Do It With Boldness (DWB) Foundation is a not-for-profit organization with a single most focus of addressing the needs of the vulnerable members of the community, especially children, the youth and women. The organization creates educational and leadership development opportunities, enables access to psychological support and amplifies the role of girls as leaders in their community and beyond.
DWB foundation works with volunteers to achieve both its short term and long-term goals. The organization believes that volunteerism is a social behavior and that it contributes immensely to the economic productivity of a nation.
In the spirit of recognizing their volunteers, DWB hosted a Volunteer Recognition event at Cool Breeze Gardens in Muthaiga Nairobi. The event focused on volunteerism for humanity and provided an opportunity for volunteers to share their experience and challenges during the volunteer journey. It was also a golden opportunity for networking and sharing of practical experience in volunteerism.
I am glad to have been invited as one of the guests and panelist in this event hosted by DWB. During the event, I narrated my volunteer journey, underscored the rewards of volunteerism, the challenges therein and the lessons that I have learnt in relation to volunteerism.
I shared with the audience my volunteer experience especially when I volunteered as the Campus Director for Kenyatta University during the 3 months-long Millennium Fellowship hosted by Millennium Campus Network (MCN) in collaboration with United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). I shared how this role helped me gather valuable skills/knowledge that have gone a long way to bolster my leadership acumen. By and by, I shared about my volunteer work with Kenyatta University Welfare, wellness and Counselling Project where I served as the Outreach and In-reach coordinator for Peer Counselors.
In a bid to inspire and motivated the audience to keep up with the spirit of volunteerism, I mentioned some of the accolades I have won as a result of volunteering including, scholarship to present at the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference in London (March 6-7th 2020), Global Citizen Scholarship award by Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, Hideyo Noguchi African Prize for Young Researchers, YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative) and the Outreach Youth Champions Award by Kenyatta University.
As we wrapped up the panel discussion, I shared with participants 4 lessons on volunteerism I have gathered over the years.
- Don’t just see yourself as a volunteer. See yourself as an integral and indispensable member of the organization.
- Leverage volunteerism to accomplish your personal and professional development endeavors.
- Give it your ALL. Your hard work will reward you. HARDWORK WORKS.
- It is the valuable skills and knowledge you will gain. The money will follow.
ODUOR KEVIN 