VOLUNTEERISM- the giving of Yourself

I have spent this year volunteering with different organisations. Note that I didn’t say I was employed as a staff. I was simply absorbed as a volunteer. I must tell you, it has been an enjoyable experience. You must have heard the word “volunteerism” or “volunteer” and wondered, “What do they do?” I am here to tell you about it and to help you see why you need to be a part of it.

 VOLUNTEERISM, IS: the act of freely offering to do something. You have offered to do something for someone without being asked before, right? For the purpose of this discussion, we will describe Volunteerism as the act of investing yourself and your resources – time, skills, knowledge, expertise, money etc for the growth of your community. Volunteerism is also a selfless and relentless effort to help others in order to bring about growth and development.

VOLUNTEERISM, IS NOT: doing work for your community and expecting pay for it. It is not a means to show off or promote one’s selfish agenda.

The soul of volunteerism is selflessness, empathy and love.

WHY VOLUNTEER?

‘A life not lived for others is not a life’ – Mother Teresa.

‘Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves’ – Horace Mann.

Volunteering comes with a lot of benefits, which are broadly divided into two. The benefits you enjoy and the benefits enjoyed by the community. Surprisingly, so long as you offer help, the benefits are more for you.

YOUR BENEFITS:

The happiness effect:

‘Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more’ – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Volunteering keeps you happy. Knowing that you are helping alleviate another person’s debilitating situation comes with a feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment. It is priceless.

It is Fun:

Volunteering provides an avenue to explore your interests and it renews your creativity, motivation and vision. It also helps you see life from various perspectives.

Advances your career:

It provides you with an avenue to gain career experience, to learn valuable job skills and practice important workplace skills such as team work, problem-solving, program planning, task management and organization.

Good for mind and body:

You get a self confidence boost, stress and depression reduction and you stay physically healthy while volunteering. You also get mentally stimulated, with an increased sense of purpose.

Connects you to others:

You grow closer to your community and her realities when you volunteer. It provides the opportunity of meeting and making new friends, expanding your network (which is what rules the world) and boosting your social and relationship skills.

THE WHEN, WHERE, WHAT AND HOW TO VOLUNTEER:

WHEN: The time to volunteer is now. Be participative in that committee you have been nominated to work in; join community development associations in your Church, Mosque, School or neighbourhood. Every war, natural disaster or crises leaves a lot to be done, lending a hand at these times goes a long way to alleviate the sufferings that lies in the wake of these events.

‘Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart’ – Elizabeth Andrew.

WHERE: You can volunteer anywhere, these days, even on social media and the offer to volunteer can come from anywhere.

WHAT: What you decide to volunteer for and what you decide to invest in the lives of others is totally your choice. Choose wisely.

‘You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give’ – Winston Churchill.

HOW: There is no strict rules on how to volunteer, but decide to and the how will fall in place. If it doesn’t, speak with me.

REQUIREMENTS FOR VOLUNTEERING:

Basically you need PASSION and POSITIVITY. The most valuable skills to bring to any volunteer effort are compassion, an open mind, a willingness to do the needed and a positive disposition.

MY SUCCESS STORY

In the first month of this year, I took a drastic decision to change my career. The first offer I got on the journey was a volunteer position for community development in a rural area, which I took. In the course of working as a volunteer, I made many new friends, which made settling into my new location easy. I learnt a whole lot about my new career and the opportunities there in. I had so much fun, from events to meetings and trips.

In this last month of the year, volunteering took a decisive turn for me. I got the opportunity to be on national TV for the first time because I offered to volunteer for a group I have never met, but whose vision I believed in. I helped them promote VOLUNTEERISM in my media chat. Through the media encounter, I also met two outstanding young men who have in less than two weeks added a new flavor to my volunteer experience.

Volunteering like every other activity comes with its own challenges, but it builds you to overcome them. It teaches you life lessons and shows you what is most important in life.

Remember, you may think you do not have so much to offer, but we all have something to invest or give. Doing your part in whatever way (no matter how little) sets the ball rolling for more people to join the game.

‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples’ – Mother Teresa.