Welcome to the Volunteer Forum

Hey everyone. I'm JahSun, CEO of Water Charity, and I'll be monitoring this forum. Due to the overwhelming interest we've received in people wanting to volunteer their time and skills to our cause, we have decided to try this out as a way for you all to network with us... and with each other.

While the majority of what we do needs to be done in the field or under the direct supervision of our team, there are plenty of things that can be done with little or no training or direction. To this end, we've decided to put up threads delineating the various types of things that need to get done. Those of you who feel drawn to help can pick from among these threads and find there information about how to proceed. You can also take the opportunity to discuss these tasks, pass along useful information, and assist each other in finding the most efficient ways to accomplish the goals.

We welcome all constructive feedback, and hope that you brilliant people out there will improve upon our basic concepts and be motivated to follow through on these projects and activities.

Furthermore, it is my belief that you volunteers are not coming to us as blank slates that we must mold or direct. You all already have unique skill-sets and knowledge-bases that you bring to the table. I hope you will lend us the benefit of that knowledge and skill by proposing tasks for yourself and volunteering for tasks which require your particular expertise and/or individual equipment. I will delineate threads pertaining to tasks which require some specific expertise or tool-set, in order to differentiate those threads from ones where no such expertise is necessary. Video editing is one such example. In order to help us in this field, you must have video editing capability as well as the skill to use it.

Anyway, it should all be pretty self-explanatory. I'm hoping that this forum will facilitate fluid sharing of energy and work... allowing us to help each other in this very important work. This is an integral part of our philosophy of low overhead, low bureaucracy, and direct action. When we don't have to waste time, energy, money and resources on accomplishing these tasks or directly overseeing them... we can put our energy and resources directly into the accomplishing of practical water projects in the field. We are proud of the fact that nearly 99% of the donations we receive go directly into such tangible projects. You can help us stay efficient and streamlined as we grow and take on ever larger projects.

Thank you for caring. And thank you for rolling up your sleeves and chipping in here. It really does make a difference. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Your Offer to Volunteer

We at Water Charity are thrilled to receive many offers from wonderful people who believe in what we are doing, and want to jump in and help. We appreciate your enthusiasm, and will immediately try to channel your talents to the place where it will do the most good.

The first step for you to take is to Register on the site. Leaving your name and email address will allow us to stay in contact with you and keep you informed as to what we are doing. It will also allow you to post content on the site.

Then, we encourage you to use the Contact Form to submit a narrative letting us know who you are, what you are interested in, what education and experience you have had, and what you’d like to do to help.

The best way for you to get our attention would be for you to look around our site and find something that jumps out at you. Something specific, like the following would do the trick: “I know how to build forms, mix and pour concrete, and build retaining walls.”

We would also be excited to receive a note like: “I would love to do a short video promoting the need for safe drinking water and the work Water Charity is doing to help.”

“I want to go!”
Many people contact us and offer to “go down there and help”. This offers a tremendous potential for us, but it presents a difficult challenge as well.

Let’s assume someone volunteers to come with us on our next trip to Bolivia. We will be doing assessment, construction, and evaluation, all to some extent. The cost to transport and support that volunteer will be about $3,000.

The volunteer can do research, write reports, coordinate workers, conduct tests, do studies, use a wrench, wield a shovel, or take pictures.

But what if there are local NGOs with experience, equipment, and access to supplies and labor right there in country? What could they do with $3,000?

Local NGOs could dig several wells, construct water systems, and build latrines. They have the obvious advantage of no transportation costs and reduced living expenses. They hit the ground running, and have a connection to the job and the community.

But, you may observe, many volunteers are willing and able to pay their own way, so transportation is free. No way. Somebody has to pay for it. Whether it’s the volunteer or us, it is money spent.

So, in our use of volunteer effort, we have to apply the “bang for buck” test. What are the results of a dollar spent on or by a volunteer, as compared with a dollar spent in contracting the services of a local NGO?

The above is not meant to be discouraging to the potential volunteer. The contrary is true: Volunteers are challenged to show us what they can contribute to the cause.

If a volunteer can teach a new drilling technique to local workers and communities, that produces tremendous value.

If a volunteer has skills in locating ground water, building spring catch basins, or repairing pumps, the efforts he or she can provide would be invaluable.

If you have skills that will provide big “bang for the buck”, tell us what they are, how you think we would be able to use them, and how they would be cost-effective. If you can justify your value, we’ll take you with us.

“What can I do right now?”
What about all those who at this point don’t know about running pipe and digging latrines? The obvious answer is to learn how to do these things. But that takes time.

What can you do in the meantime? Hang in there with us! Stay in contact. We will be doing projects for a long time, and your time will come.

Money is the great common denominator. With cash, we can buy goods and services that directly impact upon the problem, dollar for dollar.

The most important thing you can do now is to help us raise money. The nature of our operation is that practically every penny of our income goes into work on the ground building water and sanitation systems.

The most obvious thing you can do is to dig into your pocket and give us a donation. I know many volunteers are young, are students or are just starting out in their careers. (I know this because we are more charitable and idealistic and less cynical in our youth.)

So start out by donating what you can. Skip the Starbucks a few times a week. Continue to give if you like what we’re doing.

Then, go out and spread the word! Tell your friends. Pass the hat at the party. Do the bake sale and car wash. Hype us on your website or MySpace page. Feel good that you are helping a really good cause.

But, most important of all, stay in touch. We are a growing community of concerned people, and our power lies in keeping the enthusiasm alive.