The report further breaks down the idea of volunteering in four different types – mutual aid or self-help, philanthropy/service to others, participation or civic engagement, and advocacy or campaigning.[break]
With different social organizations seeking workforce, volunteering and internship has grown with Nepali students in the recent past. Students tend to invest their short-spanned post-SLC and Plus2 days in working with local organizations.
But working for free, assisting in social causes or not, requires lengthy conversations for these students to explain to their parents. Misunderstanding is a matter of great distress for students who want to help out but can’t due to monetary restrictions.
“Youths are entirely dependent on their parents, so there’s always the question of pocket money, and due to budget limits, organizations can’t afford to pay each volunteer. Parents often forbid their children to volunteer, citing it as commensalisms,” said Moti Lama, Coordinator for Activista, a youth network of ActionAid.
Kritika Lamsal, 18, who has volunteered at Autism Care Nepal and various youth-led programs, shares, “When students go out to volunteer, they get to experience what the ‘real world’ is like. You learn how an enterprise works and directly interact with successful people which help in shaping your future goals. It also helps in personality development and sharpening skills.”
Similarly, Pradip Ghimire, 19, who was involved with Sagarmatha Prism Circle in Bhaktapur and Family Planning Association before he started what he likes to call ‘social service’ rather than volunteering for Leo Club of Kathmandu Central Town, says, “There’s a trend that students volunteer with certificates in mind rather than anything else.” He asserts on the need for these young volunteers to develop learning attitudes. “We don’t need to earn money at this age but we can take up lead in our respective fields and provide services. A service with a full heart is what’s lacking,” he adds.
Juju Kaji Maharjan of Heartbeat organization has worked with over 1,000 volunteers and is currently dealing with 50 to 60 volunteers and 16 interns. “We don’t have grants or funds. Hence, all our volunteers are unpaid. It’s (also) difficult to coordinate their time because most of our volunteers are students,” he added.
Both Maharjan and Lama agree that dealing with young volunteers is extremely difficult. “If we’ve drawn out a plan for a program, and when we decide to revise it, several other plans are already generated. Young volunteers can’t stick to one plan,” says Lama from experience, also adding that sometimes volunteers intend to just kill time.
According to Maharjan, sometimes volunteers aren’t serious about their involvement with an organization because they are working for free. But when there’s a shortage of manpower, the only resort is to work through the problems, trying to overcome them. Lama suggests that giving them a feeling of ownership helps because then volunteers will get to be responsible and organize programs in their own ways.
Binod Shahi, 31, who has been voluntarily managing schools in Upper Dolpa for the last nine years, says, “Volunteers shouldn’t be driven by any expectation in return for what they’re doing. The mentality that one gets education to look for a job in the future, let alone being productive or making a difference, is totally wrong.”
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