To those considering volunteering....

Before closing out this blog I’d like to add a few comments for those considering serving with Unite for Sight.

I appreciate UfS requiring volunteers to do a bit of reading about global health issues, about eye care, and about cross-culture encounters.  I found the most useful aspect of the training to be the visit to a local eye hospital.  Not only did I learn about eye health and the operation of an eye clinic, it was a great opportunity to meet local health providers and establish a relationship that may continue beyond my 10-day service at Kalinga Eye Hospital. 

I found the requirement to collect used glasses burdensome. This part of the program is obviously designed for US residents, who have to do little more than place an order for a box of used glasses with an organization such as the Lions or Rotary.  As there are no ongoing collection campaigns in Dubai, finding the required number of glasses here was going to be a huge undertaking.  Fortunately, UfS was flexible and allowed me to raise extra money in lieu.  Be sure to ask if you’re having similar difficulties.

The most problematic aspect of the UfS volunteer experience is the bit where they ask you for money up front in order to participate.  The effect is to establish a relationship of distrust. Perhaps UfS has implemented this policy to protect itself from wasting time on frivolous candidates.  UfS assures potential volunteers that it is easy to raise the minimum fees required for participation, and if this is so, then why not require fees to be raised before committing to the volunteer, rather than requiring a deposit? 

It is also unclear why volunteers are asked to pay for boarding at hospitals that are otherwise unoccupied.  I understand the hospitals ad clinics are running on tight budgets and UfS does not wish to impose additional costs.   I am happy to pay for consumables, such as food, water, electricity, and internet service.  I also understand that if my presence in a room prevents a paying patient from using it, then I am imposing on the hospital and should find accommodation elsewhere.  In my case, there were plenty of empty rooms. 

As for the on-site experience, a point of particular concern is human resource management.  I submitted extensive documentation as part of the application process, including a précis of my skills, work experience, and projects on which I was interested in working as part of my volunteer experience.  These were provided to UfS.  Weeks later, I was asked for the same directly from the hospital, suggesting these two institutions are not sharing information as effectively as possible.  I resubmitted the requested data directly to the hospital and received the most minimal reply, along the lines of “looking forward to meeting you in July.”  I asked UfS about this and was told the hospital staff is busy, doesn't have time to reply in detail, but will have more information for you when you arrive.  Given the not inconsiderable list of requirements from UfS – raising US$1800, finding and transporting 600 pair of used glasses, training in cross cultural communication and global health issues, two to three days at a local eye clinic – a more thoughtful, considered reply taking into account the abilities and desires of the volunteer seems not to be an unrealistic or excessive expectation. 

The problem got worse in India.  On arrival I was met by an officer working for the NGO affiliated to the hospital, but he was stationed elsewhere and told me frankly that he didn't know the details of what needed doing at the hospital.  Another volunteer had arrived a couple of weeks previous and said he spent most of his days lurking.  He was hoping to do a research project, but hadn't had any direction from hospital management.  I finally met the hospital manager on the fourth day of my ten day visit. He asked me again what kind of projects I would like to do and I reminded him of my interest in photographic work.  He then related his idea for a photo book of patient flow and hospital procedures for illiterate patients.  I asked for a list of procedures and images required.  The manager produced this on request – it wasn't something he had on file.  It consisted of approximately 35 items, many of which would require more than one image each. 

It was a great idea and a great project, and while better late than never, it would have been so much better to have been given this when I first wrote a couple months previous.  Why didn't this happen?  There are a number of possible reasons about which I can offer nothing more than speculation.  But the fact is that UfS and the hospital are not taking full advantage of their human resources. Planning is poor and execution is not much better. 

Lest you think this is an isolated case, I note the experience of my volunteer colleague, the one who spent his days lurking. When everything finally came together and it was time to start collecting data for his research project,  a project that was designed and written jointly by the hospital and UfS, a project that was previously approved by both, it was discovered that the research tool was inappropriate.  It had been designed for use in rural vision camps and the volunteer was planning to use it with visitors to the hospital.   This wasn't a huge problem – a work around was found – but it is another example of lack of communication between volunteers, hospital, and UfS.  This same volunteer later began attending vision camps, but said he did little more than sit in the bus. 

I understand as well as anyone that in a perfect world there wouldn't be any need for volunteers.  There are in any such undertakings bound to be issues that need attention and I am writing this to raise at least one that calls for consideration.  I hope UfS and their hospitals will treat the time and effort of volunteers a bit more seriously and urge any potential volunteer to press both repeatedly if you don’t get satisfactory replies to your inquires.  

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