| Volunteerism | | | | was as passionate as before. She left Nepal after a |
| A volunteer is a person who offers his service/skill | | | | few months completing her assignment. |
| expertise selflessly i.e. without any desire or profit to | | | | To my amazement, after 4 years I got an email |
| self. This is by any means a universal assumption of | | | | from her. She told me that she is now a CEO of a |
| the word "volunteer". Going merely through the | | | | rehabilitation firm in Canada and expressed her |
| meaning of the word is not enough to understand | | | | willingness to help the same project that we nurtured |
| the dynamics of volunteerism. The main thing is the | | | | before here in Nepal. Are you still there? She asked. |
| difference in understanding and its implication in the | | | | My answer was "YES" I am here where you left me. |
| different parts of the world. In east volunteerism | | | | The only difference is the project has gone and I am |
| means serving for a cause without getting anything in | | | | struggling to meet my two ends. |
| return whereas in west it is serving for a cause | | | | I believe the above example clearly shows the |
| without getting anything only when his/her will says | | | | difference of understanding and consequences |
| so. We must first understand this difference. | | | | regarding the volunteerism. Selfless desire (Now |
| Let's take an example: I used to work as a volunteer | | | | onwards I'll use the word willingness) was there in |
| for the Community Based Rehabilitation Project, | | | | both of our perceptions, only the execution was |
| Kirtipur. My perception of volunteerism was that I | | | | different. Willingness to involve self in any job is |
| must exert all my energy to the task assigned to | | | | volunteerism. |
| me. Being a volunteer, I should sacrifice my family, | | | | Volunteerism and Professionalism |
| profession and needs a little bit. It was very unethical | | | | Willingness to involve self in any job is volunteerism |
| for me to lend more time for my personal causes. I | | | | whereas creating and maintaining value of any |
| always use to query myself: what would happen to | | | | particular skill/trade is professionalism. In present day |
| my volunteerism if I gave more time to my | | | | world competition is high. The uppermost importance |
| profession/family. I was very proud to be an ideal | | | | of human being is staying alive and the second most |
| volunteer! | | | | importance is keeping others alive i.e. primarily your |
| A few days later, a Canadian volunteer joined our | | | | family and then others. Necessities are greater than |
| team and started working with us. We use to visit | | | | ever before. We need money for everything. Where |
| the clients (disabled children).She was very caring and | | | | does money come from? Products. Yes, for the |
| passionate to each and every child we used to visit. I | | | | exchange of products we get money. The product's |
| always wondered how could such a person from | | | | value should be greater so that it sells well in the |
| advanced and developed country like Canada, who is | | | | market. We need to enhance the value of our trade |
| literate and expert in her field, feels comfortable | | | | skill everyday. By doing this we become professional |
| among us. As days passed, I gradually became | | | | and its quality becomes our professionalism. |
| obsessed to her volunteerism. I thought I was | | | | We humans basically have two hungers: Mental and |
| nothing in front of her. She was beyond compare | | | | Physical. Volunteerism addresses and satisfies mental |
| regarding the volunteerism. Let's say it was like I was | | | | hunger and physical hunger gets satisfied by |
| less "volunteer" than her. So I started to exert more | | | | professionalism. Both the components are |
| energy in my work which resulted in me just going | | | | supplementary to each other. Human life becomes |
| home to sleep. | | | | happier and fulfilled only when those two basic |
| One particular day, during our informal chat, she | | | | components work in perfect harmony. In the |
| revealed her story about her being with and among | | | | Canadian's case, she combined her volunteerism in |
| us. She was looking for an opportunity to visit Nepal. | | | | professionalism whereas in my example |
| She saw an advertisement in local Canadian | | | | professionalism was missing. |
| Newspaper seeking an Occupational Therapist, willing | | | | The ethics |
| to travel to Nepal and work for a Canadian funded | | | | 1. Involve yourself immediately whenever such need |
| project in villages surrounding Kathmandu. The | | | | arise where you feel strongly that you could not |
| compensation plan was excellent i.e. paid return | | | | merely remain a spectator. Do not wait for someone |
| ticket, accommodation and handsome stipend. | | | | to ask for that. Just lend your helping attitude to the |
| Without wasting a second she applied for and got | | | | situation/cause. |
| selected! | | | | 2. Don't ruin your career/job instead merge serving |
| I was shocked. Suddenly everything including my | | | | attitude in your life. |
| perception and admiration got shattered. That was | | | | 3. There should be selfless desire (willingness), not |
| not volunteerism. That was merely selfishness. She | | | | the ego i.e. you enjoy what you do. |
| was here just to fulfill her desire, not to volunteer. A | | | | There is no hard and fast rule. Whenever you |
| moment before she was my idol, now she became | | | | observe those 3 factors knowingly or unknowingly, |
| dwarf in my thought. Unaware of my emotions she | | | | you become a volunteer. |
