“We came as volunteers, and left as partners in social engagement”

Every act of kindness, no matter how big or small, changes the world. There- fore, volunteering should never be a grudge action; it should be done with a full heart.
“Volunteering in Parys is rewarding in so many ways. We get to work with local angels, we learnt skills and could spend meaningful time with the organisations and the people who run them. We have made friends in the process.”
This is the remarkable testimony of Community Hours’ Sarah-Welton Blake and the 35 enthusiastic youth volunteers from St John’s College in Johannesburg after their week-long stay in Parys.
They truly made a difference in many organisations in the community with the volunteer work they did.
This was not the first time that Community Hours and St John’s College have spent time volunteering in Parys, and “we certainly hope it will not be the last,” says Sarah.
The intention behind the volunteering week was to create experiences for the youth to come together and discover the many guises volunteerism can take.
It also served to show that the outcomes of volunteering have a social impact and create a better world for each of us. “Volunteering can and should also be engaging and, dare we say, fun,” Sarah adds, thanking the countless residents from Parys for their support and efforts in making the project a success.
Upon their arrival on 25 April, the volunteers started with a street clean-up in Parys.

“We were struck by the impact of people like Braam Cilliers’s commitment to keeping the streets and parks clean and tidy. We were privileged to work with Danie and Mia, ‘on the ground’ as we engaged with fruit and vegetable vendors, met some of the town’s characters and collected countless bags of discarded items.”
Upon completion of the project, they met a woman from a local recycling company who reaffirmed to the volunteers the importance of recycling, something the St John’s College learners are already committed to through an eco-brick project they support.
“The true spirit of Parys is in the people we met, such as at the Barefoot Cinderella, where they spoilt us with hot chocolate after the clean-up. We met a woman called Cathy, who saw the volunteers cleaning the streets of the town. When she discovered what we were doing, she offered to recognise each of the learners by treating them to a jaffle with their hot chocolate. It is not only in the gift that kindness was shown but in the thought behind the offer,” says Sarah.
Having navigated their way to Hadeda Creek, where they stayed for the week, the volunteers set about making dog biscuits to donate to the SPCA.
“We have volunteered with many SPCAs, but returning to work alongside the Parys SPCA is always a joy. Animals here have found a home that not only cares for them but also nurtures and engages with them. We spent a morning attending to tasks, including sanding, cleaning, raking up manure, setting up shelves, painting, packing food and blankets and, of course, socialising with the animals.”

“Volunteering is not a ‘one size fits all’ engagement. In support of this, Community Hours creates and curates many different ways that volunteers can see a change in the communities they choose to serve,” explains Sarah.
During their stay in Parys, they focused on the environment, learnt various skills and focused on recycling and repurposing. They refurbished a daycare centre, where they painted, sanded and cleaned, learning many new skills.
They learnt how to re-purpose recycled pallets by upcycling them into chairs for the children at the Precious Learning Centre in Tumahole.
“Precious opened the magnificent centre, bearing her name, to us for a full day of painting and uplifting.”

They visited Parys River Clay – a powerhouse of innovation. Keri and Pam, who work alongside the men and women and residents of Epilepsy SA, went “above and beyond” as they put together a workshop to teach the volunteers how to braid and plait and make a bespoke bracelet (and memory) in their workshop.
Part of the volunteering requirements for the President’s Award is that learners and volunteers learn a skill.
The experience the volunteers had with Keri and Pam at Parys River Clay certainly constituted skills-based learning. It was fascinating to see the concentration and commitment to learning as Keri spoke to the volunteers about the outcomes of similar experiences with the residents of Epilepsy SA.

The volunteers learnt a new craft on the day but also gained a newfound respect for the crafters who do this every day.
“Our sincere gratitude to Hugh and De Wet, who chose a section of the Vaal River that was navigable. With their team of highly- trained and professional guides, all volunteers could spend a few hours in kayaks and inflatables and experience just one of the adventures your beautiful town is renowned for.”
“While cold and wet, we told our adventure stories with pride and humour as we journeyed home on the bus. For this, we are grateful to everyone who made this possible.”
The volunteers made lucky packets for the children of the Tumahole Selfhelp Association for the Disabled (TSHAD), for whom they hosted an activity on the Friday.
In its simplest form, volunteering was seen to be taking place on this day. Assisted yoga under the trees, enthusiastic soccer on the grass, beautiful face painting, creative colouring-in and table skittles brought a week of volunteering to a close.
“Thank you to Kira and Angelique for working with us to bring able- and differently-abled children together.”

“People often ask us why youth-based volunteering is important; why we drive this relentlessly, and why we are committed to the process,” says Sarah.
“The answer is simple. Volunteering with school-going learners creates socially active and socially-minded youth.”
“If we can create ways for our youth to come together, work together and act with no expectation of reward, we can shape our future leaders.”
“These leaders will be collaborative, see value in social upliftment and understand the joy of community engagement.” Volunteering is not “just” for a day or a season.
It should be something each of us does, regularly and in small ways.
In so doing, we create a ripple of human kindness that could, if we allowed it, become a tidal wave of awareness and care.