While volunteering is often considered an essential service, the not-for-profit sector has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Between February and April 2020 nearly two thirds of volunteers stopped volunteering, the equivalent of 12.2 million hours per week.
One year later and the volunteering sector has not fully recovered, with 72 per cent of respondents surveyed by Volunteering Australia reporting their volunteering programs are either partially operational or not operational.
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But first-time volunteer and recent SOUL graduate Zeenia Saiyadain has found a new approach to volunteering, completing over 100 hours of volunteering online last year.
At a time when many people were feeling disconnected and isolated in their homes, volunteering online helped Zeenia to stay connected. ‘The greatest achievement of mine is that I have completed the SOUL Award virtually throughout this pandemic year, and kept myself busy and improved my mental health,’ she says.
Volunteering with the UTS HELPS Buddy Program Zeenia convened online with other international students for cultural exchange and to share tips on how to improve their English skills and meet new friends in Australia.
Zeenia has also been volunteering online, connecting with groups of people who are underrepresented in higher education, to encourage them to pursue studies in her chosen field of IT. Volunteering with Women in Engineering and IT (WiEIT), she has been running online programs with young girls and high school students teaching them STEM skills.
But it hasn’t all been easy.
When Zeenia decided to return home to India in September 2020, the time difference meant getting up in the early hours of the morning fulfill her volunteering responsibilities.
‘I had a mentor role in one of the schools as part of being Gender Equity Ambassador of WiEIT at 4 a.m.M, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. – got ready for the meeting, and then during the meeting fell asleep, that was very embarrassing.’
Her advice for others interested in volunteering is, take the role seriously to make it rewarding. ‘Today I have a great network, awesome leadership skills, and great confidence due to my volunteering experiences.’
If you are interested in improving your skills, if you want to give back and make change, start now and find out more about the UTS SOUL Award.
Volunteering can be life-changing. If you are a UTS student and you are interested in finding out more about the UTS SOUL Award, visit our webpage to find out more and sign up to develop your ability to be a change-maker and driver of social innovation.