Describing happiness is difficult and attaining it is elusive. But I tend to agree with Albert Schweitzer, who once commented to a group of volunteers that “The only ones among you who will really be happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
Every 6 months or so, I meet a new group of volunteers who have come to work in Ethiopia, sponsored by the British NGO Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). They are not just Britons, but come from a number of different countries. When I met the latest cohort recently, I pointed out how the stock (and even the economic value) of voluntarism is increasing all the time.
Volunteers certainly made history in London 2012. 70,000 Games Maker volunteers freely gave up 8 million hours of their time to help behind the scenes to stage last year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Volunteers have been used in the Games since 1948 – but in 2012 the volunteer programme came back to the city where it began. Thanks to the British Council, the concept of the Games Maker has now been introduced to Ethiopia [link to blog of 30 July].
But I also recognised that volunteering for overseas service is a very special type of voluntarism. VSO has a long and successful history of operations in Ethiopia since 1996, when there were just 4 volunteers. Today there are around 100 and well over 500 professional volunteers in total have spent 1-4 years in Ethiopia. It is easily one of the most highly regarded charities operating here today.
I am delighted by VSO’s success, which supplements an important bilateral relationship which is growing in scope all the time. Ethiopia is currently one of our biggest bilateral development partners anywhere in the world – and the government here often pay tribute to the value and quality of our assistance, not just the quantum.
The benefit of voluntary service is not one way. Volunteers from abroad can also learn much from a different and exciting cultural environment. As well as developing new life skills which will serve them well in the future. Our former Prime Minister Winston Churchill reckoned that “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” I hope that thought resonates with our VSO volunteers, who are also ambassadors for their countries to Ethiopia. And I hope they will find happiness in their time here.