If you are one of those who do not have to earn after your retirement, consider yourself lucky. If you do not have any chronic ailments or mobility issues, consider your double lucky! Being double lucky can also mean you feel reasonably energetic and want to spend your time productively. And what can be a better way of doing it than spending that time in nation-building? It’s time to consider volunteering to give back to society and the country.
Understanding volunteering
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The term volunteering can be a bit misleading at times. It indicates that someone is willing to spend time on some activity without expecting any benefits. However, it does not mean it is a pastime without responsibilities. People who agree to volunteer should find causes they are passionate about to ensure they give time to it. For example, if you have committed to X number of hours in a week or month, you cannot always skip it by giving a flimsy excuse as someone misses out on something.
Why it helps?
On the bright side, a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that seniors who volunteer “for as little as two hours per week can substantially lower their risk of early death, become more physically active, and improve their sense of well-being compared with those who don’t volunteer.”
Indeed, volunteering can be a life-changing experience. It can be so stimulating and satisfying that people find their life purpose through it. Often, aged people feel neglected, lack a purpose, and go through life miserably. Through volunteering in any form and to any section of society, they can see the impact they can make. That impact can be highly fulfilling and will give them a new lease of life. That probably explains why the study found that people live longer when they start volunteering, as they understand they have much to look forward to.
What do I do?
Is this question bothering you? Indeed, many people want to do something, but don’t know how to go about it. They feel they are past the age that they can be helpful. They do not know how to start. They are doubtful if they can truly create an impact. Well, let’s start on a positive note by saying that there is something everyone can do in their little way, even if not as a formal volunteer. Let’s not forget that a squirrel also played a role in building the Ram Setu! And we all have grown up hearing the saying little drops of the ocean make the mighty ocean. Indeed, every drop counts.
Having established that, let’s see what you can do. Each of us would have some skill that can be helpful to others. Maybe you can teach something to the children of the people who help with your household chores. You could start a batch for children of such people in your community or apartment. If you have more time and can go formal, many organisations provide volunteering opportunities for:
- English speaking
- Technology upgrade
- Community development
- Women empowerment
- Medical camps (if you are a doctor/nurse, etc.)
- Food preparation
- Nature conservation
- Travel guide
- Help at the nearest hospital/temple/church/mosque, etc.
What do I gain?
You will start a meaningful second innings by doing something that helps create an impact. Just imagine, what you do can, in the long run, change the fortunes of families. One can take inspiration from many Padma awardees who planted trees, built schools, performed the last rites of people, conserved hundreds of seed varieties, and so on. As we have seen, most of them are ordinary people who managed to create extraordinary impact on the society and the world they live in. They are genuine examples of the “Seva hi dharam hain” ideology. By volunteering in your golden years, you may or may not get a Padma Shri, but you will certainly leave behind a legacy.
