The International Volunteer Day was quietly observed early this month. According to the United Nations, International Volunteer Day, which is celebrated on December 5 every year, started as an international observance mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.
It is a day where volunteers are acknowledged, and the spirit of volunteerism is promoted at the local, national and international levels. The theme this year was ‘Every contribution matters.’ In Uganda, the day was commemorated at Makerere University, where panel discussions were held with various partners on volunteering for the Uganda we want: Leadership, innovation, and civic engagement for sustainable development.
One of the day’s speakers, Dr Nicholas Mugabi, the head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, pointed to the fact that today’s workforce demands competence, adaptability, teamwork, communication, ethical leadership, and skills that classroom instruction alone cannot fully cultivate. This was to point to the fact that volunteerism is a strategic bridge between learning and labour market readiness. Dr Stephen Okello, the secretary of the National Bureau for Non-government Organisations at the Ministry of Internal affairs, noted that international volunteers continue to occupy a considerable share of opportunities in Uganda because the country lacks a structured framework for harnessing local talent.
Volunteerism experts called upon stakeholders to address key issues enabling youth to fully embrace volunteerism, such as a standardised volunteer management framework with formal placements, clear terms of reference, structured supervision, competency assessment, documented service and post-placement transition support. [‘Why volunteering may be Uganda’s missing link between youth skills and jobs.’ Daily Monitor , December 22] Youth unemployment has been and still is one of the challenges that we are grappling with, especially with our very young population.
The recommendations made by Dr Mugabi, Dr Okello and the other speakers and partners during the World International Volunteer Day give us considerable mileage in the fight against youth unemployment. This is not at all the silver bullet that will end youth unemployment, but it is part of the concerted and multi-faceted effort to tackle it. Rather than only promising proliferation of jobs for youth while traversing the country for votes, politicians who are currently baring their hearts out on campaign trails should incorporate such recommendations into their plans and actualise them if or when they are in position of power and influence.