BY LEULSEGED WORKU
As the rainy Ethiopian month approaches, it is a common trend to see Ethiopian youths participating in various voluntary activities. Using their kindness and the will to help others, the youths are seen supporting the needy; participating in various development activities including repairing the houses of elders and vulnerable groups, planting seedlings, beautifying places as well as in road safety programs to reduce road traffic accidents.
Due to this active involvement of the youth, volunteering activities have seen increments and, in return, remarkable results are witnessed.
Lending a helping hand is the usual trend of Ethiopians, and there was no time that the youth turn their ears away from these needy people. Following the three months of the Ethiopian rainy seasons (June, July and August) and closure of educational institutions, millions of Ethiopian youths engage in volunteering activities and support the needy and elderly Ethiopians who look for support from the youth, using their break time as an opportunity.
In the upcoming Ethiopian rainy season, millions of young people are readying themselves for this same purpose. The same is true for the young people in Amhara State.
According to the State’s Youth and Sports Bureau, more than 5.2 million young people will participate in voluntary services for the coming Ethiopian winter. As indicated by Deputy Director of Youth Inclusion, Movement and Participation Office, Alemenew Getahun, efforts are underway to equip and encourage the youth to further inculcate the culture of virtue and cooperation within them.
As the Deputy Director stated to the ENA, arrangements have been made to allocate volunteers in 13 different areas of the Amhara State and the program will be carried out in all zones, and towns as well as city administrations. The voluntary service will be carried out from July 2, 2023 to October 1, 2023. In response, the program is expected to benefit more than 12.5 million people, Alemnew indicated.
The voluntary services include supporting elders; creating awareness with regard to peace and security issues, strengthening the restoration of infrastructure activities, opening blocked drainage systems, creating awareness in relation to harmful practices and similar activities. “
Not only that, but the young people will also take part in Green Legacy activities, that the country has embarked on, in agricultural development, education and training, health, environmental protection and care, anti-trafficking activities among others.”
According to him, in this year’s rainy season volunteer services, a target is set to build new houses, restore the existing shabby ones and share meals with vulnerable segments of the society estimated to be over 11 thousand.
He also pointed out that the youth will participate in sensitizing the community in peace and security matters to prevent illegal activities and crimes. In addition to planting seedlings under the Green Legacy Project, volunteers will also engage in watershed development activities that were carried out last Ethiopian rain season.
Understanding the role that volunteers can play in the educational sector, more than 500,000 students will get tutorial schoolings. Likewise, volunteers will repair schools and collect educational materials that will be given to students for the coming academic year.
Yodat Genet is a resident of Tana Sub- City and member of the young people engaging in the volunteer service. She is one of the happiest one for all the service she provides to her respective community. She explained, during Keremet, to mean the Ethiopian rainy seasons, Yodit and her friends provide voluntary services joining hands with governmental and non-governmental institutions focusing on house renovation, blood donation and environmental protection services. “We have established an association- “Borderless Charity Association” and are doing various volunteering works throughout the year, not restricted by certain periods of time.” Samuel Manaye, residing in Atse Tewodros Sub-City is the other youth volunteer. Like that of Yodit, he is also happy to serve his country in the form of voluntarism which is one way of displaying patriotism.
“I am happy with the good work I am doing!” said the young Samuel, who is ready to engage in volunteer service in the upcoming Keremet. In fact, this is not the first time for Samuel and his friends. Rather, they did it more than once and served their community voluntarily; especially using the motto “Kindness rewards.”
As he stated, he and his friends have been serving their community for the past four years happily. They have repaired homes for the elderly citizens and helped the disabled ones in various ways. He also expressed readiness to take part in this rainy season and discharge his civic responsibility as usual.
Volunteering has a profound impact on individuals and communities. Among these benefits its social value is the major one. This is particularly true for the youth. By participating in volunteer activities, individuals can develop meaningful connections, strengthen their bond with the communities, and improve the quality of life for those around them. What is more, voluntarism helps the society to build community resilience. In other words, it plays a crucial role in responding to disasters and other crises, by providing essential support to those affected ones.
Volunteering can also help bridge divides between different groups within a community, fostering a sense of unity and understanding. In this regard, by taking into consideration the previous successful accomplishments of volunteers, providing the necessary inputs and training will further help to fill social gaps and foster unity.
Documents indicated that youth who take part in volunteering activities regularly, gain skills—like collaboration and problem solving— that are vital to succeed in academics, the workplace, and their personal lives. Whether it is collecting money by shoe shining or spending time helping the elderly, young people can develop an understanding of citizenship that extends into adulthood.
Plus, volunteering helps teens fill their resumes with robust, real-world experience. That is why colleges and employers look for civically engaged applicants who will thrive in team settings and take on challenging works. In this regard, providing opportunities to all Ethiopian youth to participate in voluntarism will not only help participants; it also fills both economic and social gaps.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 9 JUNE 2023
