When someone mentions volunteerism, the first thought that crosses many minds is visiting the less fortunate, feeding the homeless, and such like good deeds. These are acts that encompass the hearts of volunteers, but there is more to volunteering than what meets the eyes.
In recent global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) reports and findings, volunteerism is mentioned as the greatest catalyst towards the actualization of the SDGs by 2030. The question that looms then is: what do we need to do to leverage on volunteerism and maximize its full potential towards development?
One organization in Kenya is seeking to answer this question in the most unique way. Enkare Oltau Volunteers is an award-winning youth organization established and legally registered in 2019. This is one of the few, if not the only purely volunteer-based organizations, focused on youth volunteering, employability, and sustainable livelihoods.
The organization anchors its pillars on an interdependent circular model where the youth, with their different skills and abilities, are onboarded into the organization and challenged to embark on different volunteer projects aligned to the SDGs they are most passionate about. In doing so, they get to put their skills and talents to good use, not only as they serve but also as they mentor other young people in that particular field. As they volunteer in the organization, they are exposed to different self-improvement trainings that promote their wholesome growth, such as mental health awareness trainings, employability trainings, and financial literacy training, amongst many others. As these youth selflessly fill other people’s cups, their cups are also filled.
To date, the organization has successfully handled over 900 youth who have served in the organization as volunteers since its establishment.
The volunteers who have served in the organization have to date benefited by being linked to over 100 volunteer opportunities that have resulted in jobs, internships, scholarships, and business funding. The ability to network with decorum through these volunteer opportunities that range from providing ushering services, logistical support, and rapporteur opportunities, has allowed these youthful volunteers to grow.
In just 2023 alone, the organization has been privileged and honored to have provided the ushers for the biggest summits held in Kenya such as:
- The Regional Africa Good Deeds Conference
- The Africa Climate Summit
- Regional Doctors Summit
- The Youth Connekt Africa Summit
Petronila Owino, a bubbly young lady full of life, shared with us the journey behind the existence of this volunteer organization that has earned her plenty of awards, including the prestigious UNV Volunteer of the Year Award 2021.
She shared that the organization was birthed from her days at the University of Nairobi, where she was pursuing a double major degree in Sociology and Conflict Resolution Studies. She managed to rally young people to volunteer in peace campaigns and sensitizations during the elections of 2017. This was the onset of different organizations reaching out to her to provide volunteers for different community empowerment causes they had.
What started as a school project blossomed into an organization that impacts the community through youth-driven volunteerism.
She echoes that she realized that many a time, the community did not fully understand the concept of volunteerism, and that was her fuel to not only serve through volunteerism but to create empowerment opportunities through volunteerism. She desired to change the perception of volunteering in Kenya.
Petronila tapped into uncharted waters, corporate volunteerism as a means of empowering youth into sustainable livelihoods.
One year after establishing Enkare Oltau Volunteers, she realized that hundreds of youth were seeking volunteer opportunities in the organization, and their abilities were outstanding. One thing though was that many lacked employment. She discovered a possible solution to the youth unemployment pandemic, approaching the job market through the corporate volunteering angle. Companies and organizations felt comfortable recruiting volunteers and later absorbing them into their organizations.
Petronila saw this opportunity and ran with it. She approached organizations and requested volunteer opportunities, especially at their corporate events. She made sure the volunteers were always well-trained and qualified for these opportunities.
All the volunteers joining Enkare Oltau Volunteers have to go through interviews (both new and returning volunteers), a background check, and thorough training on volunteer ethics. The volunteers are then absorbed into the different departments in the organization where they are tasked with yearly projects to implement in the community as they also go through empowerment trainings.
An example is the IT empowerment department in the organization. This department is made up of IT enthusiasts who to date are running a STEM camp every school holiday to teach high school students on coding, 3D, and animation. These volunteers have in turn received job offers and corporate opportunities from very prestigious entities including the US Embassy in Kenya.
The success stories of the organization are endless. The different successful programs the volunteers run include:
- Mentoring over 10,000 students to date across the country
- Creating SRHR awareness and training to over 5000 girls
- Providing menstrual products to over 3000 girls
- Planting 5000 trees and creating awareness on climate action
- Recycling over 1000 plastic bottles
- Conducting 10 garbage clean-up sessions
- Providing 20 entrepreneurship training sessions to young mothers and young men in the informal settlements
We need as a country to delve deep into understanding how diverse and powerful volunteering is to be able to grow our economy through it.
