On the symbolic date, 12. 12, at the premises of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava, at the ceremonial evening “Volunteer of the Year 2013,” 12 people received the award “Srdce na dlani” for changing the world for the better through their volunteer activity. This year, for the first time, an award was also presented in the category Development Volunteer (SlovakAid volunteer), which was rightfully won by a Slovak, working on a development project in Kenya for five months, Pavol Markovič.

By its nature, volunteering is activity by people working for the benefit of others or for a specific project without financial pay for the time and service provided. Although a person does not receive tangible compensation for their volunteer work, they gain much more – their hierarchy of values and plans for the future can change positively, and they gain social capital (new contacts, friendships, skills). Abroad it is common practice that employers choose for a specific position precisely those candidates who have engaged in and are engaged in volunteering.

That there is growing interest in volunteering in Slovakia is also proved by one hundred twenty nominations – a showcase of the most useful and interesting activities in twelve categories within the Volunteer of the Year 2013 award. The executive director of the organization C.A.R.D.O. (www.cardo-eu.net), which organized the event, Zuzana Vinklerová, repeated throughout the entire evening her joy about long-term good deeds at home and abroad, and expressed her admiration to all nominees and winners.

If someone from the Slovak Republic wants to travel to another continent with the intention of cooperating with new communities of people, communicating in a foreign language, and giving up some of their time to pass on experience to others, they can experience volunteering through the developmental volunteering programme coordinated by MZVaEZ SR (www.mzv.sk). It involves sending experts without an age limit (the European Voluntary Service has an age limit, namely up to 30 years), who do not go to a developing country to learn, but rather go there to educate local people and pass on their professional knowledge. For example in the social-health or IT fields.

The whole Volunteer of the Year 2013 event was held under the patronage of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajčák. The decisions on the awards, evaluation of nominations in each category, and congratulations to the winners at the gala dinner were made by state secretary of MZVaEZ SR Peter Burian; director-general of the Section of International Organizations, Development and Humanitarian Assistance of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Roman Bužek; and director of the Department of Development and Humanitarian Assistance Peter Hulényi.

This year, for the first time, an award was also presented in the category Development Volunteer (SlovakAid volunteer). Pavol Markovič won it. He put aside his well-started career and work duties for 5 months so he could, as a development volunteer of the University of Trnava, teach people in Kenya basic computer skills, while at the same time increasing awareness both in Kenya and in Slovakia through audiovisual productions about the need and importance of Slovak-Kenyan development cooperation.

Capacity building as a priority of volunteering

Pavol Markovič has for several years split all his time between programming virtual musical instruments and photography. In spring 2013, he decided to travel to the African continent and spend five months of life as a development volunteer. He had a difficult task ahead of him: to increase computer literacy among local people on the coast of Kenya through IT lectures and workshops. He is currently working on editing documentary films from this context, as well as on the concept of a photography exhibition that will portray, ethically and without stereotypes, the role of development cooperation and the lives of community health workers and clients of nutrition centers on the coast of Kenya. With his photo series “Zmena prichádza zvnútra komunity” he has already won first place in the Human Rights in Development Cooperation photo contest (http://fotosutaz.mvro.sk).

This year’s winner, when receiving the “Srdce na dlani” award, also praised the work of his co-nominees in the Development Volunteer category (SlovakAid volunteer), whose focus was very similar to his (computer literacy and skills training, social or healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa). Pavol Markovič commented on these priorities with the words: “The health of people on the African continent is closely linked to education and learning. It is clear what local communities there need from us; and it is good that it is precisely this that Slovakia provides through the deployment and work of volunteers.” During his stay in Kenya, Pavol also experienced difficult situations and dangerous moments (a violent theft of his complete photo and video equipment), but he considers his volunteering on the coast of Kenya a major contribution to his professional and personal life.

Twelve faces of volunteering

The first announced category at the MZVaEZ SR was thus the Development Volunteer category (SlovakAid volunteer), in which Pavol Markovič won. The second category was Foreign Volunteer in Slovakia, which was won by Ibrahim Azugar from Morocco, who has been living for several months in the ReSoTy institution of Father Anton Srholca and actively took part in the reconstruction of the space of the Museum of Crimes and Victims of Communism. In the third category, Slovak Volunteer Abroad was won by Ladislav Borka, who helps in Europe. In the Volunteer in Humanitarian Aid category, nominations of wonderful people from the Slovak Red Cross dominated, and this year Peter Valach deservedly won. Mária Parobeková received the award in the Volunteer in the Social and Health sector, while David Turčáni won in the Volunteer in the Environmental field (his association Včelí kRaj also received the award in the Volunteer Project of the Year category) category. In the following categories, women prevailed: Eva Hančáková became Volunteer in Education; Soňa Holíková became Volunteer in work with children and youth this year, and Beáta Kováčová became Corporate Volunteer of the Year. The award for Long-Term Volunteer Help was received by Irena Pillarová. In the toughest competition (Bratislava-Staré mesto, Partizánske and Sedliacka Dubová) the most volunteer-friendly town was ultimately the town of Lučenec, which actively supports environmentally oriented, educational, and family-friendly activities of local organizations. Every nominated and awarded form of volunteering is valuable and important at local, national, and even international levels.

Text: Boba Baluchová, Foto: Palo Markovič, Juraj Jančovič, TrUni