Applause, shrugs, and side-eyes from students at NGO Fair
Wits students are on different pages when it comes to volunteering for nongovernmental organisations.
- Wits students actively engage with outreach project tables, taking a break from their studies to explore opportunities and broaden their involvement.
- Students voice the benefits and challenges of volunteering, emphasizing its impact on personal growth and mental health.
- Over 600 Wits students actively contribute to social justice, embodying the spirit of Ubuntu through volunteerism.
Volunteerism was spotlighted at the NGO Fair on April 10, 2025, hosted by Wits Citizenship Community Outreach (WCCO) on the library lawns. The fair, decorated with close to 30 NGOs, was a call for students to learn about services available and opportunities for volunteering, tutoring, and interning as agents of social change.
From foundations advocating for human rights to education on genital health, WCCO’s liaison of the fair, Mabalane Nzapheza said that hosting a fair for NGOs “is a significant event for us as it always allows students and the Wits community to make a positive and impactful contribution to the agenda of social justice”.
While the fair successfully drew a large turnout throughout the day and showcased diverse initiatives, it also sparked a range of perspectives on volunteerism itself —raising questions about its value, accessibility and role in the lives of busy university students.
Shirley Matlala, a third-year biological sciences student, said that volunteering serves as a reminder that a person is more than just their career and can find fulfilment and self-worth in contributing. “You learn more about yourself when volunteering. It really helps you get a feel of other skills that you have outside of math [for example] and it’s just a daily reminder that you are better and more than your career”, she said.
Echoing the sentiment Ntsako Hlahleni, a third-year media studies student said: “I’m a final year student I’ve gotten to a point where my dissertation is coming to an end …and I need something to ground me. I think that I am capable of helping people in certain areas.”
She also expressed that she withheld from volunteering in her previous years because it required way more time than she could offer, a discovery that also made Masande Mfihlo, a third-year Bcom student, stop after first year. This aligns with Karuna Singh’s, manager of WCCO, observations that getting students to be consistent in their volunteering over a long period is more challenging than recruiting them.
Faith Shongwe, a fourth-year BA social work student, believes, “Generally, people see volunteering as a waste of time. They realise that ‘Oh, I don’t have the resources and the money to go to those places’, but they don’t understand that it has a greater benefit to them and their livelihoods.” Contributing to NGOs reaching more communities, gaining a social conscience, and achieving social justice are a few of the many benefits of volunteering.
Despite this, volunteerism is still popular at Wits. “The numbers of student volunteers are increasing,” says Singh and Nzapheza proudly remarks on the significant improvement in participation among Witsies this year. “Over 600 active volunteers dedicate their time, skills, and most importantly, humanity, to giving back to society. We witness the spirit of Ubuntu every day”, said Nzapheza.
Praise Sibuyi, a master’s student in social psychological research, pointed out that apprehension towards volunteering sometimes boils down to safeguarding one’s mental health as entering communities that reflect your situation can serve as a trigger.
FEATURED IMAGE: Master’s students Praise Sibuyi and Thami Moropa holding a board cut out of the Ford Foundation, an NGO, alongside one of its volunteers. Photo: Lukholo Mazibuko
RELATED ARTICLES
- Wits Vuvuzela, WCCO breaking down the perceptions of volunteerism. May, 2014
