MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2012

THE STAR AFRICA EDITION

22 COMMENT

GIVING BACK: Staff from Independent Newspapers volunteered their time to help build homes in Mfuleni for beneficiaries of the Habitat for Humanity project.

PICTURE: DAVID RITCHIE

T HAS always seemed strange to me that volunteering is not a natural reflex in a country with the highest Gini coefficient the gap between the rich and the poor. Current events such as the tragedy at Marikana and the rising level of dissatisfaction with wage levels and service delivery confirm that not much has changed for the poor; Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in the Sunday Times last week that it is time for a new accord. As Trevor Manuel recently suggested in a talk to the Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars at the University of the Western Cape, in order to build a successful economy South Africans need to return to the selfless activism so evident in the anti-apartheid struggle and contribute to society . The truth is there is a sector of SA that has never left that selfless activism and continues to contribute to society but this sector, , especially in these economically difficult times, does not receive the financial resources it rightfully deserves. I refer to the non-governmental organisations who work behind the scenes in what often seems a thankless battle to narrow the widening chasm between the haves and have-nots of our country . For the past 20 years I have run a recruitment agency specialising in NGO placements and have watched my loyal clients suffer the withdrawal of funds. When times get tough, people stop giving. NGOs dont just need money though, they , need human resources, and if people are not prepared to dig into their pockets, should they not perhaps be prepared to dig literally? Dig food gardens, holes for trees, foundations for schools and clinics. If they cant dig, what about offering skills in some other way? Often just a bit of time and a sympathetic ear will make a difference. Why dont we South Africans give of ourselves in order to help each other? It cant be that we dont want to, perhaps we simply dont know how. Possibly the chasm seems so great that we feel that if we put out our hands we will get dragged into the daunting canyon where surely a bit of volunteering can never make any difference? Google volunteer South Africa and there appears a huge list of opportunities for overseas volunteers to come and make a difference to peoples lives in SA. Not much about opportunities or calls for SA volunteers to contribute in our very own country though. In the US, the UK, most of ,

Your country needs you: become a volunteer today

Embattled NGOs need SA citizens to pledge their time, writes Lisa Garson
Europe, Australia and Canada, volunteering and community service are a part of everyday life, part of the culture. Sure, there are SA organisations like Cansa, LifeLine, Hospice and the SPCA that traditionally attract volunteers, but what about all the little community-based organisations providing life-giving services to those most in need in our communities? Most people have never heard of most of them, nor is there a rush to assist. How can we change this? As a mother of four young, reasonably enlightened South Africans I have observed a general decline in values since the days of apartheid. Im talking across the spectrum. Obsession with shallow pursuits like social media, YouTube, designer looks, celebrities and so on. The worst for me is when those few kids who are actually willing to volunteer and give of themselves go to places like Ghana and Fiji and work there. How is this acceptable when the need is so enormous in our own backyard? At the risk of making myself appear reactionary I take the boot camp approach. , If I was the boss of SA I would bring back conscription for all school leavers. My troops would be a little different, though. They would be deployed into the embattled and beleaguered cash-strapped NGOs and taught to give back. For a year they would behave like full-time employees in one of the 100 000 registered NGOs in the country digging food gardens, , planting trees, tending to the sick, caring for orphans, teaching younger students, guarding the environment, washing out kennels, building websites. The list is endless. They would use their skills wherever they could. This is my dream and it cant wait until Im the boss of SA. As a politically cynical white woman thats pretty unlikely But I am a . boss. And I have recruitment skills. And I know and respect and love a lot of NGOs. So Im making my dream come true myself. I am building an army . Its called AVA Action Volunteers Africa. The recruits are recent matriculants from all walks of life in SA.

If I was the boss of SA I would bring back conscription for all school leavers. My troops would be a little different, though. They would be deployed into the embattled and beleaguered cash-strapped NGOs and taught to give back
They are going to give a year to their country Or at least six months. . They are going to dig and build and nurture and clean. They are volunteers. There arent many of them yet, but I know the numbers will grow. Its a start. Lisa Garson is the director of an employment agency specialising in placing people into NGOs. For more information about Action Volunteers Africa, contact Lisa 021 671 3150 or 082 454 9681