Transcriber: Luis Javier Salvador Reviewer: Ariana Bleau Lugo
There's a common belief that working for free doesn't have any value.
I strongly disagree.
I'm here today to talk to you about how volunteerism can be used
to reduce the rate of unemployment and the prevalence of crime
and poverty within developing countries.
Currently, 30% of the world's population lives below the poverty line,
yet only a small number of these people actually benefit from global aid efforts.
Aid organizations don't have the ability to reach everybody.
Yet, if we can focus on development throught volunteerism,
we are not only increasing the number of community leaders,
but also reducing the effect of unemployment.
If we look at South Africa,
South Africa has the highest rate of unemployment in the world.
They also have the highest rate of homicide,
the fourth lowest life expectancy in the world,
and sits within the biggest HIV epidemic in the world.
Unemployment is making it difficult to tackle issues of poverty
and inequality in South Africa over the long term.
Currently, 17% of the South African population volunteer
in comparison to 40% in Australia.
People often define volunteering as the privileged helping the needy,
but volunteering can also be used to help oneself.
If we look at unemployment, there are common effects experienced by individuals.
Unemployment reduces the sense of well-being and value,
but this can shift greatly as soon as somebody starts volunteering.
We see a reduction in depression, the increase of self-confidence
and the sense of value, importance and control.
We're also training young people with new skills and knowledge
and putting them in positions of leadership,
which can facilitate social inclusion.
The reduction of this, along with the eradication of boredom,
also reduces the rate of crime and substance abuse within the community.
So now, you are all saying, "that's great, but what do we do
about these three things that have a huge impact on someone's life?"
We may have increased their well-being,
but homelessness and not having financial income still has a huge effect.
So, I'd like to introduce you to two young people
who live in a township of South Africa.
They are Zippo and Lindiwe.
As a young adult, Zippo lacked direction and motivation in his life.
Everything was a struggle until he started volunteering with local youth.
Feeling that this was his calling, he thrived in this environment
and, within two years, was promoted to a full-time paid position.
Not only this. He went on to create his own community organization
and because of this contribution, received a scholarship for a university.
Similar with Lindiwe.
When she finished school, there were no opportunities for her.
But thankfully, she came across a volunteering position at the local community organization.
This gave her structure in her life.
She had a reason to get up in the morning.
She also gained experience, learned about professionalism,
her English skills improved and she was mentored to create a résumé.
Lindiwe recently moved out of the rural township to a city
because she gained not only a scholarship, but also employment.
So, as you can see, volunteering has greater effect
than just the immediate act of giving.
It has long-term benefits and opens doors to opportunities.
So, if we go back to our list, we've now eradicated the financial struggles,
which means that an individual could provide for their family
and has access to medicine, food and shelter.
By using volunteerism to tackle unemployment, we can reduce crime rates
and also break the circle of poverty
for individuals, families and the communities.
So, instead of going overseas and solely providing aid,
let's work together to develop young people through volunteerism,
so that they can take back their future.
Thanks.
(Applause)