Volunteering

म यस संस्थामा २००८ साल डिसेम्बर महिनादेखि कार्यरत छु । जाडो महिना, यस संस्थाको केन्द्रीय कार्यालय, जमलमा पहिलो पटक आउँदा, यस संस्थाको कर्मचारीहरु, यहाँको कार्यालय प्रमुख (तुलसा लता अमात्यज्यू) संग भेट गर्दा यस संस्थाभित्र एक किसिमको रमाईलो, ज्यादै पारिवारिक वातावरण रहेको महसुस गरे । भित्री मनदेखि मलाई यस संस्थामा काम गर्ने मौका पाए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने लाग्न थाल्यो।

यसैबीच मैले कमर्सियल बैंकमा काम पाएँ। तर मलाई अझै पनि सिएसी-नेपालको पारिवारिक वातावरणमा सामेल हुन मन थियो । केहि हप्ता पछि मलाई यस संस्थाबाट काम गर्नको लागिबोलाइयो । मैले पनि दायाँबायाँ केहि नहेरी हुन्छ भने । यस संस्थामा मेरो यो साल ६ वर्ष पूरा भएको छ तर मलाई आजसम्म एक दिन पनि न्यायोलाग्ने, काम नगरु, अन्त कतै जान पाए हुन्थ्यो जस्तो लागेको छैन।
यस संस्थाबाट मैले आफ्ना साथीहरु, प्रमुखबाट धेरै ज्ञानहरु सीपहरु हासिल गरेको छु । पहिने यौनकर्मी दिदीबहिनीहरुबारे, यौनरोग, एचआईभी, एड्स, लैंगिक हिंसा, बेचबिखन जस्ता मुद्दाहरुबारे अलि अलि जानकारी भए तापनि गहिरिएर बुझ्न सकेकी थिइन । तर यस संस्थामा आएपछि मात्र महिला दिदीबहिनीहरुको अथाह पीडा तथा समस्याहरुलाई गहिरिएर बुझ्ने र महसुस गर्ने सके। जसले गर्दा भविष्यमा मैले सिकेका ज्ञान सीप, तालिम तथा अनुभवहरु यस संस्थाको लागि समर्पित गर्ने प्रतिबद्धता लिएकी छु । यस क्षेत्रमा तीस वर्षभन्दा बढी दिइसक्नु भएको यस संस्थाको कार्यकारी प्रमुखबाट पनि पेशागत तथा व्यवहारिक ज्ञान पाएको छ । उहाँले बेलाबेलामा फुर्सदमा आफ्नोअनुभवहरु सुनाउनु हुन्छ । जसले गर्दा व्यवहारिक ज्ञानहरु पनि आर्जन गरेकी छु।
सिएसी-नेपालमा आएर मेरो व्यक्तिगत क्षमता, व्यवसायिक विकास अभिवृद्धि हुनुका साथै मेरो लागि सिक्ने र अनुभूति गर्ने संगम स्थल बनेको छ ।

वैध
वित्तीय तथा प्रशासन अधिकृत

Working as a volunteer for Community Action Centre during my formative teen and early twenties I was able to experience many paradigm shifts. The things I witnessed, the stories I heard, and the acquaintances I made, all have helped shape me into the woman I am today.

It all started with helping around the office with small menial tasks such as typing out the minutes, drafting letters and reports, participating in many of the workshops, acting as the camerawoman or translator, and running errands. After several summers of this, I was allowed to also work as an outreach educator, walking for hours and disseminating our knowledge on safe sex practices and distributing condoms. I met people of all faces and standings; 1 interacted with women, children, and men from various backgrounds and upbringing. This up close and personal involvement has led me to a better understanding of the human race. It taught me to understand the context in which they find themselves to be in, which leads to an even more in-depth perspective into the actions and decisions these people take in their everyday lives.

The taboos associated with sexuality and the insecurities of people all lead to unsafe (irresponsible) sexual practices and suppression or abuse of many of our human rights. Factor in the economical aspect and human nature for instant gratification based on all the Bollywood movies so famous here, and you get a society that wants to modernize but still holds fast to traditions. Into this environment, add in the oldest profession in the world and you get a situation that is very volatile and prone to STDs and HIV. This is not a problem that can be solved with the snap of our fingers but a gradual rehabilitative and educative process stringed throughout many years before
you even see the fruits of your labour.

I remember a 12-year-old girl working in a brick factory, who came to participate in 10-day child empowerment training. She was shy and timid at first, scared to say anything or pose any queries. After learning about our rights as a child, about the natural changes occurring in her body and the choices she was responsible for, and the knowledge that should she ever require any support we would always be there for her, she left with a sense of self-awareness, confidence and determination to spread this knowledge amongst her friends. This girl kept coming in to the (Bhaktapur) drop-in center between gaps of months and added on to her own knowledge pool other educative materials the likes of which incorporated safe sex practices and female health issues along with economic empowerment trainings like candle making and beading techniques. I met her several times after the first meeting and saw the change that CAC was able to bring in her. I saw her come out of her cocoon and blossom into a teenager that was an agent of change. This is not an overnight process it took
many tireless hours talking to her and her fellow companions, convincing her parents and employer, incorporating them into the process to bring about this change. This event is just one of the many I witnessed during my volunteer work at CAC but it is one that sticks with me in how with kind words, proper explanation, and tireless effort one can help another to become better.

Acting as a tool to push someone to higher self-worth or pulling someone out from their misery is what we as humans should all do. Not because we have to but because we want to make a difference in the lives of these people. A small act of asking people how they make their homemade “Kajol” (eyeliner) to act as the barrier-breaking step into them opening up, and presenting us with the opportunity to approach them and converse with them is another life lesson I have learned. I am still using this method to approach people and to be able to easily interact with them. These are just several examples I give to show you the difference this organization has made in my life and what I have learned from working at CAC. I know that I am not the only one touched by her hands; I only hope that she will be able to continue her good work and bring about this much-needed change in all the years to come.

Ms. Tessa Van Doesburg
Industrial Ecologist,
The Netherlands
Former Volunteer of CAC-Nepal