Forget, voluntary work being the new “job description” here in Uganda, it’s been proven to be work for only the strong hearted. The adjective would only fit better if there was tokenism and appreciation from the other end. Don’t get me wrong, Youth on the other hand must learn how to appreciate selfless acts however the question is, when does one get to elevate their mindset and learn that sustainability is the ultimate goal? A year, two or 5?
There is no doubt promotion of volunteerism and humanitarianism is one way Young People will gain enough hands on skills to growth and development however we should be able to know when it’s time to move on and negotiate for better and fair wages. We also expect this to be supported by employers themselves bearing in mind that it’s always a huge step in one’s life.
Companies reach a point where they feel no relevancy in hiring employers because volunteers cover all responsibilities in the name of impression and securing job positions. Year in, year out they are told the same thing we are giving you platform to help you grow, but the last time I checked in the 15 invaluable laws of growth, platform is nowhere even near point O. All 15 of them reflect on individuality which directly denounces all forms of exploitation.
If you want to prove this theory, try self-dependence, you will realize that majority of us feed on others energy. You might not want to believe it, but if you’ve been in voluntary work for more than 2 years, then you get my point.
Broken systems have managed to stay relevant on account of volunteerism. It take so much efforts to build a system but if it’s not aligning within the context its operating, all that becomes like building castles in the air. It not only affects the company but the workers as well because less productivity becomes inevitable. They fall off which wouldn’t be a problem, if the system accepted and made changes to meet the gaps realized, funny how it’s the system that turns against its workers to expose their incompetence and incapability to deliver forgetting the core responsibilities.
All in all, voluntary work is magic to Young People willing and ready to sacrifice part of their time and space for growth and service to their communities. It also acts as a wake-up call to challenge Young people into expanding their creativity and innovation skills.
Compiled by A Health Advocate
