Why is volunteering good for you?

Volunteering is often seen as an altruistic activity. This may be true, but volunteering can also be good for you and your overall well-being. It is more than just helping people or organisations for two or three weeks before moving on to something else. While there are those that see volunteering as something to put on their CV/resume to show off their experiences or something to boast about at parties, generally volunteering and the individuals that do this help and assist others without personal gain.

Volunteers also play a vital role in some organisations as often finances are not the only issue - it’s time. Having enough hours in the day to get the many different and important tasks done, can often be the hardest part. Donations are well appreciated but volunteering your time is priceless and very much needed by many organisations.

Time is often equated with money but it is also considered a precious resource and should not to be wasted. So giving someone or something your time is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Your time investment benefits the volunteering organisation but it benefits the volunteer as well. You learn about yourself, your abilities, your strengths and your weakness. You learn how to work toward something bigger than yourself and that doesn’t directly impact you.

When you volunteer with an open mind, you educate yourself about people, culture, language and how everyone is different but intrinsically the same. You have the opportunity to share memories and experiences with people from all over the world. Ending your time at a project with a sense of fulfillment and happiness is perfectly acceptable and wonderful occurrence.

We have a large number of conservation projects where you can work with wild animals, birds, marine life or within conservation areas. You can follow the Two Oceans Aquarium based at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town to keep up with their conservation efforts, particularly ocean and sea life conservation.

We also offer farm stays where you can experience life on a working farm and learn a boutique wine estate or dairy farming in South Africa. If you are interested in learning more about South Africa’s farming trends, you can follow Wandile Sihlobo on Twitter.

If you wish to work within social volunteering, we have projects that work with children, the elderly and community upliftment. The UN has 17 Sustainable Development Goals that work toward the betterment of society as a whole and Good Hope Volunteers has taken 12 of these goals which we are working toward incorporating into our daily lives and educating others through our socail media platforms.

Yours
The Good Hope Volunteer Team

To be part of our amazing volunteer community, please contact us.