Wednesday 15 April 2015

National Volunteer Week


This week is National Volunteer Week in Canada so I wanted to reflect on being a volunteer and what it has meant to me.

Volunteering in Grenada I get to see the ocean pretty much every day. When I am at work I can often hear the Caribbean Sea crashing against the sandy shore. When I am early to work I will often watch the waves come tearing in with sound and fury and then quietly recedes to start the dance all over again.

For me volunteering has been a lot like the waves in the sea. I came rushing into the opportunity with lots of energy, only to get bowled over by the sheer enormity of the task. Probably most volunteers can relate to this, you have an agenda and all of a sudden you realize this is a bit more than you bargained for! This isn’t a negative experience it just isn’t what you expected. I remember volunteering for a parent council at my son’s school and thinking “What have I gotten myself into?”

Finding a balance

Like the sea you find an equilibrium in volunteering. There is a give and a take. You learn to negotiate in the best interest of the charity, non-profit or NGO that you are affiliated with. There
are also highs and lows. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your organization being successful, and nothing hurts more than making hard decisions about people because of resources or circumstances. But in the end everything balances out.

For me in Grenada that balance meant making a difficult choice. When I first arrived I had two placements. Initially I split my time between the two, but it became apparent early on that what I was supposed to be working on at one, did not need doing. At the same time the work at NEWLO needed considerably more resources than what it had been allocated. While I could find something to do at my other placement it wasn’t something the organization was ready for. So a new contract was struck where I would devote all my energy to NEWLO.

I give a lot of credit to Cuso International for being so flexible. I was always supported by my regional manager, in fact when we made the decision she was travelling on business but still made the time to support me.

Making magic

Our favourite beach here is La Sagesse. It is on the Atlantic side of the island and the sea can be violent with waves over 7 feet or calm and tranquil with barely a murmur. It also has this really neat “trick” I have never seen anywhere else and even then I have only seen it twice at La Sagesse.
When the surf is going out and another wave is coming in the two meet and there is magic.

This is what volunteering in Grenada has been like, making magic. So how do you make magic? I think it is about being motivated. Dan Pink has identified three criteria which must be present in order to be motivated

1.       Mastery- our ability to be good at something and to get better at it

2.       Autonomy – the ability to be self-directed, to plan and execute on our objectives without undue interference from others

3.       Purpose- we seek meaning in what we are doing

Volunteering embraces all of these elements:

Mastery: You tend to volunteer in an area you have expertise or want to get better in.

Autonomy: You have chosen this and you will, often, determine how and what you are going to contribute.

Purpose: Volunteering is the ultimate purpose driven activity. When you volunteer you are fulfilling a higher purpose of serving others or your community.

For many people they are no longer motivated at work. I hear phrases like “it is all pensionable time” and shudder as you see that there is no joy in the work being done. However volunteering gives people the opportunity to reclaim that feeling of accomplishment in a way their workplace or home life may not be able to.

A Receding Tide

Our time in Grenada is drawing to a close. We will be back in Canada June 30th, just in time for Canada Day!  While our volunteer experience  is not the typical venue for most volunteers, I think the way it changes you are the same; whether you are canvassing for the United Way, participating in  the Terry Fox Run or sitting on a volunteer board:

The people change you: Being exposed to new people, different ideas and points of view broadens your mind and ignites creativity. For me it is not just the different cultures but also getting to spend time with nuns (who are some of the coolest ladies in the Windward Islands) and Rasta that has really enriched my perspective. I have also been lucky enough to take a course at Saint George’s University and my classmates also have broadened my views.  

The work changes you: Making an impact on an issue, a program or a person puts a lot of things in perspective. Sometimes when we volunteer it isn’t always immediately clear that we are making a difference, but whenever you give up your time to put the needs of others ahead of your busy life you are changed. My work here will take a few years to become embedded in the organization and to benefit the youth of Grenada, but I have no doubt that it will.

You change you: I am absolutely terrified of travelling beside water. In fact in Canada I refused to look at houses where I would have to travel beside a river. In Grenada my commute consists of driving at breakneck speed along cliffs that drop hundreds of feet into the ocean. When I travelled in Greece a similar drive sent me into a full blown anxiety attack. Now I travel 2-3 times a week along roads that in Canada would be barricaded off as unacceptable. Have I made peace with my fear? It is more like we have come to an understanding- I am going to work, and I am not going to freak out.

Apart from this extreme example I think volunteering helps you to be a bit more bold, to try new things, and to be more creative. You can become more confident, more resilient and build skills that you always wished you had. You get to choose.

I admire all those who volunteer anywhere, in any capacity, civil society would grind to a halt without volunteers. So happy National Volunteer Week to all the volunteers in Canada and all my fellow Cuso volunteers throughout the world, keep up the good work!
 
Check out the magical waves at La Sagesse!

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