Zimbabwe needs a national framework for volunteers as is the case in other countries.

Wedzerai Chiyoka the country coordinator for VSO said it was high time Zimbabwe had its framework for volunteers as nothing much was being done for them.

“We were used to having many volunteers coming to Zimbabwe from other countries but it’s no longer the case now,’ she said.

What Zimbabwe now has from her words are local volunteers some of which are highly illiterate or see no benefits in being volunteers at all.

In the case studies they carried out as VSO, it came out skilled personal in Zimbabwe does not know where to go if they want to volunteer or if they find where to go the organization engaged will be so unprofessional to such an extend that they see no point in volunteering at all.

Coming in to support this statement was one volunteer lady from Marondera whom we could get her name who said that at the organization she is volunteering for, personnel there was now taking her for a ride.

“I volunteered my services as well as my car on condition that we use it during working hours only and when it is free but now they want me to take them wherever they want to go or even to their homes after work. This therefore brings questions into whether one has to continue helping or just drop the whole thing,” she said.

This scenario helped bring Chiyoka’s point to the fore that a national framework for volunteers should be created so as to cushion them against such practices.

On the side of business Executive Director of Zimbabwe Business Council Mr David Mutambara said business has to see a risk for profit opportunity before they can engage in volunteer work.

“As much as companies can help in volunteer work it should be known that before approaching them they need to see if they will gain something in return as business. There is always a selfish motive behind volunteering whether for an individual or cooperate and as business if volunteers approach us, we look at how they will benefit the company on a risk for profit basis,” he said.

Much volunteering in Zimbabwe has no proper benefits out of it. An example of rural volunteers comes in focus as most do volunteer work like home based care for no profit or gain at all. Having no framework which looks in the welfare of these volunteers is being seen as setback that has seen most not sacrificing to be volunteers even if they felt like so. Chiyoka said this meeting that took place at a Harare hotel was the first in the move towards achieving the national framework for volunteers’ target. “Soon we are going to engage the law makers so that they can help us as well as debate on this target we want to reach,” she said. The number of volunteers coming into Zimbabwe has been decreasing ever since it started having problems soon after the land reform programme. Only doctors from Cuba and the Democratic republic of Congo are still doing volunteer work in Zimbabwe.

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