YFS Volunteer Orientation

Orientation comes into play when an individual is exposed to the new environment. Orientation is aimed at providing all the required information to the beneficiaries, enabling them be in the comfort zone in the new environment. Orientations aim to provide basic information of about the prevailing atmosphere, culture and etiquette that are predominantly followed, possible challenges to be faced, solutions so on. Overall, it aims to ensure that an individual is prepared to take up the challenge and thereby help him sustain by further guidance. Well, I must say the orientation program conducted by YFS did complete justice and covered all aspects by which one could be familiar before jumping into ground realities.

Economy - An Overview

In spite of growth in IT, Banking, Telecom and other industries we still witness there’s lot more work to be done at the root levels. Though we see growth taking place across the sectors, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening and the problems like poverty, hunger, unemployment, pollution, and many others bucket into the least addressed issues in the nation. In every domain, there’s a large group of people who do not have access to the most basic needs. In healthcare, we see only 11% of the population has any form of health insurance. In education, we see only 40% of the population is literate. In environment we face major issues like ineffective disposal of waste, import of waste from foreign countries, etc. When all these issues are bought out for discussion, most people expressed theri concerns and were shocked at the seriousness of these issues. They got an idea that they are at right place to lend their support.

Volunteer – An Overview

Volunteering is a selfless activity intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. Its just about being sensitive to the happenings in our surrounding and pick up the responsibility to make a positive difference. 

What a volunteer can do to community 

• Address developmental gap
• Create harmony
• Come out with innovative solutions to the problems
• Create social leadership
• Create self sustaining communities
• Promote community participation in governance
• Keep away external influence manipulation

Several team building games were organised to break the ice and by the end of the session everyone could remember each other's name. There were few group discussions and role plays that gave an insight to the volunteers about what challenges they could face and we discussed on how to overcome the same. Expecting the unexpected, be open to face any situation, do not judge people on their behavior  personal recognition - a pat on a back to keep volunteers motivated, team building activities among the group, a mentor to guide and so on. These were some outcomes of the discussions and takeaways for the volunteers and YFS at the end of the session.

If you have the passion to make a difference to the world by contributing your services and be a part of the nation building process, you may way to look at http://youthforseva.org/about-us/history/