Community service after high school can be an educational roller coaster as it has shown to offer a number of benefits professionally, educationally or personally.
This phase can help individuals decide which career they want to pursue, discover their strengths and weaknesses and help them gain interest and skills in departments and areas they were not aware of.
Volunteering may teach individuals valuable skills which are never learnt in a classroom such as:
• Better communication skills
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Provide a sense of purpose
• Increases social skills
Through voluntary work, learners or individuals can create important connections that could guide them to different career openings later in life. Connections made through volunteering often lead to letters of recommendations, good references, and may help an individual find job opportunities.
Geduld Epilepsy offers refuge and opportunity for residents suffering from epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. They cater for people with severe epilepsy, as well as people who suffer from intellectual disabilities.
They live in residential homes where they are well taken care of. The centre has a sick bay staff for any emergency. There are also nurses who distribute medication, and residents are also offered counselling services to help them cope with stress.
“The aim for us for them is to have a sense of normality in their lives. There is a protective workshop where they can do tasks to keep them busy and occupied. We also allow them to work in the gardens if they want to.
“The centre is always in need of help in various ways which is why we always allow individuals and students to volunteer at the centre,” said Geduld Epilepsy director Aileen Langley.
They allow the following volunteers:
• Social workers and social auxiliary workers
• Care givers
• Receptionists/administrators
• Nurses
• Gardeners
Volunteers with or without experience are welcome, as some need to do their practical work while enrolled at a further learning institution.
Langley further mentioned that Hans Tjege, the centre’s assistant director, started as a care giver volunteer at the Daggafontein branch, and later decided to study social auxiliary work while volunteering.
“Honestly speaking, working as a care giver was not part of my plans. I was in need of a job, so I approached Epilepsy South Africa. Unfortunately, I was told that there were no open vacancies at the time, but I was offered the opportunity to volunteer with a travel allowance.
“I was told that if any vacancies opened up, I would be their first priority, which is why I decided to volunteer. I volunteered for over a year, and I must say, my first day was a traumatic experience,” said Tjege.
Tjege said he was terrified to go back to work after everything he had witnessed on his first day but later realised he would gain skills and knowledge in the field. Eventually, a care worker’s post became vacant; he applied and was successfully admitted as a care worker.
“Working as a care worker made me realise that I had grown to like my working environment. Volunteering at the centre made me understand the value of working with people,” he added.
Tjege mentioned that he gained the following skills:
• Experience with epileptic individuals
• Importance of giving back
• Better physical and mental well-being
• Patience and understanding
• Empathy and compassion
• Effective communication
• Observation and attention to detail
• Critical thinking
• Culture competency and respect
He further added that community service helped guide him towards his career choice. Ongeziwe Mginqi said volunteering at the centre equipped her with skills just before pursuing a course in financial management.
“I volunteered for 18 months as a book keeper assistant under the guidance of Maritza Wolmarans. She taught me a lot. We used programmes that I later used as a student,
“I learnt how to use Excel and other Microsoft programs. Everything I did as a volunteer I later learnt in my school log book,” she added.
She said she would advise other individuals to volunteer in order to gain skills while broadening their knowledge, mentioning that sitting at home while taking a gap year can be a waste of time.
The centre also has a garden volunteer who assists with planting vegetables, crop rotation, harvesting and generally manages the garden.
Wynard Botes has been a garden volunteer for the past two years at the centre. He said the centre is always in need of a helping hand and the best way he can do that is by dedicating his time to the garden.
“Epileptic people need to be loved and taken care of. I am here to make sure that they have food in their garden. The garden consists of tomatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, onions, beetroot, and spinach plants,” added Botes.
He further added that he shares his knowledge based on the soil, health of the garden, plants and harvest with the residents in order for them to know how to better maintain and take care of the garden.
These skills include:
• Ability to work with hands
• Customer service skills
• Ability to operate and control equipment
• Ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• Soil analysis and weeding
• Identifying pests, mulching, planting and tracking sunlight
“These skills can help someone that wants to start their own garden or gardening business,” he added.
In conclusion, community service is one of the best ways to contribute to nature conservation and community development while gaining knowledge.
Every individual has unique skills and knowledge that can be sharpened through voluntary work. Volunteering is also a brilliant way to acquire job skills, and gain better understanding of different careers and industries.
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