Volunteer Voices
The success of The Great Generation’s projects is largely due to the energy, enthusiasm and hard work of our volunteers, in fact they are The Great Generation.
Here, Rachel and Arvind, volunteers from our 2010 programme, tell us why they chose to volunteer for The Great Generation and how they feel as they reflect on their experience.
Rachel Eyre – a volunteer from our Barclays Corporate Partnership
For Rachel, it was The Great Generation’s unique way of working with communities in the developing world that made her sign up to a week of hard but rewarding work.
“The Great Generation doesn’t just fund charities and communities abroad,” she said. “It invests time and expertise to empower disadvantaged people to overcome their challenges themselves.”
A Barclays employee, Rachel also wanted to spend time on personal growth, but with a difference: “I had an opportunity to identify projects that would contribute to my professional development,” says Rachel. “There were a range of courses and workshops on offer, but I wanted to stretch my teamwork and leadership skills within a challenging environment.”
She travelled to Kampala with a group of fellow employees as part of The Great Generation’s on-going partnership with Barclays. The volunteers worked alongside our expert partners Kawempe Home Care- a community-based organisation determined to empower people affected by HIV / AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Rachel learned many valuable lessons, but not without having to overcome a few challenges. “I had to work with people from other cultures who spoke a different language. It was tough, but it definitely improved my leadership skills. I began to focus on the fundamentals of communication, prioritising messages and motivating people to achieve results.
“Obviously being exposed to people of all ages who are battling to survive each day was emotionally very challenging as well, and I found it difficult to say goodbye at the end.”
According to Rachel, volunteering should come from the heart: “It’s a cliché, but you get out what you put in, so if your heart isn’t in it, your experience will be nowhere near as rich as it could be.” Rachel has continued to support Kawempe Home Care after returning from Uganda. She raised more than £1,600 after completing a spread of fitness challenges during her ‘Autumn of Madness’ campaign – including one triathlon, two half-marathons and some 10ks sprinkled in for good measure.
You can read all about it on Rachel’s JustGiving page. If you have been inspired by Rachel’s fundraising, The Great Generation are always looking for volunteers to come forward and raise vital funds for communities in need, and to enable us to carry on working with them. Speak to Jenni, Volunteer Relationships Executive for other fundraising ideas and to register your interest.
Arvind Govindarajulu – a volunteer from our Westminster University MBA partnership
Childhood memories from rural South India drove Arvind to choose his MBA Course’s Social Entrepreneurship module.
“I have always wondered how different things would be for the rural poor in my homeland if they were given a decent shot at life,” he says.”I began to look for ways to give something back to society. Sharing my skills by volunteering seemed really worthwhile. The module, which is part of Westminster University’s MBA course, enabled me to do this.
“The module is run with The Great Generation’s help. Our teacher selected them as partners so students could get involved in capacity building projects. The Great Generation’s ability to work closely with students during the initial pre-project stages, the drive and expertise of their staff, and their established network of partners in both Africa and India were key drivers in cementing The Great Generation as partners with our faculty.”
Arvind recalls how his first meeting with the community affected him.
“When we interviewed the key stakeholders at Kamwokya Christian Caring Community (KCCC) in Kampala, we heard many unfortunate stories of individuals affected by HIV / AIDS. We felt emotional for KCCC staff and patients. I felt I had underestimated the scale of the issues, and their uniqueness. It was evident that social entrepreneurship at the grassroots level was vital to eradicate poverty and other endemic social issues in the community.”
Arvind and his fellow volunteers from Westminster set up a Customer Relationship Management system to help KCCC better track its patients in order to provide them with improved services. Now a committed social entrepreneur, he intends to continue working on charity capacity building projects after finishing his MBA alongside his chosen career path in management consulting.
The students wrote a fascinating record of their experiences on the MBA School's social entrepreneurblog - be sure to visit for a closer look.
