Volunteers find intangible rewards
JAKARTA (JP): Very few people in Indonesia feel the urge to take up the strenuous challenge of volunteer work. Many here regard volunteer work as something for those who are extremely generous or unable to find other professional careers.
Many in the profession, however, see volunteer work as a chance in a lifetime to gain precious experience. Along the way, some have discovered that the experience has led them down a road never imagined.
People from all walks of life have embarked down that road, some from privileged backgrounds, others simply students. Some have even found their partners in life while on a project.
M. Muntajid Billah, 30, currently a regional operational director at the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association, was restless during his university days.
"I am not sure if I really knew what it was, whether it was just idle reverie or boredom, but there was this nagging conscience which I did not quite understand at the time, that moved me to do something useful for others," Muntajid recalled.
Muntajid's restlessness continued beyond graduation and, until this day, he continues to face the dilemma of choosing between earning a living and wanting to work for people. So severe was his indecision that he waited until a week after the deadline to apply for UNV work in India. Looking back, he said, it was the right choice since that is where he met his partner for life, Astrid Dionisio.
Another Indonesian volunteer, 33-year-old Suharman Noerman, met his wife, Roselyn Delfin of the Philippines, while volunteering in India in 1991. They parted ways but kept writing until October, when they decided to get married in the Philippines.
Durga Shrestha was formerly a junior-high-school teacher and a personal assistant to a cabinet minister. He later joined Foster Parent Plan International and then joined up as a UN volunteer in Lombok, Indonesia.
"I promised myself not to be discouraged by difficult situations and was able to overcome numerous challenges," said the 34-year-old native of Katmandu, Nepal.
Shrestha says that he has faced some obstacles in terms of food, much of which is forbidden by his religion. As a Hindu, he says he eats mainly chicken and vegetables.
The Indonesian language does not seem to have been a problem for most visiting volunteers here. Many speak fluently with nearly perfect accents. Some, like Shrestha, have even managed to learn a regional language.
"I am impressed by the cooperative spirit of the Indonesians," Shrestha said.
Shrestha was the first UN volunteer to receive funding to work on a clean water project in the Akar-akar village of northwest Lombok.
Gemma Relojo, a 29-year-old from the Philippines, has served in Lampung and Irian Jaya. She began doing volunteer work with the Volunteer for Information and Developmental Assistance organization in her country before being accepted as a UN volunteer in Indonesia.
She was so well liked that two Asmat leaders from different villages in Irian Jaya adopted her as their daughter.
"I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with people in Irian, though I feel terrible that they are seen in such a negative light, especially by the government. I was told to be extra cautious because Irianese eat people," she said.
Several times during the interview, Relojo looked glassy-eyed when asked about the community she left behind.
"I am not sure if there is actually any calling in what I am doing. My heart seems to be there, and I believe that to work with people is to work with God," she said.
Rewards
The financial remuneration cannot be compared to an urban job, and the working hours are essentially every waking moment. Volunteers generally earn about US$200 per month and are given $100 a month as a cost-of-living allowance.
Most volunteers concur that the financial rewards of volunteer work are minimal, but the value of the experience immeasurable.
"I'm in it for the experience, if I were seeking financial security, I would obviously be facing a dead end," said Subroto, who has work with UNV in Nepal, Cambodia and South Africa.
"But then what is material reward? It easily dissipates. If you give people an experience, they remember it for a while.
"It is not just about going abroad and getting some compensation, it is about the willingness to learn and open one's horizons to challenges and risks, and being changed by the experience," Muntajid said of his experience, which he said had spiritually enriched him.
Others enjoy the thrill of witnessing the results of their work.
"The most rewarding thing in my work is to see the transformation that people go through: from being clueless to being able to identify their needs and how to meet them," said Ajoy Kumar Singha from Bangladesh.
Approaching the end of his contract in January, Subroto, who began his career in volunteering in early 1980s with the Indonesian Voluntary Board, said he sent out applications to several places.
"I am happy with my marriage. If I didn't have family I would be on the road trying out new things and venturing to different places," said the father of two children.
Currently in his probation period, Muntajid says he feels uncomfortable when he is being served by others.
Muntajid turned down an offer to direct the Indonesia-America Education Foundation in Bekasi, where he taught English.
Ajohi Kumar Singha, who volunteered in Central Java and Irian Jaya prior to West Nusa Tenggara, said he might start a small- scale enterprise which does not seek to reap profit but create employment opportunities.
A veterinarian by training, Singha said he might consider another volunteering offer if the government agency involved is serious about bettering the lives of the people.
The reward of living in different cultures prompts many volunteers to re-examine their values, reconsider their society and to perceive themselves as citizens of the world.
"I realized how we have been spoon fed with the saying that Indonesians are kind and friendly. It is not exclusive to Indonesians. The spirit of serving is everyone's and in those who have tolerance," Muntajid said.
"I was given more respect when I stood for my beliefs, being a Moslem in the Hindu community," he said.
Shrestha said he particularly cherishes Indonesians' spirit of helping others. "I hope to someday interpret the spirit of cooperation when I return to Nepal," Shrestha said. (06)