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| Tested in Vietnam and Mongolia |
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| RVs look forward to this event |
VSO-Bahaginan honors its returned volunteers by hosting a
3-day RV Weekend. This is a forum where
volunteers get to share their experiences - their joys, challenges, and coping mechanisms upon return.
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| One of the souvenirs |
Items brought home as souvenirs from the placements are also exhibited. At the fellowship night, RVs traditionally wear the attire native to their country of assignment.
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| My memorabilia from Uganda |
Stories shared vary and I am mentioning some of them here not to
scare would-be volunteers but to provide a balanced view of the agony and ecstasy
of volunteering. Each experience is unique. One volunteer was stoned because the locals
thought that she came from an unfriendly country.
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| From Zanzibar |
Another experienced an attempted burglary. One figured in a
mob justice incident when his motorcycle was stolen and the culprit was stoned
to death by the locals. Several met
motorcycle and vehicular accidents that were nearly fatal.
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| It's time for nostalgia |
Some had to be repatriated when
serious political troubles occurred in their country of placement. Others endured severe and extreme
temperatures - portable individualized
heaters are carried to keep the body warm or bed mattresses have to be doused
with water before lying down to combat
the heat.
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| From freezing Mongolia |
And most had to ingest food in
a way similar to swallowing cod liver oil – squirming with hesitation but have
to take it nevertheless. There was also a lot of opportunity to travel within and
nearby countries of their placements.
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| Prints from Malawi |
Abundant were heart-warming stories of appreciation from the
locals whom volunteers have interacted with or whose projects succeeded with
help from volunteers. The goodbyes were
long and promises to keep in touch and return were common.
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| VSO-Bahaginan staff making sure RVs feel at home |
Back home some RVs experience the reality that they have no money, no jobs but it seems that these are very temporary parts of the adjustment. Others have returned to their jobs or have found better career opportunities because of their international volunteering experience.
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| The solemn Volunteer pinning ceremony |
Over-all, everyone felt a satisfaction that they have touched other people's lives, and their lives, too had been enriched by volunteering. I brought home from that gathering the affirmation that indeed, volunteers are a different breed.
They are men and women for all seasons.
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| In a few months time, most of them will be re-volunteering |
