Volunteerism Conference- Dec 2009

On the 5th of December 2009 we attended the Volunteerism Conference celebrating the International Volunteerism.  It was one of the best experiences of our lives. The conference consisted of 3 days of beneficial lectures, interactive workshops, networking with an amazing group of people (which we will hopefully have the privilege to be working with) as well as optional post-conference visits. 

The first day started with lectures from volunteer organizations from the Gulf (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia).  There were organizations of all shapes and sizes; those that help grow trees to make their country more green, those that react to any crisis that families encounter in impoverished areas, there are those similar to us organising events to help out people in need and so many more.  This opened our eyes on what is out there, and any prejudice we had about people in the Arab world and volunteerism was completely transformed.

The 2nd day was by far the best out of the three.  It consisted of going to an Old Age Home in Muharraq and then going to a Special Needs School for children with Down Syndrome.  It was a mixture of an emotional yet enjoyable experience.  We were able to interact with the very old and the very young, both lacking attention from people on the outside, both thirsty for a bit of company, both enjoyable to sit and chat about anything with.

The 3rd day were more lectures about the importance of volunteerism, spreading the word and how we can be more influential in making a difference in the world.  It ended with the distribution of certificates and goodbyes.

A few words come to mind when we remember our experience of the conference; grateful, admirable, hopeful and inspired.

Grateful because we realised that no matter how bad it gets with us, there are those that are much worse. 

Admirable because there are so many people out there that put their whole mind, body and soul into serving the community; people that we can look up to, right here in our own country.

Hopeful because there are people that are trying to make a difference, trying to take control of anything that can go wrong in our country and our people to make way for a better future.

And finally inspired because no matter where they came from, how old they were, their background, religious views, etc they were all aiming for the same goal.  They were all contributing day and night, part-time and full-time to be able to make a difference.  Now that's something we can look up to.

We do recommend it to everyone.  Don't wait for an opportunity like this, make one.

Dana Abul