A volunteer is anyone who performs a task, often humanitarian, and does not expect a financial reward in return for that service. More and more people want to be a volunteer, either from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), from the United Nations or from any other association that needs people to carry out work.
Anyone can be a volunteer, yes, they need to have some requirements:
- Being of legal age and in some cases 16 years of age is sufficient, although authorization from the legal guardian may be required.
- Have time to dedicate to volunteering.
- In the event that some special force is required, have the physical conditions to be able to perform them.
- Have passion for the work you are going to do.
Volunteers can be people trained, with careers, to do a certain job, such as doctors who travel to some countries at war to help people in need and do not expect to receive something in return. Being a volunteer means that you will not receive financial compensation. In some cases, since you do a great job, payment is made in kind, as in the case of doctors to pay for the trip or food. But keep in mind that one of the characteristics of volunteering is that you will not receive anything financial in return. A very basic example could be in the case of blood donations, those who donate do so voluntarily, therefore at that time they are volunteers, and for their work they receive something to eat, but never financially.
It must be taken into account that, as in the example given about doctors and nurses who travel to countries at war, they do not always have the same comforts. There is no electricity, there is no water to bathe…because you are traveling to a country where these comforts do not exist and you have to adapt to them.
If you like a specific job and above all you want to help you can become a volunteer and that is why here we explain how to be a volunteer.
Instructions to be a volunteer
- In the case of the Red Cross, you must contact them so that they can give you a personal interview in which they will tell you what the work they do consists of and what you could fit into according to your characteristics, since it is not the same if you are older or younger than age or if you have studies that allow you to carry out tasks that require more effort. They will always give you basic training for the work you are going to do and little by little they can give you more functions as you acquire the necessary knowledge.
- In the case of the United Nations, the requirements are higher. It is essential to have a university degree or higher and have several years of experience in the volunteer sector. It is also required to be over 25 years old and know at least three languages. In this case, the activity to be carried out is remunerated, since the requirements they ask for require qualitative conditions. The payment consists of maintenance for the duration of the volunteering plus a subsidy, in addition, a subsidy will also be received to reinstall in the city of origin once the work in the destination city has finished.
- In the event that it is not to participate as a volunteer in entities as large as the Red Cross or the United Nations, what the person must do is contact the contact person of the entity. If he wants to be a volunteer in his neighborhood church to help at masses, he should go to the parish priest so that he can inform him, for example.
Tips for Volunteering
- If you do not have the spirit of volunteering, it is best not to try it, they are usually hard work and if you are not passionate about it and you are not going to receive a salary in return, you are not going to be comfortable.
- If you have to travel abroad because it is a volunteer job in another country, prepare yourself for the experiences you can have and that nothing catches you by surprise. Find out well about the country or city of destination and be aware that you will not have the comforts you have now.
- As an experience, it’s not bad. You can try for a while and if it doesn’t fill you up, leave it. Many volunteers are needed and if you try it and like it you will be helping a lot of people who need it and who, although they cannot directly thank you, you will feel it.
- Find out well and even ask your family and friends if they have ever volunteered and how they felt, what they had to do…
- If you have free time and you like to help others, don’t doubt that volunteering may be what you were thinking of.