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Did you know that we, as a society, value volunteers so much that we even put a monetary value on their time? Our volunteer work may be more valuable than our regular work!

The Independent Sector is an organization that gathers tons of statistics about charitable activities, places, and the Estimated National Value of Each Volunteer Hour every year. That value stands, as of 2019, at $27.20 an hour. The actual amount varies from state to state, but we can see that volunteers are precious people.

But money means nothing to volunteers. They do it for many other reasons, but primarily to help other people or animals. Nevertheless, there are many side effects of volunteering that make it even more worthwhile.

Most of us want to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We do not volunteer, for the most part, because it benefits us. We volunteer because it makes a difference.

But, there are even more benefits to volunteering. We notice a subtle shift in ourselves when we volunteer. Volunteers feel more connected to others, and we become less absorbed in the normal stresses of daily life. We share our experiences with others and want to help more.

Here are eleven proven benefits of volunteering. Maybe one of them will convince you to get off the couch and out the door to engage with your community.

Benefits to Volunteering.

1. Volunteering Builds Community. You strengthen your community and your social network when you volunteer. You make connections with the people you are helping, and you cultivate
2. Increases Socializing

Socially, the benefits of volunteering show up quickly and have long-term effects. Social interaction improves mental and physical health. The benefits of consistent socializing include better brain function and a lower risk for depression and anxiety. You also improve your immune system.

4. Builds Bonds, Creates Friends

Volunteering creates stronger bonds between friends, family, and coworkers. People build closer relationships, better connections, and more powerful attachments to people when they work together. If you feel the need for deeper connections with other people, try volunteering. You might live longer and be happier.

5. Develops Emotional Stability

Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, low self-esteem, and even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have all been helped by volunteering. When people with OCD, PTSD, or anger management issues volunteer, they feel more connected to others. They have an increased sense of purpose. Connection and meaning translate to decreased symptoms and improved social function.

6. Improves Self-Esteem

When teens or young adults volunteer, they develop self-esteem, confidence, and feelings of self-worth. Imagine the benefits of volunteering today, where both girls and boys struggle with self-esteem issues. Consider the advantages of volunteering for teens and young adults with eating disorders, social anxiety, and depression. Volunteering could be life-changing (and life-saving).

8. Promotes Longevity

While everyone benefits from a little boost in physical health, long-term volunteers have longer lives, less disease, and better overall health. One report says that people who volunteer over 100 hours a year are some of the healthiest people in the U.S.

9. Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease has become a frightening possibility for millions of individuals in the U.S. and globally. However, some research has shown that people who volunteer may be at a lower risk of dementia.

Studies from the Journal of Gerontology indicate that social service improves elasticity in the brain. As volunteers age, they may be able to maintain the connections in their brains that often break down in Alzheimer’s patients. Any social interaction can help delay or prevent Alzheimer’s, and volunteering can be a fantastic way to do that.

10. Leads to Graceful Aging

Older volunteers benefit the most from getting out of the house, engaging with others, and moving physically. Purpose and collaboration result in mental health improvements and a better outlook on life.

Studies indicate that senior volunteers experience the most physical benefit from their service, possibly because being active and engaged leads to more happiness.

Older people who volunteer often feel younger and chronically ill people may have fewer symptoms and pain. Some research has even found that volunteers may have less heart disease.

11. Burns That Stubborn Belly Fat

With more people in traditional desk jobs, we live a more sedentary lifestyle than ever before. The risks associated with the less daily movement include back pain, disease, obesity, and more stress and mental illness. When we volunteer, even if it is not a physically demanding project, we still get up and get moving.

Walking around a shelter or food bank, playing with kids at the local YMCA, or visiting with elderly patients at a neighborhood nursing home all require that you do more than sitting at a desk or on a couch. You could even choose to volunteer for causes or programs that make you more active, such as youth sports programs or national parks.

Volunteers live longer and are more likely to take care of themselves in general, including getting vaccinations and keeping their weight under control. Volunteering at something that requires physical energy may be more motivating than just walking around the block.

While popular images of volunteers may focus on a specific individual service, such as looking after
the sick or elderly, this is only one of many possible volunteer roles today. The historical evolution in
the perception, practice, and philosophy of volunteers has meant greater recognition of a diversity of
understandings about volunteering work. These can now encompass reciprocity as well as ‘helping’,
capacity development beyond charity, professionalism in addition to well-meaning unskilled labor,
at the same time as dealing with causes and symptoms. These notions of volunteering as building
solidarity and empowerment and supporting local ownership and values may also be regarded today
as capacity development.

“On Volunteering and Social Development”,

Davis Smith suggested a framework for defining and understanding the meaning of volunteering (United Nations Volunteers, 2001). It depended on the setting and a typology of volunteering was clarified based on the outcome or purpose. He identified four basic types of voluntary activity: mutual aid or self-help; philanthropy or service to
others, participation; and advocacy.

The typology was particularly interesting from a development perspective in its acknowledgment of
mutual aid or self-help. In the North this might not be considered typically a volunteer activity), while
in the developing world it is recognized for the social and economic support it provides for a high
proportion of the population.

In other words, there is some diversity in language about volunteering with some people equating it
with service and others suggesting service implies a more intensive commitment but there is clearly
room to bring them together. Service is an organized period of substantial engagement and
contribution to the local, national, or world community, recognized and valued by society, with
minimal monetary compensation to the participant.

Scale

Indeed the scale of international volunteering for development provides an insight into its potential
importance though it has rarely been calculated. Such figures are also complicated by differing
definitions and durations but United Nations Volunteers estimated that volunteer development
workers “add up to about one-fifth of all skilled international personnel serving in developing
countries, but account for a higher (and growing) proportion of the long-term (i.e. more than one
year) resident group among such personnel” at the start of the 1990s

With the growing recognition of volunteer work in development and currently increasing
international aid budgets, it is an important time to reflect on the role of volunteering for
development to improve it, refine it, and consolidate its unique aspects so that it can be a
positive contributor towards deconceptualizing development.

As demonstrated around the world, volunteers have a unique and important role to play as active
participants in the development process. Indeed, volunteers, volunteers involving organizations, as
well as volunteer networks are important resources that need to be properly recognized as legitimate
development partners. For UNDP, harnessing the energies and creativity of millions of people
worldwide who want to make a distinctive contribution through volunteerism to development and
peace will be critical in the years ahead.

Our vision.

Our vision is of a world where people, regardless of cultural, social, and political divides, come
together for mutual benefit, living in peaceful co-existence. I conclude by stating that Volunteers can
be a useful form of technical assistance for development. They can fill genuine and important needs
in developing countries and provide a valuable and relatively inexpensive addition to other
technical assistance programs. They have in addition, a helpful effect on domestic public opinion
about developing countries and they are likely to promote international understanding. Success is
vested not just in the volunteer or the assignment, but the whole process; relationships between
partners and the volunteer cycle

Volunteering and tourism, when they are joined it becomes voluntourism and this is a common form of international travel that allows u to contribute to sustainable development while exploring a new country and culture. It is similar to volunteer travel or volunteer vacation and many people find that doing volunteer work while also participating in tourism is great way to get the best of both worlds.

Volunteering and tourism offers a chance to volunteers to explore new country and its unique side, learn about the culture first hand and play a vital role in the community.

Since most of the volunteers live with local host families, so in the addition to the worthwhile work, they do at their projects, they also experience the depth of cultural immersion and exchange which is impossible for typical tourists, because the host families will welcome the volunteers into their homes and help the volunteers become part of the community by sharing their daily lives and customs with them and some volunteers have even found themselves celebrating birthdays and weddings with their host families.

The time the volunteer decides to take a step to join volunteering and tourism program, they are joining a global network of volunteers who live and work with diverse cultures on projects that have positive impact. Volunteering in Uganda receives volunteers all over the world and this will help them to share their passion for giving back and the desire to broaden their horizons.

Volunteering and tourism has supported the community people in various ways;

When volunteers promote to a well-run and sustainable volunteer project, they be helping to implement long term development. Volunteers use skills, time and energy to make a difference that will last long after they have returned home. Volunteers still help the local teacher improve their English and classroom skills via a teaching project and in this case volunteers indirectly impact the children they teach. And when a volunteer helps a struggling entrepreneur get their business off the ground at a microfinance project, the volunteer is helping support an entire family for years to come. So voluntourism is good.

Volunteering and tourism  participates play a great role to the development of local economy because in the volunteer’s free time, they take an advantage of the opportunity to go sightseeing, like game drive, island tours and many others. We all know that Uganda rely heavily on the income from tourism and voluntourism companies and volunteers support local business.

The volunteering and tourism companies give employment to the communities’ manpower and in most cases workers have the opportunity to receive further training and education.

However voluntourism is increasingly common but it is extremely important to carefully research about the organization you are considering to travel with. Sustainability, experience and financial responsibility are essential to the running programs that truly benefit the population.

A volunteer is someone who performs or offers to perform a service out of his own free will. Most of the time without any form of payment made to him. Volunteering in Uganda is not only beneficial to the community you serve. But can in so many ways have returned for you and your profession.

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean that it is any less valuable. The skills you get to learn from volunteering are just as useful as those you learn in paid positions. And including them on your resume is just as convincing for employers.

Volunteering in Uganda in a professional program like teaching, nursing, Agriculture and construction is just a different way to help people as well as improve on your profession.

Life is a wonderful journey and you never know where it will take you. Volunteering in Uganda can help you be more than a passive traveler. You can make a plan and actively build skills to enhance your professional lives through volunteering.

Benefits of volunteering in Uganda.

The benefits of Volunteering in Uganda give you a chance to build on the skills you already possess and as well learn new ones.  These skills include teamwork, communication, problem-solving and task management, etc. When you volunteer you have to learn to communicate with a variety of people including other volunteers and local people. All this will help you develop the skills needed to be a good leader in your current or future employment.

Volunteering in Uganda shows you’re adaptable since it involves living with a local or sharing a home with other volunteers. This means you must live with people from other cultures and you must know how to adapt to the new environment. Many organizations are aware that international experience helps to shape character and shows you are adaptable.

It additionally gives one a chance to gain work experience in his/her field. Given the fact that most employers want workers who have work experience. Your volunteer experience shows employers that you can manage your time and complete your task. Your volunteer records can show an employer that you have the attitudes and skills they are looking for in a potential employee.

Another benefit of volunteering in Uganda is that it is a great way to meet people with experience in your professional field from who you can learn. In addition, you may find people willing to offer paid positions to talented volunteers. Getting to know people can bring you just more opportunities and more satisfaction in your current or future career.

Continuation

Also, volunteering gives you a chance to build on your confidence. Which is an important thing one must possess most especially if he/she has never been employed before. It can help you feel active, useful, and productive.

Additionally, volunteering helps you find your passion. Being a volunteer in your professional field for a while allows you to see how your knowledge and skills can affect people’s lives for the better and this will help you feel happier in your work.

In conclusion, when you choose to volunteer in Uganda, you are not only offering your help to people who need it but as well living an unforgettable experience that will help you grow both personally and professionally.