Sunday was the International Volunteer Day (IVD), themed “Volunteer now for our common future”. The annual event, which was designated by the UN General Assembly in 1985, seeks to inspire people to work for the betterment of the planet.
It is an understatement to even quantify what volunteers have contributed to saving humanity since the onset of Covid-19. Talk of nurses and doctors who lost their lives while volunteering to be in the frontline when no single vaccine discussion was in the pipeline.
Remember the courageous young women and men who volunteered to manufacture masks and distribute for free in the urban settlements and educated the community about this disease and with little data available.
The journalists who braved and volunteered to cover the news in the red zones and endured to report accurate information so as the public could make informed decisions.
Indeed, Covid-19 led to the shift in the corporate culture around the world. Apart from companies volunteering to donate cash to support the government in its effort to support the less fortunate in the community, some companies directly provided foodstuff and used volunteers to ensure health protocols are well adhered to. When people lost jobs, families struggled, and to some, it was the beginning of tribulations.
Some companies volunteered their time and effort to locate their employees and supported them with little upkeep money and these actions have enabled families to strive in these hard times.
Coronavirus and the Global Volunteer community have continuously provided training and resources to volunteers that have greatly provided volunteers with skills needed for them to be impactful in their local, regional, and international assignments.
The government had to identify and utilise volunteers in the fight against Covid-19. Nakuru County, for instance, trained community health volunteers who have moved to strengthen Covid-19 safety protocols and measures. These volunteers have played a crucial role in providing the government with the needed data and acted as a link in the formal healthcare systems to urban and rural communities.
The most important task has been passing information to local communities in a language that they can easily understand. With the so-called Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, it has taken the efforts of community health volunteers to change the attitudes of community members to get vaccinated.
Some volunteers have had to deal with the harsh reality projected by cultural norms, beliefs, and social media conspiracy theories. Their dedication and courage have saved lives and untimely led to the easing of lockdown measures.
Truly, these actions of courageous volunteerism will go a long way to inspire future generations. As l watched astronauts from space dedicate their time to send a message to all volunteers in the world, it calls us as a generation to identify the important role of active volunteerism in the community. “Volunteer now for our common future” being this year’s campaign, we are called upon to identify opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community.
