Volunteering
is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or
improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to
meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun and a
variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving.
Volunteerism is the act of selflessly giving your life to something you believe
free of pay.
Volunteering
takes many forms and is performed by a wide range of people. Many volunteers
are specifically trained in the areas they work in, such as medicine, education or emergency rescue. Other volunteers serve on an as-needed basis, such as in
response to a natural disaster or for a beach-cleanup etc.
Volunteering is simple. In short it's about giving your
time to do something useful, without getting paid. In return you get the
satisfaction of time and effort well spent. In addition, volunteering can be a
great way to: meet new people learn new skills gain useful experience.
Volunteers form a powerful group that
development sector organizations leverage to implement projects and create
community participation. 'Volunteerism' in today's context is not confined to
students, housewives, youth, elderly or any other such groups. It is also the
professionals with management/engineering/doctorate background working in
corporate houses contributing their knowledge and experience to the development
sector.
Whatever
skills and experience you have, there is something that you can do.
Whatever the reason,
volunteering transforms you and the world around you.