Professional volunteerism can lead to sustainable benefits

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:40:52 +0000

SYCORAX TIYESA NDHLOVU

‘Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!’ with his mouth wide open like that of hippo in Luangwa or Zambezi river, he laughed at me. ‘Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!’ he continued as I glared at him with surprise wondering why he was laughing at me like that. With the power of my eyes, I was able to spot out some green and yellowish stuff between some of his pairs of lower teeth. I wondered which vegetable and yellow stuff he ate which left some residues on his teeth; and probably contributed to increasing his energy to laugh at me like that.

‘Why are you laughing at me like that?’ I inquired. While trying to hide his mouth with is right hand as his careless, uncontrollable and prolonged laughing almost suffocated him; and reflecting on Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter May 2017 Awards, he said: ‘You were given an award as a best feature writer without being given some money!’ He echoed with now his hoarse voice.

Around us were five boys and three girls playing soccer using a ball made from rugs. The children were in the range of 7-9 years old. Looking at the children, two boys; one in red pairs of shorts and another in a blue one looked at me teasingly. The two girls, one with a blue canvas shoe on her left foot, appeared to be sympathizing with me in relation to what this tall, stout and light in complexion man was saying to me.

‘Nikuti kwamene sanakupasenkoni ndalama?’ a dark in complexion girl with a blue canvas only on her left foot with a red ribbon and white spots on it asked me. With a stream of embarrassment flowing from my hair to the toes, I just looked at this girl without answering her question.

Considering that in defamation claims one has to prove that the defamatory statement was also communicated to a third party, I wondered whether this was an opportunity for me to sue this man in the courts of law for slander, defamation or criminal libel: whichever claim could suit in such a situation.

I searched for a legal dictionary to learn which defamatory related term to use among the three to sue this man who has a high propensity of cruelty against innocent and humble professionals who render their professional services to society even at no gain.

I did not find a legal dictionary. Then, I thought of soliciting for good lawyer who can succour me in drafting a legal document against this person for embarrassing me in the presence of those children for being given an award without some cash. Reflecting further on the same perceived defamatory statements, I realised that my legal suit might not be successful because it is true I was not given some money for the award; except a certificate of recognition. Moreover, legal fees were too high for me.

Those children who were playing soccer using locally made ball from rugs looked at me as a hopeless and helpless person. Pensively, I looked down reflecting on why no official or organisation thought of attaching even a little amount of money to my award. With deep anguish, I felt rejected, ejected and dejected in such a situation.

Thoughtfully, however, I wondered whether every award in the past was or should be accompanied by some cash, cheque or whatever gift. I recollected that many similar awards to other people before were given without being accompanied by some cash, cheque or a present.

With some doubts on my line of thought, slowly, I staggered to collect a notebook where I record telephone numbers of some organisations. Fortunately, I traced one telephone number for a person who is close enough to MISA Zambia Chapter. Ringing the official, with a friendly voice, I asked him: ‘How are you, Sir?’ ‘Yes, Ba Sycorax. How are you?’ Considering that some people were laughing at me because I was given an award without some money, I told him that I was a bit fine.

He asked me why I was not okay. I inquired why was it that some May, 2017 MISA Zambia Chapter Awards did not have some money or some present attached to them. Having explained all the logistics associated with MISA Awards, he consoled me that I should not suffer from psychological depression because of those wet blankets who laugh at me for getting an award with no money attached to it.

‘Mr Ndhlovu, professional recognition awards are too special to be ignored in any industry. Feel proud that you won that award even if you were not given some money;’ he said with confidence in his deep; but loud  voice. ‘You can now use that award to earn more money in that field for the rest of your life;’ he continued consoling me.

From what this MISA Zambia chapter related official said, I remembered the importance of professional volunteerism; and how such can lead to full gainful employment either in the same organisation one is a volunteer or elsewhere; even when getting a job was like passing through an eye of the needle just because of cut-throat competition on the labour market.

Additionally, Timothy R V Foster(1992), ‘101 Ways to Succeed as an Independent consultant’ advises those who want to be or those who are consultants to participate in writing articles, be involved in certain radio or television programmes as a way of publicising their professional services to clients and society.

Foster also counsels professionals to be of some service to local communities as a strategy to rise above the professional crowd in that industry(ibid). And locally, among others, former University Teaching Hospital urologist and senior consultant, late Dr Francis Manda (MHSRIP) was exemplary in providing professional health related services to the community through his radio programmes.

Some other experts in Zambia are columnists in their respective fields while some run radio or television programmes; offering some professional services to the society. In the process, both the society and the experts themselves benefit a lot in that the former gain expert related knowledge to address their challenges or satisfy their needs while the latter market themselves to respective clients and society.

From late Dr Manda’s health related radio programmes, many listeners benefited a lot from his health services in radio programmes as members of the community knew what was causing some of their health challenges; and how best they could mitigate or cure certain health challenges.

It is from such a background that other experts have argued that professional knowledge is nothing if it is not shared with society. Moreover, Robert Chambers once said to be educated is to able to contribute to solving community problems. And merely being employed in a certain organisation is not enough sharing of professional knowledge with society.

Therefore, you can be in electrical or mechanic engineering, public administration, marketing, accountancy or in human resource management, carpentry, tailoring, bricklaying or any other field of study at whatever level, volunteerism is good for you and for society.

Hence, while other people rush for immediate financial benefits for whatever they offer to organisations and society, other professionals use sustainable strategic marketing to professional recognition and benefits.

Practically, this is what most professionals in many other countries do as hobbies which end up marketing their services to the communities or to existing and potential clients.

However, while volunteerism can eventually pay good dividends to a volunteer, it is not all volunteers who sacrifice their energies for a value exchange in the end. Some professional volunteers offer their services just for passion for their field of expertise. And it is up to those who benefit from such free professional services to show appreciation from professional services rendered to their respective organisations.

Hence, talking about or promoting volunteerism is not another way of promoting exploitation of professionals in various fields of study or practice. Encouraging volunteerism is a strategy aimed at facilitating some school leavers or some graduates who are not able to find jobs on the labour market to gain some experience, practical knowledge and some skills in that field of study as a way of building more capacities in themselves to handle various challenges associated with that profession when they land on their respective jobs.

The concepts of volunteerism and demanding practical experience before one is employed mushroom from what one writing expert said that: ‘One cannot learn how to swim by reading a swimming textbook.’ It was argued that for one to learn how to write effectively, one has to spend at least 20 to 30 minutes every day on writing.

Similarly, it is believed that for one to be relatively practically effective in a certain job, one should be exposed to some practical experience and some skills. This is where industrial attachment, internship, volunteerism and professional recognition spring from.

From such experience, illustrations and advice as presented in this article, I now feel proud that some Daily Nation’s readers; especially on my column and MISA Zambia Chapter appreciated and recognised my humble professional contribution in feature writing. I, therefore, thank those who nominated my name for the stated award. I also thank MISA Zambia Chapter, MISA Zambia Chapter May, 2017 Awards’ judges and indeed Daily Nation management for facilitating such a recognition on my professional contribution to society.

The author is a lecturer in Journalism and Mass Communication. He is also a trainer in Public Relations (PR) and in Local Governance. He is a MISA Zambia Chapter May, 2017 best feature writer  award winner.

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E-mail: sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk