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