Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched a new way to continue our voluntary collaboration nine months ago. Now is the time to reflect on this and take stock of how the program has developed, the lessons we've learned, and the new challenges we face.
For Juan Ciudad NGO, the idea for this online program arose in mid-2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced with the impossibility of resuming in-person volunteering, especially international volunteering, in the short and medium term.
Given the experience and collaborative work carried out in international volunteering over the years, the new online program was openly welcomed by our international counterparts. They sent us various participation proposals based on their needs and interests, as well as the profiles of priority volunteers. This information was compiled and published on www.juanciudad.org in December 2020.
Thus, various online voluntary collaborations have been launched with international centers in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia, in the form of workshops, training and advisory sessions, and other exchanges of information and experiences.
However, the end of this online volunteer program is imminent. Therefore, we want to share the most relevant experiences and lessons learned, as well as some of the main challenges that lie ahead.
Highlighted experiences and learnings
In this era where digital technology is so integrated into our daily lives, we've found this to be a feasible way to volunteer. It's lower-cost, safer (especially during difficult times, such as health, social, political, and other circumstances), and also allows us to avoid air travel and minimize our environmental impact.
Interest in collaborating online was high, although interest in on-site volunteering predominated. Juan Ciudad NGO's international counterparts were also interested in this type of volunteering.
The experience of people has greatly facilitated online participation. We can say that in-person and online activities complement each other and promote the continuity of the activities.
Challenges that we face.
We must find a way to increase voluntary participation and better respond to our counterparts' proposals.
- Update and innovate the online formats used to carry out volunteer activities. In this regard, there are increasingly more interactive and dynamic tools and programs that must be incorporated to foster interest, participation, and interaction.
- Aligning and integrating online volunteering into international development cooperation.
- Continue the online program in 2022, without abandoning in-person volunteering, except where necessary.
