Do volunteer work

A common impression about volunteering is that it’s free labour and hence waste of time and energy. People think doing volunteer work would make them cheap and hated by the elite.

That’s not true at all.

Volunteer work can be the best use of your free time. It has plenty of pros and minimum cons, if any.

First of all, volunteering grows your network. You get to meet people from different walks of life, with different thoughts and ideas and philosophies. It gives you a different perspectives of things you viewed differently before. It introduces to new concepts. Without volunteering, you would be stuck with same group of people, most probably your office buddies or such, for the rest of your life.

Secondly, volunteering gains respect, as opposed to what is otherwise believed. When people find out that you are volunteering for a group or a project, they will be impressed. They will think highly of you because you are doing something not for money but to return something to the community. And this respect will come handy at many occasions.

Volunteering can also lead to financial benefits in the long run. Many volunteer run projects start on a low scale but as they grow money starts getting involved in it. Gradually the organization becomes capable of paying its volunteers or hiring employees, which usually are the volunteers.

Let me share with you a few personal experiences.

Metroblogging Karachi is blog about Karachi, authored entirely by volunteers. I started this blog in association with Metroblogging back in Febrary 2005, and since then the blog has grown to be one of the busiest websites of the region. I got to meet people of all walks of life and backgrounds, and learnt a lot from each and every one of them. I polished my management and leadership qualities along the way. I was interviewed by a team of Italian filmmakers who were making a documentary about blogging in different cities of the world. If it wasn’t for Metroblogging Karachi I probably wouldn’t be writing this. This is one project which has touched my life in many ways, all from volunteering to write for it and manage the team.

Another such project is Danka Karachi. Danka is a website that lists the events happening in the city, organized in different categories. The project is just launched, and I see a lot of potential in it. Already I have been interviewed by a couple of magazines because of danka.

Another such project is Karachi Photographers Club. Since I have interest in Photography, I thought it would be nice to create an organization consisting of photographers from the city. I started it as a mailing list and for first few months we shared lots of information, and pictures, but slowly, due to my busy schedule, the activity of KaraPhoto slowed down. But recently I have decided to reincarnate the group and give it a facelift. I would announce it soon when everything is ready.

If you want to volunteer, just find the project you are interested in and contact its management. They would be more than happy to have you.

Or you can start your own volunteer driven project. If you are consistent enough, you will have great success. And then you will be glad you did it.