Southern Africa Conference

on Volunteer Action for

Development

Designing Youth Volunteer Programs

to Meet Local Needs

A perspective from the field of sport

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Kapena from Zambia…

I started volunteering in my own community, coaching football. Then I was chosen to go to Zimbabwe on exchange.

Being a SCORE volunteer has been a great experience and journey for me, it has been an eye opener to a lot of new opportunities in life and a lesson to learn in my life. Volunteering is difficult but you need to believe in yourself and have confidence. Volunteering under SCORE is not about money but it’s about learning, sharing, cultural exchange, opportunities and doing what you love most, sports

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Kapena (cont.)

I’m still a volunteer in my community, I’m coaching and giving opportunities to young peer leaders in sport and helping them to discover their talents. I am also now employed and still assisting with volunteer programs.

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SCORE• Founded 1991• Non-profit NGO, based in Cape Town• Ongoing Community-Based

Programs in South Africa (1991), Namibia (2000) & Zambia (2002)

• Provides training & facilitation in sport (and volunteering) to Partners (especially Southern Africa region)

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Mission• SCORE uses sport to provide children and

youth with valuable skills & opportunities that they need to succeed in life and contribute to their communities

• Focus Areas:– Rural communities– Children and Youth– Girls and Women

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SCORE Model forSustainable Sport…

Local Sports OrganisingStructure/Committee

Youth VolunteerPeer Leaders/Coaches

Youth Participants

Training& Support

Training& Support

Sports Activities

SkillsDevpt.

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Namibia Volunteer Involvement Program (NAMVIP)

The SCORE Leadership Ladder: • A training pathway for community sports volunteers• Sports Skills, Life Skills and Leadership Skills• Theory and Practice• Ongoing mentoring and Support from Staff & SCORE

Volunteer Trainers/ Coaches• Graduate as a “VIP” Community Sports Leader..

“Since I'm a coach, I'm now a brother, young parent, teacher and motivator to the community”

• Access to new opportunities… eg. international exchange, supporting national events (in partnership with Namibian Sports Directorate)

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SCORE & Volunteers

• Volunteers are core to SCORE’s work at different levels– They support program implementation

(training, coaching, facilitation)– They are an outcome of program

implementation – youth volunteers running their own programs and activities as sports leaders in communities

• SCORE Volunteers that support program implementation are recruited in country, in the region, overseas

• SCORE volunteers earn a small stipend and live in host families in communities

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Benefits of volunteering “I worked with different people with

different backgrounds, different thoughts and different skills. I learned from them but they also learned from me…”

• Skills development, through training and practice– Professional, personal, technical

• Organisational experience• Access to new networks (social capital

development)• Making a difference, a catalyst for change

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Benefits of volunteering• Self knowledge, self-actualisation, personal

growth• Gain recognition and respect• New friends, fun and a sense of belonging• Opportunities to travel, broaden horizons“Volunteering also helped me to have

opportunities to travel and be recognised by other organisations like Kicking AIDS Out network, Zone VI Games and National Sports Council of Zambia and it’s all because of believing in yourself, hard work and doing what you love most.”

• Gain employment• Learn to create your own opportunities

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Impact of volunteering“Being a community volunteer has opened

the door to so many things and opportunities. It has made me where I am today, somebody who is respected in the community, a role model, a sports coach, a facilitator… I have formed a sports acadamey. I’m working with peers and peer leaders in the community in organising sports activities and training workshops also on HIV/AIDS issues. And I am also working with the local sports organising committee under the district of Kabwe”

– Zambian community volunteer

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Challenges• Own and home financial constraints &

demands• Family responsibilities• Negative perceptions of volunteering• Perceptions that white volunteers “are

better”• Getting a job vs. being a volunteer• No guarantee of future employment

based on volunteer experience• Different countries, different employment

prospects

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Challenges• Living and working in a different

community/culture/country“Being a volunteer was challenging because I also

had to overcome culture shock and missing home but I overcame this by being active and around people, playing sport, working with children and youth”

• Adjusting to professional systems and processes (linked to education, skills and experience)

• Balance between personal goals & sustainable sport; short term personal goals vs. long term program process and outcomes

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Implications for Program Design?• We have an ethical responsibility to

design programs well• It is critical to understand and balance the

needs of the volunteer and the needs of the community in which the volunteer works

• Goals & expectations are not always aligned…

• It is critical to manage expectations – and design for the results you want to achieve

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Preparation & Planning• Understand the community needs and

issues; design the community and volunteer program to address them & take local dynamics into account

• Ensure community participation and ownership of the program vision and goals for long term impact and sustainability

• Ensure community understanding of volunteer model and community involvement in volunteer program planning, hosting volunteers, supporting volunteers, etc.

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Volunteer Task Development• Ensure that tasks take into account

the needs and capabilities of the volunteer

• Balance volunteer’s competence with growth opportunity/challenge, to develop skills but allow mastery

• Give the volunteer real responsibility; allow them to take ownership of their own development

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Volunteer Training

• Focus on technical skills, but also soft skills

• Should be ongoing, both formal and on the job

• For SCORE volunteers orientation and training is an essential skills building experience and critical to ensure proper program implementation

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Volunteer Management• Is different to managing employees• Requires facilitation, (mutual) feedback,

mentoring and coaching – use action-learning approach

• For volunteers working in different communities – requires understanding of the cross-cultural transition process

• Is often best done by someone who has been a volunteer themselves

• Give volunteers opportunities to manage themselves, one another, community volunteers

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Program Management• Ensure program objectives are being

met• Monitoring and evaluation is

essential• Requires ongoing input and

feedback from volunteers, but also from community stakeholders and participants

• Regularly revisit the vision and goals• Recognise and reward success

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Considerations for way forward….• How do we increase awareness of

volunteering & volunteering opportunities?

• How do we increase awareness of the non-financial benefits of volunteering – and better design programs to ensure these benefits?

• How can we better recognise, provide incentives and reward volunteers (non-financially)?

• Can we ensure that skills learning through volunteering is accredited?

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Considerations for way forward• Are we managing volunteers well

enough/appropriately? How can we increase the sharing of best practices in volunteer management?

• Are we effectively measuring the volunteers’ growth and skills development? -and their impact in their community?