Ammar A. Humadi Al Naimi is from Iraq, and is studying an MSc (in Prenatal genetics and foetal medicine.

Where do you volunteer?

1. Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital (Trolley Shop Volunteer)
2. Oxfam Bookshop (General Volunteer)

What role do you have at your placements?

At St. Bart’s I manage the trolley shop – I go around the wards and sell the things that patients need, which they cannot go to the shop to buy. For Oxfam, I work in the book shop where I price books, sort books out, keep books categorised and manage the till.

What's the most interesting thing to happened to you while volunteering?

While working at the hospital, one of the most interesting things is that patients who had been there for a long time began to know me … they would say that they had been waiting all week to see me. It was really rewarding to hear that.


Tell us what you've learned about London through your volunteering.

I have learned how nice and helpful Londoners are. I’ve learned that a lot of the UK services are run by volunteers and that volunteers provide an important and indispensable contribution to the society.

How would you say volunteering has changed you?

It made me a better person as it kept me in touch with my human side. It keeps reminding me of how important it is to be compassionate with fellow human beings.


What would you say to another international student who was thinking of volunteering?

It is a life changing experience; everyone should do it and I highly recommend that people give something back to society by volunteering.