KIDLanthropy
KIDlanthropy is a digital magazine about philanthropy for high school learners. Having seen the youth’s enthusiasm around philanthropic causes such as The School SleepOut™ – which sees learners and teachers spend a night outdoors on their school grounds, collecting items for communities in need – The CEO SleepOut™ wanted to expand the message of empathy, philanthropy and social innovation and entrepreneurship to teens.
KIDlanthropy is a digital magazine about philanthropy for high school learners. Having seen the youth’s enthusiasm around philanthropic causes such as The School SleepOut™ – which sees learners and teachers spend a night outdoors on their school grounds, collecting items for communities in need – The CEO SleepOut™ wanted to expand the message of empathy, philanthropy and social innovation and entrepreneurship to teens.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
While we’ve all been exposed to subjects<br />
that challenge us academically, and<br />
sports and cultural activities that cater<br />
to our health and creative needs, volunteering is a<br />
way for us to grow emotionally. There are few things<br />
in life that will give you the insight that volunteer<br />
work does. “Teens who volunteer are taken out of<br />
their comfort zone and are exposed to people and<br />
communities they would not otherwise have access<br />
to,” says Landi.<br />
It’s Addictive – in a Good Way!<br />
Community Hours is always thrilled to see students<br />
returning even after they’ve completed their<br />
compulsory hours, often with their siblings and<br />
parents in tow! When you look at numbers plainly,<br />
it’s easier to understand what a difference this makes<br />
in the lives of other people. “In 2016, volunteers<br />
on the Community Hours platform logged over<br />
40 000 volunteering hours. Considering that<br />
there are only 8760 hours in a year, that is over 4.5<br />
years of volunteering in one year. The impact on<br />
communities is huge,” Landi says.<br />
It’s not a punishment!<br />
“Community service is not a punishment and it is<br />
not penance,” Landi reminds us. “We really need to<br />
change that mindset. We also need to stop looking<br />
at community service as a tick box and for the easy<br />
way out. Find something that you really like doing,<br />
go out and truly engage.”<br />
There is a reason so many people love to volunteer,<br />
go figure out why that is…<br />
It feels good!<br />
Try as we might to perform “selfless” acts, we’re<br />
human, and we like to feel good. And more often<br />
than not, our actions benefit us directly. Case and<br />
point; people who volunteer live longer than those<br />
who don’t. It’s okay to volunteer because it makes<br />
you feel positive about yourself. And at the end<br />
of the day, you have the immense ability to affect<br />
change in the lives of others while you’re at it. When<br />
it comes to volunteer work, helping yourself means<br />
helping others. Like Beyoncé says, “We’re all in<br />
this together. Each and every one of us can make a<br />
difference by giving back.”<br />
Still not convinced?<br />
If Beyoncé couldn’t sway you, maybe some teens who<br />
have taken part in the Community Hours programme<br />
can. Here’s what they had to say about the experience:<br />
“This was a new experience for me, that I will never<br />
trade for anything else in the world. Meeting people<br />
who are mentally challenged could have been a no<br />
go area for some, but I was truly touched by some of<br />
the residents stories.”<br />
“It was a really amazing experience. I would<br />
recommend that anyone goes to spend a few<br />
hours uplifting rundown crèches. It makes a huge<br />
difference in the children's lives.”<br />
“I had an amazing experience interacting with children.<br />
I realised how lucky we are and how talent flourishes<br />
even when there isn’t the best of environments.”<br />
www.communityhourssa.co.za<br />
22