Eighteen year old Daphne Gariety is a social media marketer and vocal artist who recently provided humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe. Daphne learned the trade of laying mortar and other construction skills to assist in the building of a medical clinic. This clinic will serve over 100,000 Zimbabweans. The experience solidified her next steps of inspiring others and continuing serving where she is needed and able.

thank you so much for listening to all of these amazing and exceptional, positive imprints.

I'm Catherine, your host for the podcast, Your Positive Imprint, the variety show, featuring people all over the world whose positive actions are inspiring.

Positive achievements.

Exceptional people rise to the challenge.

Music by the talented Chris Nole., ChrisNole.com.

C h r i s n o l e

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Your positive imprint.

Connect with me on LinkedIn,

my website is yourpositiveimprint.com.

You can listen to the show from my website, yourpositiveimprint.com or of course listen from any podcast platform, apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, or simply your favorite podcast platform.

Enjoy the show and get inspired to activate your own positive imprint.

Your positive imprint.

What's your PI.

18 year old, Daphne Gariety is joining me here today to share her positive imprints.

I met Daphne when she was in seventh grade, when we did the musical Mary Poppins together.

Well, she's decided to hop on board here at your positive imprint and help out with social media postings and trying her artwork out with YPI media artwork for a few months, until September

And of course, if she can stay on beyond September, That would be so fabulous and she is doing such a great job so please check out those posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Well, she just recently returned from Zimbabwe where she was activating her positive imprints out there in helping to build a health clinic.

This humanitarian aid experience changed her in moving forward.

And she's going to share that experience with you today.

Well a big, huge, welcome to Daphne as she joins your positive imprint and the show today.

Daphne, welcome to the show

you.

I'm excited to be

Oh, you have a huge smile on your face.

I'm so excited

I'm excited too.

Let's talk about why, first of all, you chose to go the route so far away from home.

Well, I,

I've always loved traveling and, and my parents take me traveling I just make great memories away.

I love I love where I am and that's great, but I also love to go away and travel, but I I've always been drawn to Africa.

I could not tell you why, but that continent, I just like the people there, from what I knew before

I went

were just like so grateful and kind and happy, even though most of them have so little, it's always been a very,

I guess just a happy environment.

And when I went, that was completely reinforced and I have this love now.

I had just, I just wanted to try it cause why not?

Why not go do something good in a faraway place?

, it'll build character.

It'll, it'll help other people.

You're going to learn things from it.

And it just, it was all around a great experience.

So, and I think I knew it was going to be that way when I even had the idea, I was just so excited.

When I found out about humanitarian XP, I was like, oh my gosh, I want to do that.

That is so cool.

And so Africa has just always intrigued you, had you ever been to Africa with your parents?

No.

I never went to Africa.

I just, I just was always drawn to it.

I don't, I don't know.

Yeah.

But you made it happen and you knew you wanted to help.

So you, you had to fundraise, you had to do your own fundraising in order to

to

Do this humanitarian aid, which is impressive.

What did you have to do to prepare as a young person being only 17?

What did you have to do?

And were there any, Fears, of going out there being young, or were there any maybe health issues that you were told about that you need to take care of before you go over such as inoculations?

I mean, what would you tell a young person that wants to do this type of work?

Right?

Well, they were very good.

This company was very good at giving us.

Preparation.

So they give us a booklet with some phrases that we may need to use in, Shona and Swahili.

And I don't remember a lot of them

now, I just remember Shimari, which is friends, but, the

a good word to remember.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But they also speak English over there.

So it was easy to communicate with locals.

They gave us, , a bunch of information about the country,

so, you had kind of an idea about the culture, but health issues was my main concern.

Oh health issues.

And, you don't have your phones.

They take away your phones, which is actually, it was great.

It made the experience so much better for me, but I was worried.

Cause you know, you're in a whole different country as a kid with no contact to your parents.

And if something did happen, then the trip leaders would let you use their phone or.

to get a hold of your parents.

Right.

But that was a worry for me going in, a teenager in this day and age, it's hard We rely on our phones so much and we don't even realize it, but yeah.

So that, and then just health concerns, but they were very good and thorough about what vaccines were required and what vaccines were,

recommended.

and Yeah, all those things.

So I went to the doctors so many times checking off vaccinations and and getting meds for malaria and, and all these different diseases, but I felt super prepared, after everything was done.

I was just, You just had to make sure not to drink the water.

You had to buy water from the store, but basically if you got all your vaccinations and you bought your water, you were fine.

One of the kids actually ended up getting sick because they drank the water and what are you doing?

The one thing they told you not to do.

um, but yeah, just, I think it was just really unsanitary.

Um, so yeah.

but

describe the area you were in, how many families, how many people lived in this area where you were in?

We were staying kind of in the heart of the city of Harare.

So it didn't seem super rural.

It was just foreign to us.

And there were different ways of transportation.

The roads were crazy.

Like the drivers, I was thinking what is happening I could never drive in Zimbabwe or I would crash in two seconds.

Um, But, I mean, the city itself, the main area where we were staying was pretty populated.

It was, it was still rural wasn't, uh, it was kind of in between rural and urban.

So it was like working towards urban, but still like a little behind.

And we would go out to different areas.

And and visit people that they knew, some of the people we were staying with them, like just meet with people, just to, you know, connect with the locals . One of the areas we went to was extremely

And then we would go to different area and it would be like just a regular house or it was super spotty, but it was usually along the edge of the city where it was extremely rural.

So when you saw these homes that were huts

and

made of sticks and cloth, and then you went to another area, but within the same vicinity, there were different houses.

Is that because of economical, challenges

I, I would think so.

I don't know for sure.

But I would think so.

because some people just had a steady job and a good income and some people had nothing.

And their livelihood was maybe maybe farming or maybe nothing.

And they were just trying to, get by.

But I think it very well could be economical.

I don't know what else it would be, you know?

Yeah.

Okay.

Interesting.

So now the people that you met that just must have been one of the most amazing experiences and say the word in Swahili again for friend,

Shamara.

That's such a pretty word

isn't it so pretty.

I love it.

Ah, I just, I said this earlier, but they're just so happy.

The culture in, in the area that we were in with the people that I interacted with, the people were just like, it didn't matter what they had or what their circumstance was,

they were just so happy to see other people and, and regardless of what that person even meant to them.

So the lady who owned the health clinic, her name is Precious.

She didn't know any of us and she, she called us her 'white babies' and she was just

she was

just so she was like our mama basically for that, for that trip.

And she was just so loving and even the kids that we knew nothing about, they just, like, after we came out of the work site, they came out and they were like, Oh, my gosh.

They're just so excited to see us.

Some of them didn't even speak English, but it was, they just were so happy

Precious, she was setting up a health clinic.

Let's talk about the health clinic.

What is the health clinic for and who is it going to serve?

Uh, everyone in the community.

She kept going on and on telling us about how the community is going to be so blessed from this as finished because the tiny, tiny health clinic that is currently being used I think two operating

And then the storage room, which is also her office and then the waiting area.

So it's super tiny accommodating for all of these people.

And

how many people would it accommodate, do you think?

Probably a hundred thousand.

Okay.

Okay.

So

Very limited healthcare.

Exactly.

And so this new one that we're building is probably five times, if not more of the size and it has different wings, so there's a maternity wing; there's all these

So it was just so cool seeing the blueprints and then walking in the different rooms that have already been structured and worked on and she was just so excited and yeah, it was the coolest experience.

Well, and that, that is exciting because it's something tangible for you to be able to go back and visit someday or to see pictures see it on the internet and say, wow, that is what I did.

So what was your part in it?

So.

They they had these construction workers.

They were so funny.

They were just the coolest and they were so patient with us Cause we, we are these kids, we

don't know anything.

I mean, first of all, we're trying to learn the culture.

We're trying to learn some of the language.

We're trying to even know how to do construction work in general, but, they were so patient with us and they were so funny and very friendly and they would just kind of show us with the

And then after the brick walls were built up, we would put mortar on the walls and smooth it out.

And so it just looked more like a building.

you know,

I don't even think that I've ever heard you talk about doing that type of work.

Yeah, no,

was new to you,

Never done in my life, but now when I see construction workers, I'm like, oh, they're mixing mortar.

I could do that.

Probably Not as good as they could, but I could still do that.

Oh, that's exciting.

So then you were able to lay the bricks and start building the, literally building the foundation of this clinic.

So when do you think the clinic, or when is the proposed date?

It should be finished

just the building itself should be finished by the end of this next summer.

I think,

And do you have plans to return?

I don't.

I wanted to, but it is a lottery system.

So you put your, top 10 picks of where you want to go in Humanitarian XP when you're registering, you put your top 10 picks of the places you want to go.

And then it puts them in a lottery system.

Luckily Zimbabwe was my first pick and I got the week I wanted and the trip I wanted.

So that was super cool.

Since it's a lottery system, I don't know how realistic it would have been to go again.

I would have loved to though.

Um, but yeah,

Do you think three weeks was enough

enough for you to know

and what would you want to live there for a while so that you could really put in your positive imprints and, and do more.

Would be the coolest Honestly, I mean, I've, of course I want to go back and visit at least several times in my life, but if I could go live there, the government is a little bit scary for me over there.

, but I just, the people there.

I,

if, if the government was a little more stable than of course I'd be like, yes, send me back there.

Please right now.

Yeah.

So as far as safety, three weeks was, was plentiful for you and then, yeah.

Oh, I am just so excited that you decided to activate your positive imprints.

So what were your visits like with Precious.

Precious.

Well, we saw her almost every day because we went to the work site every day.

And we just were working and Precious, would come and check up on us and talk with us and talk about our lives and tell us about her life and then how excited

So it really was just spontaneously whenever she could come in and check on the work site and, and all that.

We each had a cool friendship with her as individuals and as a group.

So it wasn't, it wasn't like she was in charge of us or like she had this hierarchy or authority over us.

It was more like very, very much equity, very equal ground, very much love and friendship regardless of age and yeah, I just thought it was so

cool.

Cool.

And do you keep in touch with your Shamare?

Well, some of them, yes, actually through social media.

Um, I should write to Precious though.

I keep in contact with my trip leader.

She's the best, but I should write to her.

Why haven't I written to her??

going to do that today, but

yearyour

senior year in high got

busy.Sy

and you came back when school had already started.

you had a lot to make up.

Right.

So I should do that.

For the most part, I keep in touch with a lot of the kids in my group, who we went with.

And then one of the natives, natives, Zimbabwean, who has Instagram, his name's Elijah.

We keep in touch every so often.

Your experience was obviously something that changed you.

So how do you think it changed you moving forward now?

For one, hard work.

My dad has always been like, Gariety's are hard workers.

This is what we do.

And so I've kind of had that instilled in me, but when we went to Africa, , for sure hard work, I mean, working in construction all day and it was enjoyable because there was a positive, I guess, outcome that

for me.

, it, it shaped me in working harder.

It shaped me in having a more, I guess, confident mindset, reaching out to people and, and speaking to them, speaking to strangers and, and trying to, I guess, connect with more people.

Living in the present because we didn't have phones.

We were all in the, like, focused in the present and there wasn't so much going on.

And so many distractions with electronics and stuff like that.

So I remember that feeling that I had over there and I want to live in the present now.

And I guess, I guess the biggest one is just wanting to connect with people, especially

those who are in need and those who, I don't know.

That is so awesome.

I love, I absolutely love Daphne what you said about living in the present and not worrying about frivolous types of conversations, which is still fun conversation, but not as

. So are you more cognizant about living in the present and not pulling out that phone?

Every second?

Um, I think I've kind of gone back into my old habits.

I'm more aware of it now, which is good because before I left, I just had my habits of being on a screen and mindlessly scrolling and not, or even if I wasn't on my phone and I like heard

But now.

I'm aware of it.

I've fallen back into those old habits, but I being aware of it is a start, right.

To,

I guess, be better.

So when I, when I am on my phone for too long or something like that, or, or something goes off and I am having a conversation, I'm trying to be.

present I just try to silence it or am not perfect but I am, I'm a lot more aware of it

especially with my brothers when I'm hanging out with my two youngest brothers, I want them to feel heard and appreciated.

Again, moving forward.

You want to have a reason for what you're doing.

And you're recognizing that a little bit more.

So now let's talk about when you returned, how did you inspire the other folks in your community when you returned?

Yeah.

I was just talking about it . I just kept remembering stories and memories that happened.

And I tell a story that relates to the situation, or I'd see a picture I'd be like, that looks like this part of Zimbabwe.

I was just raving about it nonstop.

I still bring it up every once in a while.

I'm like, oh, that's so cool.

That reminds me of the experience that I had in Zimbabwe.

I guess I was raising awareness about it in my youth group, they asked me to give like a presentation about my experience.

And so that was super cool.

, I guess just raising awareness that there are people who need help and there are experiences even, I mean, Humanitarian XP was great, but there are even more groups that take kids and allow kids to go and be

well, and that's important, Daphne,

it's hard to change people's focus and to raise that awareness in letting people know that, there's more out there and of course, no person is an island to himself.

And that is something that's important as well, because we do live in a society where we think of ourselves before we think of others.

Right.

And we try to raise awareness to change that.

And you.

Are

obviously doing that and you have done that to help change the world and your positive imprints have been laid and they are there forever, they will never go away.

And, but one thing that you can do, I learned this from my mother.

I have my journal here, get your journal and write down those memories,

as you get busier in life, some of those memories, become more distant.

Yeah.

Continue to share those because your experience is definitely part of raising awareness in what's needed around the world.

Right.

Right.

And one of the cool things about Humanitarian XP is they encouraged journaling every day, what you did.

So I have a journal actually from,

oh,

yeah, I should go through that.

Oh, I love doing this because now I am having all these memories of things that I should do when I get home after this.

But we did, I did, I don't know about the other kids, but I wrote every day what we did and how I felt and who I interacted with.

And it was just such a cool experience.

I'm glad that they did encourage that because you're absolutely right.

you're, you'll forget if you don't document it and it's cool to go back to and read them and remember those times and those experiences that you did have.

So,

absolutely.

And sometimes when you're feeling like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I'm doing enough.

And then you find that old journal and you say, oh my gosh, I really did do quite a bit.

Well, now I'm going to go back out.

I'm going to do more

so is there anything else about the trip about your humanitarian aid that we didn't cover that you'd like to share?

Oh, we actually did.

Oh my gosh.

This is probably my favorite

part.

of the trip actually.

Our group was different from the others in that we had, we had this guy named Enos, who was basically the security guard of the worksite.

But the kids would always try and hop over the walls and play with us.

But first of all, the equipment was dangerous for them to be around.

Cause they didn't have hard hats and things like that that we had, and they didn't know how to, you know, nails on the ground.

They didn't have shoes on.

So he's like telling the kids to go away.

Precious found him.

He just got laid off as a cook because the economy was super down and he was homeless.

He had his his daughters with him and Precious found him and started talking to him and, and I don't know how it came about, but eventually she was like, Hey, why don't

And I think he's been there for five years.

but So we, we took a picture of his house that he'd been living in, propped up with sticks again and blankets and, and he laid out some chairs that he slept on and just had a

But Precious gave him a place to stay and an income so he can save.

Right.

Even if it's not a lot, he, he was so very grateful for that.

We had extra money in our fund and my, our girl trip leader had the idea what if we built him

a home?

Cause we have this extra money.

So she contacted the headquarters and, and they gave us permission to make him a house with actual shelter and a bed.

and Right.

And a gas stove, and all this food and ingredients cause he liked to cook and he used to be a cook, a chef.

, it was so cool because it was a surprise.

We told him it was a tool shed that we were building down there, but but then Jess brought him out and we wrote him notes and hung them up on the walls.

And he came back from running an errand And we were like surprise Enos welcome home.

And he was just praising the Lord having, he just was so full of joy and giving us hugs and jumping on his bed.

And it was like, It was the coolest experience ever.

. It was such a blessing for us, especially to have that extra money in our fund.

And that Jess was so inspired to have that idea to, to build him a home so that he could have I have a place that, protected him from the weather and, but yeah, it was, that was probably my favorite part of the trip.

What a miraculous time for Enos to come home and to come home.

How did you build it?

Did you build it out?

I mean, how did you get, a structure?

We did the foundation.

Me and some of the other kids were working on the foundation while they were working on the health clinic itself.

They, as in some other kids, and then we didn't know how to construct the house itself so the.

other workers on the site helped out with that.

And they, they actually constructed the house itself.

But it was, I think it's just made out of wood.

So it was, I mean, a huge upgrade for him, but also pretty easily put together.

So.

So, yeah, but it was cool though.

the other construction workers were down for that too.

They were just like, yeah, let's totally do that.

Enos

that is

Isn't that?

So cool.

Yeah.

you see the positive imprints just go around and around and they just keep going, it makes you really realize that the good people in the world

are.

Everywhere and you met so many of them and you were a part of, it

It was so fun.

Oh my gosh.

Thank you for having me here today.

Just so I can remember all of these things and talk about them.

Well, your positive imprints are important because one of the things with my podcast is to help others become inspired to activate their own positive imprint, but also to get the word out to people

And you are one of them and I'm proud of you.

Thank you.

So are you,

Thank you, Daphne.

So Daphne, what are your plans after graduation?

I am working on my mission papers to go serve a mission and just serve people.

I'm just ready to love and serve people and help them out and make them feel appreciated and accepted and try and give goodness to them.

So, the experience that I had through humanitarian XP.

in Zimbabwe really did solidify that for me, that I want to go help people and serve people.

So I am putting my availability day on August 28th, and then we'll see after that probably college afterwards.

But right now I'm super focusing on, on going on a church mission and just going to help people.

As you know, we always end with last inspiring words, Daphne.

Okay.

Um, I would say the people of Zimbabwe were a great example to me, of generosity and gratitude, even when they had so little.

So I would say, be generous with your time and your resources to others, and to just love them.

Everyone just wants to be accepted and loved in your community and, and with people that you don't know, whether that'd be a smile or.

or going to help someone if it looks like they're carrying a lot of things, just offering to help them out or, or doing something big, like a humanitarian experience or whatever

And because generosity really does bring back gratitude , a big thing that I've learned.

Daphne,

thank you so much for sharing your positive imprints here on the show.

Thank you for having me

Next week, Jean-Paul from France joins the show.

And then in two weeks, my wonderful mom, Victoria returns to the show with her mother's day positive imprints.

Your positive imprint.