Maybe it was in-born, maybe it was a habit I picked along the way, maybe it was my calling, but for whatever reason it was I must say it has been a journey flowered with fulfillment. Service to the community through volunteering started when I was 16 years old back then in high school. I remember my parents struggling to raise my school fees. It was not easy for them, and it too wasn’t easy for me, to see how hard they ensured I stayed in school and pursue my studies. Needless to say, I could see their love through the hustle they went through and this would trigger me to volunteer in different programs in school leading to my selection to join the Junior Achievement Club.
As a member of the club we pioneered a HIV/AIDS programme geared towards supporting needy children at the Carolina for Kibera Children’s home. We would make ribbons and sell them and have the proceeds go to the home. I didn’t put much thought into what I was doing back then but all I remember is that it felt real good to put a smile on someone else’s face. I could hardly afford to pay school fees yet here I was raising money to support people I thought were needier than I was.
Fast forward to 2012 and I am recruited to join Volunteers for Africa(VFA) as a communications and advocacy manager. VFA is a Kenyan NGO working with volunteers to eliminate hunger and poverty in Africa. Even though my core mandate was in communications, I was curious about volunteerism. I got to network with other volunteers and volunteer managers and learnt firsthand the challenges and opportunities that volunteerism faces. One of the major challenges, I noted, was the lack of clear communication frameworks to support volunteerism efforts. I quickly took up this challenge and designed structures for communications for various volunteer involving organizations – all on voluntary basis. My motivation for doing all these was to see a world where change was driven by volunteers and that change being appreciated by the society.
The year is 2014 and after two years of working for, with and as a volunteer I get wind of the fact that the Ministry of Labour is in the process of preparing a National Volunteerism Policy for Kenya. Not one to waste chances, I make follow up calls and become part of the team of 6 working on a volunteerism policy for the country. Together with my colleagues, we traversed the country collecting views from different stakeholders, holding conferences and meeting government officials. In just 7 months we had come up with a policy that is now awaiting parliamentary approval.
Why am I sharing these stories? Well, many are the times I meet young people who ask why I am such a passionate advocate for volunteerism. “Does it pay?” they ask. Many young people are programmed to expect some financial gain for work they do. Unknown to many, volunteerism has some innate benefits that can only be felt when one makes life better for others. As mentioned in my first story, my parents were really struggling to pay for my upkeep but never at one time did I get sent home because of fee defaulting. Due to my volunteering nature, God had my back with the fee challenge. On my other two stories, because of my engagement with volunteer involving organizations and the volunteerism policy, I got to establish many networks and these networks are what connected me to my current job. I am currently a fellow with Fredskorpset – a Norwegian government funded professional exchange program – working in Uganda. My being here is solely because of volunteerism. The opportunity was sent to me by someone who I had met through volunteerism, and during my interview I remember the interviewer telling me how much they admired the fact that my CV was filled with volunteer work and that is what got me chosen by the African Women’s Development and Communications Network for the fellowship. So you see…volunteerism does pay!
Good story there
ReplyDeleteThank you Titus
DeleteGood story there
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