Volunteerism - a fundamental aspect of youth empowerment |26 January 2018

Young people across the world have demonstrated both their drive and capacity to initiate positive transformations across their communities. To fully develop their potential however, they must surmount the barriers that exist in their personal lives and in society. This is where volunteerism is said to play a vital role in empowering the youth to bring about positive changes.

It is in this light that 22-year-old Jellissa Julie, a board member of the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) and a member of multiple other youth groups such as the Student Union at the University of Seychelles (UniSey), UN Youth Seychelles, The Baobab Association and the Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA), urges more young people to engage themselves in volunteerism.

Her appeal comes following an observation that our youth are hesitant and reluctant to become volunteers and to join the various non-government organisations (NGOs) that are seeking to make positive differences in our communities.

Jellissa cites a number of factors as being the cause for this lack of participation, including but not limited to:

• having a culture which does not promote volunteerism
• the absence of a dedicated platform with which to effectively attract young volunteers
• a heavy reliance on the SNYC to attract young people into volunteerism
• insufficient visibility, awareness and promotion of NGOs at local and national level
• an education system and parents that do not encourage students/their children enough to join NGOs that promote their creative sides and interests

It is Jellissa’s firm belief that being part of an NGO teaches young people certain life/work skills that they do not necessarily gain at school and it gives them an opportunity to meet with like-minded people on a frequent basis to interact and socialise in a positive environment. Exposure to different groups also affords young people more choices when deciding their career and very importantly, can help prevent disciplinary and behavioural problems.

Fear of committing to an NGO due to time or other personal constraints can be understood but Jellissa reminds anyone who has not come forward for this reason that it is not obligatory to join as a member of any NGO so this affords you the liberty to attend activities that you are comfortable with and when convenient to you. As a final year Business Administration degree student at UniSey, Jellissa takes the example of how she herself effectively manages her studies and participation in multiple youth groups.

In an attempt to raise more awareness about NGOs and encourage active participation of youth as volunteers, Jellissa says that she is part of an ongoing effort to bring all youth-led organisations together for a ‘meet and greet’ activity where they will be able to introduce their group through informal presentations.

Thereafter, the plan is to hold talks about local NGOs in schools, to explain the mission, vision and main objectives of each NGO. According to Jellissa, this initiative will attract students to join NGOs based on their own personal interests and allow them to start helping their communities from an early age. It is hoped that the media will also be more involved in raising awareness through dedicated programmes about local NGOs.

For further information, many NGOs can be contacted on their respective Facebook pages. Those interested can also contact the SNYC and Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps).