Volunteering - Not What You Would Expect

Volunteering in Cambodia was certainly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am totally satisfied with the end result of this placement after three months, even if it is not in ways I could have foreseen. Seeing the accumulative effect of my time effort spent on helping the organisation, but also those people who the organisation aims to help, was a feeling that didn't really manifest until the last few weeks. I started noticing that all the small ways in which I had previously helped had all helped the organisation in some way or another, albeit very small contributions. Then I began noticing how, over the previous two and half months, I had provided help, taken responsibilities on and produced work for my placement coordinators that left them open to tackle the larger goals and focus their attention. It then dawned on me, one volunteer doesn't save the world or impact in a gigantic way....but volunteers do. The work hours contributed, efforts expended and ideas shared and tested whilst I have been at my placement might seem to only provide a small effect in the short term but when considered in the larger tapestry of the volunteers who have worked at my placement, then consider the total volunteers in all of Cambodia, it actually makes an incredible difference. Volunteering is crucial to supporting those projects which matter the most, those aimed at improving the lives of others by any means possible.