Volunteering is something you do of your own free will. Should mandatory volunteering be
called volunteering? Recently, the government has proposed mandatory volunteering programs
that require students to devote some hours a week. However, this proposal does not promote
high quality of satisfactory volunteering work since people are forced to perform such boring and
unpleasant activities that don’t fit their abilities. I strongly believe mandatory volunteering
creates an awful ending for both the participants and their teammates, makes them spend lots
of money and overwhelms participants who have numerous activities.
"
First, though it is said mandatory volunteering creates awesome experiences, that is not true in
all cases. There are many possibilities that participants perform activities with lack of motivation
as they were asked to join the program and" simply detest it. For example," they don’t not
complete or leave work for the following days, so this causes a delay for the rest of the
volunteers who want to do a great job. They have a tendency to have a bad attitude towards
their team, so they mistreat them cruelly. Therefore, an awful volunteering experience ultimately
turns into resentment and prevents people from volunteering mandatory programs. That’s why it
should be a personal choice.
Second, even though mandatory volunteering intends to assist people in need and society,
participants don’t get paid for their work. People have to pay their commuting expenses, even if
they live far away. If they have a car, they must pay for gasoline, which is really pricey. Also,
other expenses include food. One perfect example is my friend, Carlos. He lives in San Juan de
Miraflores and was obligated to take a mandatory volunteering program in La Molina. He told
me he spent around 15 soles each day, so in a single week he had a budget of 60 soles. He
didn’t have the means to afford it, but there was no option because that was a compulsory
requirement for graduation. As he lived on the outskirts of the city, he didn't have sufficient time
for cooking. He went to eat out in low-cost restaurants or just ate some snacks. However, it
generated almost 100 soles in food."
"
Third, despite the fact that volunteering is better than just watching Netflix or surfing on the
internet uncontrollably, these days, people have a tight schedule with a lot of activities a day.
For example," they have to work to support their family financially or save" money for future
plans like their studies. Other responsibilities include taking care of siblings who are alone for
many hours at home since their parents have to work and there is no one who can be in charge
of them. According to a BBC survey, around 70% of citizens in Peru have more than one job
and have no free time to do anything. Thus, they end up being worn out from all their duties and
want to rest at the end of the day. It is indignant to spend time volunteering when people are
already overwhelmed.
To conclude, mandatory volunteering has the potential to generate appalling experiences,
increase participants’ expenses and overload them with other responsibilities. There is no doubt
that there are more drawbacks than benefits. I believe if people are not interested in supporting
others and society, many of them will become resentful and never return to take another
program. When something is done with passion, it has a positive impact on both the participants
and society. It is important to leave it as a personal decision and not to force anyone to be
involved in mandatory volunteering programs.