National Volunteering Week - Kanyeba Lubilanji

For National Volunteers Week, we have the absolutely pleasure of introducing you to Kanyeba, one of our wonderful shop volunteers.

Thank you to Kanyeba for sharing her story - we really appreciate it and each one of the fantastic stories we have been able to share with our supporters this week.

 

"Hello, my name is Kanyeba and I’m 21 years old. I volunteer at the Hospice shop on Duke Street, and I’ve also spent time helping out at the Bucks Road and Onchan shops.

I started volunteering with Hospice because I wanted to build up my confidence and learn new skills that would help me work towards getting a paid job. Since joining, I’ve gained so much more than that. I love meeting new people, chatting with customers, and being part of such a friendly team. The staff and volunteers make it a really welcoming and supportive place to be.

Outside of Hospice, I’m a keen swimmer and part of the Special Olympics. I train once a week at the NSC, and recently I competed at the North West Regional Championships where I proudly brought home two gold medals, a silver, and a participation ribbon. Earlier this year, I had the amazing opportunity to represent the Isle of Man at the Winter World Games in Italy, where I won a bronze medal and came fifth in snow shoeing.

I was born with left-sided Hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, and I also have a learning disability. But I’ve never let that stop me. I live at home with my mum and love spending time with my two sisters, grandma, aunt and uncle. I also have a lovely dog who I enjoy taking for walks.

I’m proud to be part of the Hospice team."