where he is attending school. He has found that his school connections have been incredibly helpful as he begins fund-raising for the Hero Holiday trip. 

“I hope to put on a few events, whether they are shows, bake sales, residence events, I am always willing to go to the extreme,” he said. 

The actual job means Okazaki will be helping facilitate groups of 20 or more people that will be attending the summer trip to Mexico. 

“The staff and I will be facilitating two [groups of] 20 plus participants, in hopes to inspire them when we go to the rural side of Mexico and build a house for a family in need,” he said. 

Okazaki’s main job will be to co-ordinate the group’s downtime, and help them become a well-oiled team. He will create activities for leisure time and ensure the groups are having fun while they are helping out families in need in Mexico. 

“Overseas volunteering trips are very overwhelming and can get quite emotional, and I am there to make sure everyone is experiencing first-hand the things we, as a developed nation, take for granted,” Okazaki said. “But in the end, it’s about having a positive effect in the life ahead of them.”

When applying for the position, Okazaki had a choice between Mexico or the Dominican Republic as a destination. Both had different job descriptions, and he decided to go for the Mexico trip. 

“I was more intrigued by the Mexico project – as great as the Dominican Republic trip sounded – about building a home, setting up furniture, and providing groceries for a family in two weeks.”

Okazaki said he’s looking forward to getting out of the classroom and learning in the real world, while still contributing to his education. He enjoys travelling while volunteering his time and learning about new places. 

“I am looking forward to another great experience and adventure, of working towards my degree, learning about the world, meeting new faces, and having fun,” he said. “The typical classroom education is just purely not enough anymore, it’s about getting into the real world and seeing it for yourself. This is why I enjoy my program, I get to have classes both inside and outside lectures and labs.”

Overseas volunteering trips are, for most, a once in a lifetime opportunity, but with Okazaki’s unique goals and degree, he hopes to make it a lifestyle. 

“Oversea trips are always inspiring, influential, and motivational for someone like me and I want to continue experiencing new adventures, new cultures, new perspectives on life,” he said. 

Okazaki was overwhelmed by the support he received from the Jasper community leading up to his Kenya trip, and he looks forward to bringing some fund-raising events back to his hometown as the trip gets nearer. 

“I will do my best to represent our community for what I do,” he said. “I plan to have many fund-raising events; bottles, music shows – anything I can possibly do to pay for the cost of the trip. I am really thankful for Jasper for supporting me on my Kenya experience last summer.”

More information on Hero Holiday can be found at http://heroholiday.absolute.org