Written by Dianne Russell

‘What are you planning  to do in South Africa?’

‘I’m going to volunteer as an ESL teacher in a centre that helps African refugees.’

‘For no pay?’

‘Yes.’

[Silence]

‘Why would you work for no pay?!’

This is one of the first conversations I had in South Africa.  It took me by surprise and made me realize that I certainly wasn’t in Canada anymore.  I had never heard of anyone challenging the idea of working as a volunteer, and it made me very curious.

Since then, I have been asked the same question a few times, always in the same, bewildered tone.  I’m exploring my personal theories about what leads to this question in South Africa, and I do know what to say now as I’ve rehearsed and perfected my answer.

1- Volunteering is Stimulating

Since I do not yet have a work visa, I am unable to get pay for my work here in South Africa.  I know… it is a terrific reason to sit on my butt and eat bon bons all day, however, that  kind of life is simply not for me.  Yes, I love my partner like crazy, but I need to interact with more than one person.  I need stimulation (we ADHDers can’t live without it lest we die of boredom), which for me involves interacting with a wide variety of people.  People’s energy is infectious, and I thrive in bustling environments where energy flows freely. Volunteering in a large organization provides me the constant energy bursts that keep me afloat.

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (where I now volunteer) is a busy place staffed mainly with volunteers from across Europe and the US.  It is alive with people seeking help with language instruction, career-planning, medical treatment, counselling and job training. It is an intersection of people who love to give and people who desperately need to receive.  The energy is palpable, and it is here where I feel most alive. The day I taught my first class here was so memorable – I bounded out of the school Tiggeresque-style, and my partner asked me if I had been injected with some kind of stimulant.   I certainly had.

2 – Volunteering is Educational

Conversations with people from other countries, linguistic and ethnic groups, socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds, allow me to intimately explore sides of life and culture that one normally would not see.  It expands my mind, giving me alternate perspectives, and challenges my sometimes rigid take on the world.

Volunteering in Cape Town is teaching me about the peoples of Africa; I am exposed to their food, clothing, music, and customs.  I learn new languages, political ideologies, social theories and ways of perceiving current affairs. Yes, one can read about other cultures in books or by watching Discovery TV, but volunteering has given me the best up-close and personal education about Africa that money simply cannot buy.

3 – Volunteering is Inspiring

My jobs (teacher, immigration & customs officer/auto claims adjuster) have all required me to interact with a large number of people on a daily basis.  I have met celebrities (Jack Nicholson was my favourite), criminals, immigrants, psychopaths, and everything in between. However, the people who have touched my heart the most are the people I meet through volunteering.

My students amaze me every day with their motivation, drive, passion, energy, positivity and   faith.  Here in South Africa, my classroom is full of refugees from other African countries.      Although they bring with them skills, talent and experience, they are not being welcomed to this country – xenophobic attacks on migrants is a serious issue here –, and my students deal with threats on a daily basis.  However, that does not prevent them from coming to school.

My students also face challenges in supporting themselves and their families.  Many of them     work through the night as car-park guards (a thriving informal industry created by immigrants) yet arrive at school with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts.  Whenever I feel that life is difficult, whenever I have moment of feeling hard done by, I look at their shining faces and know that I am blessed beyond their wildest imaginations.

Volunteering gives me so much more that I can possibly give myself.  I feel privileged to be in the classroom, making friends with people unafraid of life and the challenges it brings.  They have experienced every hardship, every pain, every frustration and every disappointment.  Yet they remain.  Their spirits remain intact.  They don’t complain, whine, moan or groan.  They make astute observations about the problems in this country, and frankly, I think they bring much needed wisdom and insight. South Africans can learn a lot from these people, and the deep relationships and cultural bridges being developed between the refugees and expats who help them could potentially shift the direction of this country.

For information about volunteering at Scalabrini, please contact Daniela (a passionate returning South African who does amazing work in this community!):  Daniela [at] scalabrini.org.za