‘You Realise That There’s So Much More To Life’: Maltese Blogger Gives Life Advice After Volunteering In India

Maltese fashion and travel blogger Dorianne Mamo has been using her blog in the past to help break the barriers of mental health on the island by sharing her own experiences. Now, she’s taken to the online world to share her experiences from the other side of the planet.

She recently took a very short break from social media travelling to the other side of the world; Dorianne went to India to help rebuild an orphanage in Munugode, volunteering with the group Il-Proġett, a life changing television program which features six personalities volunteering in a third world country.

“While there, the whole perspective changes,” Dorianne told Lovin Malta.

Here on the island she leads a super busy life, something she really did not miss back in Munogode. “The prosecco and my favourite heels, the shops I love so much, my daily three-hour social media intake, I wasn’t that tempted to reach for my phone and connect with the world I’m usually so addicted to,” she said.

“You realise that there’s so much more to life. We need to put everything in perspective and focus our energies on what makes us happy,” said Dorianne.

She also explained the need to step back and reevaluate her priorities. In Munugode, she got that chance, understanding how life is something often taken for granted. “Love your loved ones and lose friends that need losing, life is short and we really have to make the most of it,” she said.

“When I was in India, my teammates said that they saw a change from the petite, picky moi to a more carefree individual who just goes with the flow,” Dorianne, pleased to discover a whole new side to her persona.

“It was quite shocking, children were asking for hugs, even though when we arrived they were scared of us,” she said.

Dorianne and her group at Il-Proġett did not only help in building the orphanage, but also in the running of things. They helped out in the kitchen and spent a lot of their time playing with the children.

“We were one great, motivated group of teammates and that worked in our favour. We come from completely different backgrounds and have different attributes and traits, that made us even stronger as a group,” she said.

“Watching the children queue for white rice and curry for lunch after saying their prayers, it makes you think — it was so surreal. It was like our busy life versus their lives, which one is real? which is the happiest?” Dorianne said. “I just need keep in mind what I learnt in Munugode. Simple and straightforward is the purest and most rewarding lifestyle.”

Dorianne added we should all be grateful for what we have, stop worrying and start living.

“Life is now, not that silly incident which happened in the past. Some people have been less fortunate opportunity-wise, so we should be grateful and find time to give a helping hand. Because we owe it to them,” she told Lovin Malta.

When Dorianne came back to Malta, lamented returning to her usual routine.

“I left a tiny piece of my heart in India. I gave it to the children in the orphanage. They loved me without expecting anything in return, without asking about my backgroud, without any prejudice,” she said.

“We were tired but we didn’t really mind it. We were showered with love and gratitute non-stop that it didn’t really matter how tired we were,” Dorianne said.

“I still cannot understand what I’m really feeling, at times I feel so broken, this is all so unfair,”

Dorianne also added that she plans on returning to India at some point. “The first few days I returned home I was waking up literally thinking I was still in my room in India, and would shift back to sleep, dreaming another day of being and playing with the children.”

What do you think of Dorianne’s inspirational journey? Leave us a comment below

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