Volunteers find intangible rewards<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Very few people in Indonesia feel the urge to
\ntake up the strenuous challenge of volunteer work. Many here
\nregard volunteer work as something for those who are extremely
\ngenerous or unable to find other professional careers.<\/p>\n
Many in the profession, however, see volunteer work as a
\nchance in a lifetime to gain precious experience. Along the way,
\nsome have discovered that the experience has led them down a road
\nnever imagined.<\/p>\n
People from all walks of life have embarked down that road,
\nsome from privileged backgrounds, others simply students. Some
\nhave even found their partners in life while on a project.<\/p>\n
M. Muntajid Billah, 30, currently a regional operational
\ndirector at the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association, was
\nrestless during his university days.<\/p>\n
\"I am not sure if I really knew what it was, whether it was
\njust idle reverie or boredom, but there was this nagging
\nconscience which I did not quite understand at the time, that
\nmoved me to do something useful for others,\" Muntajid recalled.<\/p>\n
Muntajid's restlessness continued beyond graduation and, until
\nthis day, he continues to face the dilemma of choosing between
\nearning a living and wanting to work for people. So severe was
\nhis indecision that he waited until a week after the deadline to
\napply for UNV work in India. Looking back, he said, it was the
\nright choice since that is where he met his partner for life,
\nAstrid Dionisio.<\/p>\n
Another Indonesian volunteer, 33-year-old Suharman Noerman,
\nmet his wife, Roselyn Delfin of the Philippines, while
\nvolunteering in India in 1991. They parted ways but kept writing
\nuntil October, when they decided to get married in the
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
Durga Shrestha was formerly a junior-high-school teacher and a
\npersonal assistant to a cabinet minister. He later joined Foster
\nParent Plan International and then joined up as a UN volunteer in
\nLombok, Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I promised myself not to be discouraged by difficult
\nsituations and was able to overcome numerous challenges,\" said
\nthe 34-year-old native of Katmandu, Nepal.<\/p>\n
Shrestha says that he has faced some obstacles in terms of
\nfood, much of which is forbidden by his religion. As a Hindu, he
\nsays he eats mainly chicken and vegetables.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian language does not seem to have been a problem
\nfor most visiting volunteers here. Many speak fluently with
\nnearly perfect accents. Some, like Shrestha, have even managed to
\nlearn a regional language.<\/p>\n
\"I am impressed by the cooperative spirit of the Indonesians,\"
\nShrestha said.<\/p>\n
Shrestha was the first UN volunteer to receive funding to work
\non a clean water project in the Akar-akar village of northwest
\nLombok.<\/p>\n
Gemma Relojo, a 29-year-old from the Philippines, has served
\nin Lampung and Irian Jaya. She began doing volunteer work with
\nthe Volunteer for Information and Developmental Assistance
\norganization in her country before being accepted as a UN
\nvolunteer in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
She was so well liked that two Asmat leaders from different
\nvillages in Irian Jaya adopted her as their daughter.<\/p>\n
\"I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with
\npeople in Irian, though I feel terrible that they are seen in
\nsuch a negative light, especially by the government. I was told
\nto be extra cautious because Irianese eat people,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Several times during the interview, Relojo looked glassy-eyed
\nwhen asked about the community she left behind.<\/p>\n
\"I am not sure if there is actually any calling in what I am
\ndoing. My heart seems to be there, and I believe that to work
\nwith people is to work with God,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Rewards<\/p>\n
The financial remuneration cannot be compared to an urban job,
\nand the working hours are essentially every waking moment.
\nVolunteers generally earn about US$200 per month and are given
\n$100 a month as a cost-of-living allowance.<\/p>\n
Most volunteers concur that the financial rewards of volunteer
\nwork are minimal, but the value of the experience immeasurable.<\/p>\n
\"I'm in it for the experience, if I were seeking financial
\nsecurity, I would obviously be facing a dead end,\" said Subroto,
\nwho has work with UNV in Nepal, Cambodia and South Africa.<\/p>\n
\"But then what is material reward? It easily dissipates. If
\nyou give people an experience, they remember it for a while.<\/p>\n
\"It is not just about going abroad and getting some
\ncompensation, it is about the willingness to learn and open one's
\nhorizons to challenges and risks, and being changed by the
\nexperience,\" Muntajid said of his experience, which he said had
\nspiritually enriched him.<\/p>\n
Others enjoy the thrill of witnessing the results of their
\nwork.<\/p>\n
\"The most rewarding thing in my work is to see the
\ntransformation that people go through: from being clueless to
\nbeing able to identify their needs and how to meet them,\" said
\nAjoy Kumar Singha from Bangladesh.<\/p>\n
Approaching the end of his contract in January, Subroto, who
\nbegan his career in volunteering in early 1980s with the
\nIndonesian Voluntary Board, said he sent out applications to
\nseveral places.<\/p>\n
\"I am happy with my marriage. If I didn't have family I would
\nbe on the road trying out new things and venturing to different
\nplaces,\" said the father of two children.<\/p>\n
Currently in his probation period, Muntajid says he feels
\nuncomfortable when he is being served by others.<\/p>\n
Muntajid turned down an offer to direct the Indonesia-America
\nEducation Foundation in Bekasi, where he taught English.<\/p>\n
Ajohi Kumar Singha, who volunteered in Central Java and Irian
\nJaya prior to West Nusa Tenggara, said he might start a small-
\nscale enterprise which does not seek to reap profit but create
\nemployment opportunities.<\/p>\n
A veterinarian by training, Singha said he might consider
\nanother volunteering offer if the government agency involved is
\nserious about bettering the lives of the people.<\/p>\n
The reward of living in different cultures prompts many
\nvolunteers to re-examine their values, reconsider their society
\nand to perceive themselves as citizens of the world.<\/p>\n
\"I realized how we have been spoon fed with the saying that
\nIndonesians are kind and friendly. It is not exclusive to
\nIndonesians. The spirit of serving is everyone's and in those who
\nhave tolerance,\" Muntajid said.<\/p>\n
\"I was given more respect when I stood for my beliefs, being a
\nMoslem in the Hindu community,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Shrestha said he particularly cherishes Indonesians' spirit of
\nhelping others. \"I hope to someday interpret the spirit of
\ncooperation when I return to Nepal,\" Shrestha said. (06)<\/p>",
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