Why I Started Volunteering and How You Can Too!

Let me start this blog post by using a very powerful quote, written by the American journalist Robert Byrne: "The purpose of life is a life of purpose"

I have been fortunate enough during my career to be surrounded by colleagues who would inspire me to always strive to be a better version of myself. The secret? Keep learning and never settle for the status quo. This is probably the essence of consulting: always be ready for a new challenge, the issues and successes of yesterday are easily replaced by other ones the next day. We simply need to adapt quickly and be ready to respond to new needs, technology trends and obstacles. This is what still, to this day, makes me spark in the morning to wake up: my number one priority is helping and supporting our customers while they embark in their digital transformation journey. Seeing the hard work pay off is fulfilling and at the same time I try cherishing these experiences, even when things get complicated and times are stressful.

During the past couple of years I have been wondering if I could do more, outside of my 9-5 schedule. Doing "something for the greater good" while using my current expertise and also getting out of my comfort zone. Towards the end of 2023 I got in touch with an American world traveller who is attempting to visit every country in the world. As a traveller myself I immediately found a connection with Cameron Mofid who explained me his current project. After visiting Nigeria he decided to start a fundraising to collect money for a primary school in Makoko, a floating slum just outside of Lagos. What started as a fundraiser quickly became an NGO, and that is how Humanity Effect was created. Crazy how true is the statement "expect the unexpected".

I started volunteering for Humanity Effect back in April, and I could not be happier. Seeing first hand the impact that a single donation can do towards the education and future of Nigeria's younger generations is simply extraordinary. My current tasks revolve around donor engagement, ranging from thanking them for their donations, writing and restyling our newsletters and finding new potential donors and organizations who can help. It goes without saying that running all of this while having a stable 9-5 is a challenge, but at the same time it is very rewarding. This is probably the additional spark I needed when waking up every morning.

"How can I help?" you might be asking at this point. Here below my three recommendations (plus a bonus one!):

• Do the research: understanding the area in which the NGO is operating, how the current donations are spent, who is working onsite and who is supporting from remote is very important. If you do not have any experience in volunteering, I would recommend you to look for small realities where your impact can be bigger. Most likely bigger NGOs have employees who are fully dedicated and are not willing to risk with a part-time volunteer
• Be vulnerable: this is your moment to get out of your comfort zone. Even if you feel you are missing some skills, it does not matter. If the NGO is worth, the team will appreciate your interest and commitment and they will all make sure that you get up to speed in no time. CV is important, but it does not tell everything about a person
• Get personal: also connected to the previous point. Be ready to be open minded, to learn from others, to be honest and transparent on your availability. Set expectations so that people can count on you whenever they need you
• Here's the bonus: Humanity Effect is always looking for volunteers and if you feel our cause is inspiring for you, do reach out to me or Cameron Mofid directly. We would love to have you onboard!

Before concluding this article I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire team at Humanity Effect for having me and supporting me in this amazing journey. Without you, all of this could not be possible.

And to my IBM colleagues out there, October is the Global Month of Impact and our company is targeting 200k volunteering hours. I feel very proud of this initiative, and I am sure you are too.

Let's go out there and drive positive change!

Alessandro