Volunteering: the new generation

KATHMANDU, May 11: It can take just one hour a week, but it´s something few Nepalis do. Volunteering is either too time-consuming, expensive, or difficult to find, that it´s struggled to find popularity here in Nepal.

Yet the country has seen a recent boom of international organizations bringing volunteers here from all corners of the globe.[break] In fact, combining travel with volunteer work has become so popular; it´s even got its own name: “voluntourism”.

While Nepal is filling with people coming here to teach English, work in monasteries and build toilets, it hasn´t become a priority for Nepali youth, despite its huge benefits to their personal and professional lives. While most Nepalis see it as an advantage on an application to a foreign university, few realize the impact it can have on their local community, their job prospects and their self-esteem.

Anna Harding is a volunteer from Australia who has spent the past two months working on fundraising and grant writing for a local non-government organization. “I enjoyed the work. I was doing at home, but I was just making rich companies wealthier,” she says. Then she thought the developing world would be a better place to utilize her skills and develop new ones.

During her time in Nepal, she has learnt a lot about the culture and the way business is done here, but most importantly, she has been able to positively contribute to Nepali society in a way few other tourists can.

One of the biggest factors for low volunteer rates in Nepal is money. Many people facing financial hardships can´t spare the time to contribute to their community, as well as meet the demands of work and home life. But the draw of volunteering is that you don´t need to give a lot of time to make a difference. Just one or two hours per week helping an elderly person or tutoring a younger student with their homework can have huge benefits to both parties.

It builds confidence, social awareness and friendships between people who share similar interests. But it crucially offers the chance to learn new skills, which could be used to enhance employment prospects, particularly if you are volunteering in your chosen field of work.

Sumad Banth says she is the only one of her friends who volunteers, but her work has paid off, recently being offered a full-time job with VIN (Volunteers Initiative Nepal). While she admits money is a big issue for Nepali youth, she recognizes the long-term benefits. “Volunteering is good for your future career,” she says. “VIN taught me how to deal with international volunteers. I never want to go abroad, but I want to meet and understand foreigners,” she adds.

Sumad´s English is now improving, but she´s also building knowledge across a broad range of sectors such as health, education and women´s empowerment, and this will make her more employable in the future.

At only 20, she admits she has more time to volunteer than her peers, whose marriages and children are time-consuming. But “I´ve learnt that we shouldn´t waste time. Whenever we get the time, we should do something with it,” she says.

Foreign businesses and universities undoubtedly see volunteering as an asset on your CV. It shows initiative, motivation and a drive to succeed. But the sense of achievement you get out of it is priceless.