Volunteer network goes national

Conceptualised and implemented under the leadership of Local Government and Rural Development Minister Kazim Hosein while he was Mayor of San Fernando, the idea of volunteer network is being expanded to a national level under his direction.

On Tuesday, the concept was presented to Mayor Gopaul Boodan and the Council of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation by Matthew Kailah, a representative of the Ministry.

Kailah said each corporation is being asked to amass a database of at least 200 volunteers over the next six months. The database would store volunteers’ basic profile information as well as their occupations, skills, areas of interest, and their preferred days for volunteering. The database would also keep record of the hours logged by volunteers which, Kailah said, would favour students who are seeking to add civic duty to their university applications.

The corporations are being encouraged to perform at least one project per month using the volunteer network which could range from the usual beautification projects to the provision of professional services like legal aid clinics and medical check-ups. Volunteers could even be called upon during and in the aftermath of future national disasters, be it to offer professional help or just their able bodies.

As was done in San Fernando, after the networks are functioning like well-oiled machines, each corporation is being asked to elect a board to an NGO dedicated to managing the work of the various networks within their communities.

Kailah said the networks would create a space for citizens to develop a sense of civic duty while acting as a deterrent to crime for young people.