We live in a world of plenty – there is absolutely enough for everyone, we just need a little ‘wealth redistribution’.
Many people I speak with want to give back, share their blessings and to make a difference. Others are looking to combine giving back with their holidays or work breaks, but sometimes it’s challenging to know where to start.
Of course, it all starts with you – what are your intentions and desired outcomes?
Making a life by what we give, not what we get
In 2009, our 14-year-old daughter Steph was denied a life-changing school trip to Cambodia to volunteer with disadvantaged rural families. We decided to embrace the opportunity and travelled to Cambodia as a family, volunteering to teach English at a rural school in the Siem Reap province.
Those two weeks changed the course of our lives, and the lives of thousands of rural Cambodian students and their families. Our students were all the children of survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime and the ensuing civil war – while their parents were illiterate, they understood the value and importance of education.
We returned to volunteer in Cambodia several more times, and in 2011 founded the Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST) with the vision of educating future leaders.
CRST is a unique non-government organisation (NGO) because it’s entirely led and managed by our students. Through formal education, extensive mentoring and the opportunities to gain hands-on practical skills, the students of CRST also lead and manage projects in areas as diverse as women’s empowerment, energy poverty, social inequity and environmental degradation, reaching thousands of beneficiaries annually.
In his book Empowered, Aviv Palti shares his story about how a family trip to Cambodia helped break the poverty cycle for thousands of people.
Where to start with a ‘giving back’ holiday
There are countless ways to give back and make a difference, here are some to consider:
- What’s your gift? Do you want to volunteer or donate, or both?
- Find your people. Volunteer organisations often seek reliable and regular contributors, preferring no drop-in or short-term volunteers. Credible organisations have credible websites, so a web search is a great place to start – we started our Cambodia journey by simply googling ’14-year-old volunteer Cambodia’.
- Find your passion. Stay focused on what’s most meaningful for you. Is it youth, education, the elderly, women’s empowerment, domestic violence, homelessness or anything else? Think about the ways you can take a holiday with purpose.
- Find your location. Do you prefer to give your time or money locally or globally? A local focus will enhance your sense of community, while a global focus will have further impact as the costs of delivering sustainable impact are much lower in developing countries.
- Before giving your time, qualify the organisation. What’s their track record, how well organised are they, what are other contributors’ experiences?
- Before giving your money, qualify the organisation. Are they registered, how much of your money will be used to run the organisation, how much of your money will be used to create impact? The Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission, has an excellent website; just type in the organisation’s name and you will instantly see whether they use 30 per cent of your your funds to run the organisation, or just 3 per cent of your funds.
- Know your purpose. The best volunteers and donors clearly understand that their purpose is to help others empower themselves. They are not seeking the Instagram moments to share with the world, they look to authentically give of themselves and are rewarded with life-enriching experiences.
Bonus tip: Give without expecting to receive and you will receive more than you ever expect.
The ripple effect
The journey of the Cambodia Rural Students Trust is the inspirational story of humanity converging on our commonality, not our differences; we inspire the next generation of future leaders to understand that their gifts can already be shared with others.
They don’t need to graduate from high school or university to create social impact through volunteering – the magic moment is today!
Your ripple effect starts with you – get engaged, engage your family and friends; ask what you can accomplish together to create a legacy of impact, hope, and inspiration.
