A few months back, I decided it was time to update my LinkedIn account. The last time I had logged into my account was during my internship year in 2013 and now I met a brick wall trying to gain access into that same account - I could not for the life of me remember what password I used neither could I retrieve my password because my university e-mail address and internship e-mail address with which I had registered on LinkedIn were no longer in use. After a few back and forth messages and going through the process of successfully confirming my identity, I was able to log into my LinkedIn account again after about 5 years. Yippee!!
So... I started updating my account. After making my education information, profile picture and current job status up to date, it was time to update any volunteering activities I was involved in and there, my friends, was where I stumbled. You see, volunteering has always been second nature to me, I did a lot of volunteering activities throughout sixth-form, university and during my internship so I was stunned at the awareness that I had not done any intentional voluntary or charity work since leaving university. To be fair, I did need the break from always being actively continuously involved in one organisation or the other. However, now is the time for me to align myself with not just every available volunteering opportunity but with causes I am actually passionate about.
After doing some soul searching, it was evident that I was interested in issues that concern Women & Girls, Education and Poverty Alleviation. I look forward to getting involved with charitable organisations that deal with these issues and maybe setting one up myself. Of course, I will keep you posted. To get me started, I took part in the A21 Walk For Freedom awareness campaign against human trafficking and slavery (Mostly women and girls are affected), joining thousands of other volunteers to walk a couple miles in a single file around central London.
I love volunteering because it gives an opportunity to experience life away from one's own normal and bubble - volunteering with a homeless shelter made me aware of the plights of people without shelter or food. Volunteering expands your knowledge on societal issues - providing support within a 'Meals on Wheels' team in the village of Slaithwaite exposed me to how the young generation of a community can migrate to cities and towns for better opportunities leaving the village majorly with a large population of aged people who need as much help as they can get to maximize their lives. Volunteering helps improve your skills - Helping out within the Homework club and Reading club at sixth form provided me with tutoring skills I still make use of today. All in all, my volunteering experiences have taught me to be empathetic. I have learnt to put myself in other people's shoes, I have learnt to be merciful and not judgmental.
I want to be one of the people Jesus describes in Matthew 25:35-40:
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
Volunteering provides the opportunity to be in contact with humanity in its rawest form. Actively and passionately engaging in providing solutions to other people's needs somehow chips away layers of pride that dwell in our fallen bodies, replacing them with humility. This is what I love the most about volunteering.
