That’s the name of one article elaborating on the lack of interest in volunteering among Lithuanians. According to 2010 data, around 12% of Lithuanian people are engaged in voluntary activities, which is 18% lower than the EU average. 36.4% of NGOs participating in the survey admitted that they were lacking volunteers. 15% of the respondents said that they would like to volunteer and identified the lack of information about the existing possibilities as the main obstacle. According to 2011 survey, other two causes resulting in low engagement are the lack of volunteering traditions (due to the Soviet period) and the absence of encouragement at school.
I started volunteering at about the age of 17, when I was still in high school. One day, I was sitting with my classmate and talking about orphan kids. We felt sorry for them, but I suggested that feeling sorry was not going to help them – that it was better to go to a local orphanage and ask if they needed volunteers. That’s what I did. Later, I took part in many other voluntary activities: helping at Caritas day centre for children from families at risk, Caritas charitable canteen for homeless people, Red Cross day centre for refugees, EVS youth camp, animal shelter, local NGO helping people with cancer, etc. As a volunteer, I also spent one month in a Karen refugee camp in Thailand and almost a year at an NGO helping poor kids in Cambodia. It was a very precious experience, and, up to this day, I think that instead of pitying those in need, looking for someone to blame and judge, or waiting until someone does something about it, it’s better to go and do something by yourself, no matter how small or insignificant your contribution may seem.
“In a Red Cross summer camp for refugee children”.
I made numerous presentations about volunteering, wrote articles, gave interviews to the press, and spoke on a local radio. Some people get inspired by my example, while others remain untouched or even disapprove of what I’m doing. For example, one day, my father made a racist remark and warned me that if I continued communicating with refugees, I was not welcome in his house any more. Up to this date, my uncle thinks that I’m walking in the clouds and that this kind of lifestyle is not practical. Interestingly, when asked what he would do in his own life if he had no fears and limitations, he admitted that he would like to help the poor.
One day, another girl and I were helping an elderly woman. When we were about to leave, she started offering us money. We were helping on a voluntary basis, so we didn’t expect anything in return, but since she insisted, I suggested that now we were helping her, and the next time, she could do something good for others. A few years back, my cousin bought a dress for my school graduation. I was very grateful to her and later, when I saw someone, who could benefit from my help, I used to remember the gift that my cousin made for me that time. There was a similar film called “Pay It Forward” about a boy, who used to help other people and tell them that they could pay back by helping someone else. But this woman didn’t like the idea.
I guess if someone wants to do something good for others, they will always find a way to do so and if they don’t want, they will always find plenty of excuses. I think one doesn’t need to be a millionaire, a president, a famous movie star or other influential person to make a difference. Kindness, compassion, and a sincere desire to do something for a higher purpose doesn’t lie within our wallets, business cards, sound names or titles, but within our hearts. Maybe you have no opportunity to build a so much needed school or hospital in Africa, but you can share your dinner (no matter how simple it is) with a homeless person, who sleeps in your hallway, feed a homeless cat or a dog that has come to your door, or share an umbrella with a woman walking in the rain.
A woman from Ukraine has correctly noted under one of my blog posts that alcoholism, suicides and many other problems that exist in our societies could be solved or significantly reduced if we opened our hearts, shifted our attention from self-pity, anger and blame to the suffering of others, and realized that we are all one and that we cannot survive and evolve as a species if we don’t cooperate and don’t support each other. At the end of the day, I believe that all good that we do by our own choice, with pure intentions and fully open hearts, will eventually come back to us - at least, such has been my own personal experience.