Ar noson Calan, ni chysgais. Ar Ionawr 02, 2020 fe gyrhaeddais Faes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd tua 2:30 y bore, yn gyffrous am y pythefnos nesaf o fy mlaen yn Cape Town, De Affrica.

Pwrpas y daith hon oedd cystadlu ym Mhencampwriaethau Cadetiaid Rhyngwladol (ICC) St John Ambiwlans ymhlith gwledydd megis Mauritius, Seland Newydd, Canada a llawer mwy! Roedd cwrdd a phobl o ddiwylliannau mor amrywiol yn anhygoel: profiad deffroadol iawn. Y prif ddiwrnod oedd y 9fed o 12 dydd. Roedd yn ddiwrnod cystadlu o 15 awr a oedd yn cynnwys arholiad ysgrifenedig am 6 o'r gloch y bore, pedwar efelychiad (simulation) ac i mi, cystadleuaeth dril lle roedd yn rhaid i mi reoli 24 o Filwyr Byddin De Affrica, wrth gael fy marnu gan eu Rhaglaw Cyffredinol (Lieutenant General). Credaf mai hwn oedd y diwrnod mwyaf heriol yn fy mywyd hyd yn hyn. Nid wyf erioed wedi gweld senarios o'r fath, gyda chleifion mor realistig. Fel tim o bedwar, fe aethon ni at y sefyllfaoedd a gorfod ymateb yn gyflym i'r hyn yr oeddem yn gallu ei weld - mewn un sefyllfa, roedd 10 claf a damwain tacsi. Yn y sefyllfa honno, beth ydych chi'n ei wneud? Gwnaethom asesu'r sefyllfa yn effeithlon, a llwyddo i drin y cleifion a anafwyd fwyaf difrifol gan gynnwys gwaedu mawr i'r goes uchaf, dynes yn cael babi ac anaf i'r pelfis. Mewn efelychiadau eraill, fel grwp ac fel unigolion, gwnaethom drin plentyn ifanc yn boddi mewn pwll nofio, hen ddyn oddi ar feic a llawer mwy yn ystod y dydd.

Yn amlwg, nid oedd y daith yn gwbl seiliedig ar waith! Yn ystod dyddiau eraill gwelsom olygfeydd enwog fel Table Mountain, Ynys Robben a Gerddi Botaneg Kirstenbosch. Hefyd, fe aethon ni ar Safari, Taith Bws Coch, ymweld ag Ynys y Morloi a chanwio ar hyd afon Breede. Yn ystod yr amseroedd hyn fe wnaethom adeiladu bondiau bythgofiadwy gyda phobl o bob cornel o'r byd, a chael cyfle i ddod i adnabod diwylliannau eraill.

Y diwrnod gorau, o bell ffordd, oedd y diwrnod y cawsom gyfle i wirfoddoli mewn ysgol gynradd leol. Roedd yr ysgol hon yn dioddef o dlodi difrifol. Am eiliad, ystyriais fy ngwerthoedd fy hun ac ers yr eiliad honno, mae fy mywyd wedi newid. Y plant a oedd yn ddisgyblion yn yr ysgol hon, Scherpenheuwel, oedd y bobl ifanc fwyaf diolchgar rwyf wedi eu cyfarfod erioed. Roedd eu hangerdd am yr ysgol yn rhagorol, a'u diolchgarwch yn anhygoel. Roedd paentio eu hysgol, adeiladu ystafell ddosbarth newydd ac ail-osod eu cegin yn brofiadau na fyddaf byth yn gallu eu hanghofio. Roedd pob eiliad a dreuliais yn yr ysgol honno yn gwneud i mi fod eisiau sgrechian a chrio, ond fe wnaeth agweddau'r plant adfer fy ffydd mewn dynoliaeth - mae rhai yn ddiolchgar iawn am eu haddysg, ac nid oeddwn i erioed wedi meddwl y byddwn i'n gweld hwnnw ar y raddfa hon.

Yn ystod y daith unigryw hon, gwnes i ffrindiau gwych a ffurfiais atgofion anhygoel. Yn bwysicaf oll, dysgais bwysigrwydd rhoi eich gorau i bopeth. Pe na bawn wedi bod yn gwirfoddoli gyda St. John Cymru ers blynyddoedd, byddwn wedi treulio pythefnos gyntaf mis Ionawr yn yr ysgol. Pe na bawn erioed wedi cyflwyno fy enw i fod yn aelod o Senedd Ieuenctid Cymru, efallai na fyddai Pencadlys Cenedlaethol St John wedi gwybod fy enw, ac yn bendant ni fyddwn wedi fy ngweld yn gynrychiolydd ar gyfer y sefydliad i deithio i Dde Affrica.

Fy nghyngor i unrhyw un fyddai i fynd amdani! Peidiwch byth a gwrthod cyfle - mwynhewch y rhai a roddir i chi.

Yn ystod yr amser ofnadwy o anodd hwn o ansicrwydd, byddwch yn bositif. Nid yn unig tuag at eich gilydd, ond tuag at eich hunain... Mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gofalu amdanom ein hunain dros y misoedd nesaf wrth i'r amser hwn ddod yn fwyfwy heriol. Bydd y sefyllfa newydd hon yn gofyn am wneud penderfyniadau gofalus iawn, felly mae hefyd yn bwysig ein bod yn deall y penderfyniadau hynny a wneir gan y rhai sydd uwch ein pennau; cofiwch fod awdurdodau eisiau'r gorau i ni, eu bod nhw ar ein hochr ni.

On the night of New Year's day, I didn't sleep. On January 02, 2020 I arrived at Cardiff International Airport at around 2:30am, excited for the next two weeks ahead of me in Cape Town, South Africa.

The purpose of this trip was to compete in International Cadet Championships (ICC) amongst countries including Mauritius, New Zealand, Canada and many more! Meeting people from such diverse cultures was incredible: a very awakening experience. The main day was the 9th of 12. It was a 15-hour-competition-day which included a written exam at 6am, four casualty simulations and for me, a drill contest where I was required to command 24 South African Army Soldiers, whilst being judged by their Lieutenant General. This may have been the most challenging day of my life. I'd never seen such scenarios, with such realistic casualties. As a team of four, we approached the scenes and had to rapidly respond to what we could see - in one, 10 patients and a crashed taxi (really, they'd crashed it for the purpose of this simulation). In that situation, what do you do? We assessed the scene efficiently, and managed to treat the most severely injured patients including major bleeding to the upper leg, a lady in labour and a pelvic injury. In other simulations, as a group and as individuals, we treated a drowning child, an elderly man and many more casualties during the day.

Obviously, the trip wasn't entirely work-based! During other days we saw famous sights like Table Mountain, Robben Island and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the cape Waterfront. Also, we went on Safari, a Red Bus Tour, visited Seal Island and canoed along Breede river. During these times we built unforgettable bonds with people from around the world, and were given the opportunity to truly embrace other cultures.

The best day, by far, was the day we were given the chance to volunteer at a local primary school. This school was suffering from severe poverty. For a moment, I considered my own values and since that moment, my life has changed. The children who were pupils at this school, Scherpenheuwel, were the most grateful young people I have ever met. Their passion for school was admirable, and their gratitude incredible. Painting their school, building a new classroom and re-fitting their kitchen were experiences I will never be able to forget. Every second I spent at that school made me want to scream and cry, but the student's attitudes restored my faith in humanity - some are extremely grateful for their education, which I never thought I'd see to this scale.

During this trip of a lifetime, I made great friends and amazing memories. Most importantly, I learnt the importance of giving your all. If I hadn't been volunteering with St. John Cymru for so long, I would have spent the first two weeks of January in school. If I had't ever put my name forward to be a member of the Welsh Youth Parliament, St. John's National Headquarters may not have known my name, and definitely wouldn't have seen me as a representative for the organisation.

My advice to anyone would be to go for it! Put yourselves out there, never turn down an opportunity and enjoy those you are given.

During this awfully difficult time of uncertainty, please be positive. Not only towards each other, but towards yourselves... It's important that we look after ourselves over the coming months as this time becomes evermore challenging. This unprecedented situation will require for very delicate decisions to be made, so it's also important that we are understanding of those decisions made by those in power; remember that authorities want the best for us, that they're on our side.