Uschi Steedman, 23, was a youth project team member on an Australian Volunteers International assignment over the last summer holidays (December 2005 and January 2006). She worked in the Philippines with Bahay Tuluyan (BT), an organisation that provides social services and alternative education for street children. BT runs temporary shelters, day care, nutrition programs, and scholarship programs to keep children in school. Uschi’s project involved research on children in detention in Laguna, cataloguing and organising resources for BT’s library, and helping children to prepare for their performance at a BT gala show. Together with the rest of the 14-member youth project team, Uschi organised Christmas Day activities and a four-day Christmas Camp for the BT children.In what ways can young people as unskilled volunteers make a contribution to a developing country?Although unskilled volunteers may not make a massive difference in a tangible or material sense, the relationships that are forged between youth and the people of the developing country are immensely important.
The continuing advocacy that returned volunteers take part in can be equally valuable. The passion with which young returned volunteers speak can be quite contagious - and that's fantastic, because the more people we can get on board the better.
Young people often have boundless energy and enthusiasm which is always of value when working in developing countries. And sometimes we can be a little less cynical or jaded than those who have been around a bit longer. Although that can mean we might jump in without thinking things through properly, it can also mean we push ahead when others mightn't.
How is volunteering in a developing country different to donating money to an aid organisation?It's just such a learning experience. Sure you're assisting by donating money, but your level of comprehension concerning the challenges facing developing countries doesn't necessarily grow. Money doesn't solve everything - we need to change our actions and the way we relate to one another to really make a difference in the world - and volunteering is probably one of the best ways to begin to do that. You'll learn so much about other cultures, countries, beliefs and values. You'll learn to live with less, and you'll come away with the most refreshing sense of perspective.
What is one of your favourite memories from your time with Bahay Tuluyan?Going for walks with the kids at sunset. So simple yet so special and important. With limited staff at BT, the kids rarely get one-on-one time in an informal setting. And these walks were just about us enjoying spending time together.
What would you say to a young person who was thinking about volunteering overseas?If more of us volunteered, I have no doubt we'd begin to address global inequality at a more rapid rate. You simply can't volunteer and then come back home and revert back to your old way of life. It's an indescribable and exceptionally valuable experience. It motivates you to keep living your life in a way that hopefully helps, at least in a small way.
Australian Volunteers InternationalBahay Tuluyan
