Voluntary work.

What is voluntary work?

As most of you know voluntary work is my life.

Again, what is voluntary work?

When you ask for the meaning, you’ll hear the answer “work without getting any financial reward” or even “helping those who are in need”.

But is this the true meaning of voluntary work?

If we look into voluntary work practically, to some extent, yes it is working without financial reward and helping those who are in need but without a full stop.

Voluntary work is like lessons from life. People who are in need are not just special needs people or poor people, no, its us those who lack information about any cause. If you ended up reading this post with a lesson I’ll call this post as voluntary work because I helped you actually learn, realize and aware you about something which is in front of you and you had absolutely no idea about it.

Therefore, your excuse about not having a ride and that’s why you are not volunteering is invalid. Social media is another world most of us live in, but are we using it efficiently? No. We use it for nagging, complaining, throwing نغزات , be a football m3l8 in every match, knowing that tomorrow is a  test by accidently though someone’s tweet.. etc. Of course not all social media users use it the way I mentioned but we’re speaking about the majority That I follow and I’m not better than anyone. It’s not just twitter, even instagram. This is another way of volunteering by which you wont need a ride or pay anything, just read new information, watch videos and share them let the people benefit!

What makes me usually question about if what I do is actually a voluntary work or not is by the end of the day I ask myself did you learn anything and find no answer. Those types of work aren’t counted in my voluntary work lists. Every work has a lesson, not a one written in a book and given out to you. A lesson you need to live and discover and then use it in your life.

Never expect a n y t h i n g from anyone. When you do something, most of the time you’ll expect something in return if not a reward maybe a thank you. But make it the way round and you thank the people for giving you the opportunity to what you have tried and experienced.

Before you expect anything, start anything I would recommend you to focus on your Neyyah because it is everything about voluntary work. Are you doing this for god or for the people? Is your aim to take photos to be posted in instagram and used as Dp’s or to actually draw a smile, help a needy and make a difference? I’ll repeat your Niyah is everything.

It is giving up on everything else and choosing to do this task, not because you are forced to but because you want and you are willing to do this! 

The reason which drove me into writing this post might be because voluntary work is something common now to the extent that people started killing its true meaning. You can go volunteer in hundreds of places in a year but don't forget the true meaning of voluntary work.

If I kept on writing, this post would turn out to be boring. I usually have what I learn as a caption under my instagram photos so you are more than free to go check them out @MariamBaslar. I don’t mind any criticizing or a different point of view if you think what I have mentioned above isn’t right in one-way or the other.

Your feedback or any comment would be more than helpful. 

"Be the change you want to see in the world." 

From the island of Happiness&Simplicity.

From the land of desserts and development, to the land of poverty and greenery, Bahrain to Comoros.

We all flied to the same destination with one aim, to help, but every one of us have had a different objective.

Some went because they wanted to see how poor people live and still make the best out of everything. Others because they wanted another volunteering opportunities to open for them and so on from different types of aims. 

I went because there is another life out there I wanted to know about. I wanted to discover what was happiness all about, what did helping and volunteering really mean.  I wanted to live something else, something new I haven’t experienced before.

Did I really learn from all this?

I did learn more than anything else, it was a 10 days life school.

First and best thing that have happened was that I survived in Africa for 3 days without my luggage. That obviously means that I survived without having anything. I realized that the things I own might have had their values but not having what I need didn’t stop me from doing anything. I barely thought about what I was wearing or who looked at me. I’m in a lifetime experience, having fun and learning? That was enough.  

The day we stepped in the country everything seemed different and weird. The place, the people, the food and everything around. We were carrying thoughts that we might live the worst days od our lives because of Africa. How did the truth turned out to be? We lived the best days of our lives because it was Africa. The people, the food and everything else was normal. What did we need? Some positivity and everything would be perfect.

How about the welcoming party we had? A M A Z I N G. Imagine a whole city gathering in one place, dancing and celebrating because you arrived to their country? Honestly, we felt like celebrities but there was one thing that really surprised me. We had some ex-presidents and important people from the country speak and one of them mentioned that Arabs completely ignore and forgot about their islands while they are one of the Arab countries. It’s true, how many people out of all of you know that this country needs help or even is an Arab country?

We were given tasks to do in the school we visited. I learned that focusing results in a greater outcome than just doing so many things at one time.

After completing the tasks we have had lunch with the students there. Do you know what’s really embarrassing? When a Comorian girl and I have the same amount of food on different plates but she finishes everything on her plate but I don’t. I discovered that we don’t have any appreciation to food.

Speaking in front of the country’s president was something completely different,  I still feel proud of myself for doing that.

Every time we see a person with special needs we get emotional and feel bad. Imagine a room as big as a store with 50+ special needs people and ALL of them sitting on the floor? Yes, this was their special needs center. Thousands and thousands of thoughts stroke in my mind when I realized that they have nothing compared to the disability center we have here in Bahrain. During the speech of the representative he said a sentence that I can never forget. ‘ The normal people of Comoros don’t live normally then how will the special needs people live?’ I will leave the thinking for you, whoever read this sentence.

I learned that simple life is the reason behind happiness. I learned that nothing is worth not smiling 

I was surprised by the number of hands that asked for help and kept wondering if what we offered is actually what they need or want to have in their lives or not? But after all, we left a touch before coming. Our visit was called a historical visit to their country as no one else have ever done it before. There is so much that I have learned, so much that I want to share but lets keep this only for the blog post.

Thanks to all who have made this the best memory I have ever had and became part of my life. I love every single one of you, f3lan.

Thanks to the most amazing mother any person could ask for, for letting me live this opportunity. Could have done nothing without her!

Will love to hear your feedbacks  :D