Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering means carrying out a duty or a job without expecting repayment or remuneration. The concept is very popular in advanced or rich countries such as United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and other western nations. In Laos, the concept is rather alien as may look at volunteering as rendering help without expecting payment in return as a waste of time and effort. However, there are many benefits one can gain through volunteering.

When one volunteer to help out someone such as a friend, teacher or parent, one is immediately seen as selfless and helpful. When you help a teacher to clean the classroom or get involved in a cleanliness campaign at the school level or other community projects, your standing would be elevated. Teachers and adults would look at a young person who volunteers his or her time for certain activities as mature, responsible, and deserving of respect.

In addition, volunteering with an organization such as orphanages, community centers and other non-profit organizations such as the Society for Prevention of Cruelty towards Animal and other welfare organizations allows you to interact with society at large. In addition to helping these organizations carry out their duties, you not only gain experience but can learn a variety of skills. This is especially beneficial for students. Even though one is not being paid, through volunteering time, effort, and skills one would learn more than what money can buy. You can learn to be bold, assertive, independent as well as express your opinions and gain communication and interpersonal skills. In Laos, this is lacking. Thus, the responsibility falls on the teachers to encourage students to volunteer their time not only for school activities but to spend their leisure in helping out community-based organizations.

Volunteering also allows one to become more mature at a relatively younger age. When you are exposed to volunteering at a young age be it at the home front, school, or their organizations, you would learn the importance of responsibility in carrying out your duties to the best of your ability. Embarking on volunteer activities would enable one to learn survival skills such as responsibility, the ability to express ideas as well as the importance of hard work and diligence.

Volunteering also exposes one to many interesting ideas and issues. For example, if you volunteer your time regularly at a charity organization, you would learn how the organization works and the importance of teamwork, and other essential ideas related to day-to-day operations. of the organizations. You will not only enhance your general knowledge but also learn how to deal with problems, challenges as well as dealing with different types of personalities.

Thus, there are many benefits to be gained by volunteering. Students, in particular, should be allowed to participate in volunteer activities to enhance their knowledge as well as learn useful interpersonal and organizational skills.