Speed dating…with NGOs

Monica SS Kwok
Nov 4 · 3 min read

I have always wanted to have my own blog, and here I am, at long last. Hope you will enjoy the ride with me, especially my blog-mates, who have no choice but to read my babbles :)

As part of the journey of our Master’s programme, we were told to come up with a “sustainability leadership” idea and blog it. An idea I toyed with a while ago came back to me: to sit on a board of an NGO.

I have volunteered with a couple of NGOs in the past doing various tasks, from recyclable collection to being a mentor to teenagers, and often times I wish I was more involved in the project. I have attended training to be a member of the NGO board and I am attracted to the idea of building a charity that benefits the community. Maybe I am able to create a bigger impact on the community by leveraging my skills and network?

And now, I have to search for the NGO, not just any organisation, but one that I feel drawn towards and passionate about. After all, I hope to devote my time to a charity that shares the same values as I do, and work with people who I resonate with.

Just like being in a relationship, I suppose?

Ideally it would be an NGO that place an emphasis on environment, human and animal. Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) would be a fantastic match as I am in total awe of Dr Jane Goodall’s story, courage and vision; the institute’s work on conversation, research and youth education over the decades across the world are having very real impacts now, and the seeds sown are growing into beautiful saplings. Another thing I am drawn towards JGI is that despite its global presence, their Hong Kong chapter has a sense of close-knit community with a wonderful dynamic and the team is passionate about what they do. I have also met a few of their team members during our collaborations and I throughly enjoyed working with them. Unfortunate for me, they are not looking for any board directors.

There is also another group that I am connected to: the Green Dragons. It is an initiative driven by a group of dragon boat paddlers to go plastic free. The founder, Suzanne, is a lady passionate in this cause and, together with the committee, has connected more than 60 teams and paddle clubs, creating a network of 1,000 people in just a few years. My paddle club took the plastic free pledge last year and I have then been invited to join the Green Dragons committee. In that capacity, I have recruited dragon boat teams and worked with event organiser on making their event green(er). A slight hesitation I have was that, as vital as it is to have this initiative, I feel that the mission is too single-dimensional for my personal preference. The Green Dragon is not an officially registered NGO yet and there are constrains on what we can and cannot do as a group.

Perhaps I should sign up for another session of Community Connect? Community Connect is an event that brings NGOs and volunteers together in “speed dating” style to see if there is any chemistry between volunteers and NGOs. I have been to one of the sessions, met a number of interesting NGOs, from shelter building projects in developing countries, community running activities aiming to uplift underprivileged teenagers, to pre-loved clothes recycling…fascinating stories, great conversations, and we exchanged contact details, but there was not enough interest for a “second date”.

Now I am officially on my quest to find the perfect NGO match.

Dr Jane and a fan.

Written by

Wannabe photographer, keen dragon boat paddler, eco-warrior, day dreamer, over thinker, drama queen

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