Volunteer work has become an important way of promoting community cohesion in light of the burdens and responsibilities on local governments and civil institutions. Each and every member of the public has a duty toward society and while today's Saudi youth are rising to the occasion, better planning, clear goals and strong training programs and incentives will encourage more young people to get involved in their local communities by volunteering, Al-Riyadh daily reports.
According to experts, awareness programs should be organized to educate the public on the importance of volunteering for good causes and how they can be active members of society. Charitable organizations are in dire need of individuals who have a strong sense of responsibility and can be reliable in helping these organizations.
Maj. Gen. Musaad Alihyani, an expert on volunteering, said the importance of community service lies in the fact that it makes an individual feel more loyal to society and helps strengthen social ties.
“It's a positive thing. You don't only provide free services to help others, but you also help charitable organizations better plan their programs and ensure that such programs serve the greater interest of society,” he said.
According to Maj. Gen. Alihyani, the presence of a large number of active volunteers in a society reflects high awareness levels among people of the importance of volunteering. The biggest social obstacles to volunteer work include failure to realize the importance of volunteer work, belief that such work is a waste of time and does not bring any benefit to society, and an absence of genuine desire to get involved in volunteering.
Maj. Gen. Alihyani blamed scholars and mosque imams for their failure to urge young men and women to engage in more constructive social work such as volunteering.
“They could talk about this important task from a religious perspective and find a way to convince our youth to be active members of society,” he added. He advised charitable organizations to utilize the capabilities and skills of volunteers in targeted activities.
“Charitable organizations should ask a volunteer about the type of work he would be happy to engage in and be part of. The problem is most organizations don't have clear-cut objectives for volunteer work. They also don't offer training to prepare members of the public to do volunteer work,” he said.
Dr. May N. Al-Muammar, vice dean of the College of Applied Medical Sciences at King Saud University, said the concept of volunteering should be instilled in students' minds when they are in primary school.
“Charitable organizations should encourage young men and women to participate in volunteer work and should design programs that can entice youth and make them enjoy being active members of society,” she said. Social worker Dima Al-Rayes called for expanding volunteer programs in colleges across the Kingdom. Currently, most colleges require students to work for a few hours or days at a charitable organization.
Al-Rayes said many young men and women are interested in working as volunteers for the Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association. She called on the Saudi Volunteer Society to encourage retired officials and employees to take part in volunteer programs offered by charitable organizations all over the Kingdom.
“Many retirees want do something constructive in their free time and wouldn't mind joining volunteer programs. After all, they are more reliable and responsible,” she said.
