Sebastian Lindstrom is one of the three founders of Light for Children - Ghana. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to help the African country's disadvantaged children, especially those who are HIV-positive.
The 24-year-old university student said the NGO - founded three years ago - grew out of his will to find 'meaningful things to spend my time on' and a month's experience as a volunteer in Africa. Other volunteers in Africa asked him whether he wanted to join them in establishing an NGO of their own, he added.
Mr Lindstrom said some people are touched by the volunteer work they do, but when they return home the feeling disappears and the experience simply becomes an entry in their CV. He said he did not want to be one of those people, and after considering the other volunteers' proposal for several months, he agreed.
'I take volunteer work as a life-time commitment,' he said, but added that it is not always easy.
'Getting sponsorship is the toughest job. We don't have lots of capital. It took us almost three years to get our own office in Ghana,' said Mr Lindstrom, who often has to travel abroad to give talks and ask for sponsorship.
'It's also hard to find volunteers who would truly like to join us. Some people just talk, saying they want to help, but eventually disappear.'
He said it is also difficult to run a charity organisation and keep up with his studies at the same time. But he takes a philosophical view of juggling the two commitments.
