SOCIAL PEDAGOGICAL AID

Ilona JONUTYTE, D a r i u s REKIS

SELF-HELP OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEENAGE

VOLUNTEERS IN NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS

Annotation. The article analyses the self-help of volunteers aged 14 to 18 in the activity of
non-governmental organizations. A volunteer is generally seen as a person who benevolently
contributes his / her time to other people's good and does not expect a reward, but experiences
spiritual satisfaction shared with community and assumes responsibility for their activity. The
article presents results of the research with the sample of school-aged volunteers, who actively
participate in the activity of social non-governmental organizations. The article also discusses
possible self-help forms of youth in non-governmental organizations, students' motivation
to self-education as well as the most effective factors determining the self-help. The results
of the research revealed that non-governmental organizations provide a wide range of
possibilities for self-help, and are seen as an attractive source of self-expression, practical
knowledge and skills by students. Thus, non-governmental organizations complement the
system of informal education.
Key words: non-governmental organization, volunteer, self-help.

Introduction

The restoration of Lithuanian Independence encouraged establishment of non­

governmental organizations, based upon principles of freedom, democracy and mu­
tual assistance, where persons working without reward are referred to as volunteers.
Voluntary activity in these organizations provides the volunteers with opportunity
to gain practical and theoretic knowledge. Thus, the non-governmental organiza­
tions (NGO) pursue the self-help and determine the development of young people's
personalities (Spurga, 1999; Dapkiene, 2006). Since self-improvement, according to
Stulpinas (1996), is one of the most important outcomes of education, analysis of
self-help possibilities in non-governmental organizations becomes essential to any
school that aims at education of a well-rounded personality. However, the system
of knowledge gained in school, does not condition a successful self-help. It is first
and foremost determined by personal maturity and motivation, thereby voluntary
activities in non-governmental organizations enable the student to pursue self-help
involving in acceptable to him or her forms of work.

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Youth organizations were already referred to as a factor of official education

by Šalkauskis (1992), who stated that various social organizations were factors in
official upbringing. The Lithuania's National Strategy for Education for the Year
2003-2012 underlines that non-governmental organizations and various informal
unions are supposed to work in elderships, municipalities and districts, in order to
consolidate common responsibility for children's education assumed by local peo­
ple and institutions (http://www.smm.lt/teisine_baze/docs/strategija2003-12.doc).
Voluntary organizations teach young volunteers to live, solve problems in socially
accepted forms, to develop personally by acquiring new knowledge and life skills
(Poter, 2002; Williams, 2005; Rotollo, Wilson, 2006; Jonutytė, 2007). Young volun­
teers are offered a very wide range of practice: work in children and youth centres,
organization of activities and events in cultural and recreational field, participation
in prevention of criminality, harmful additions and violence, assistance to the elderly,
cloistered, diseased or disabled people, and many more spheres of activity (Jonutytė,
2007). Therefore, analysing educational aspect of volunteering I. Leliūgienė (2003)
sees voluntary work in non-governmental organizations as one of the most signifi­
cant factors of socialization. The volunteering itself not only includes the young
volunteers' social pedagogical assistance rendered to members of community, but
also is a means of self-assistance, self-help and informal education to the volun­
teers themselves (Jonutytė, 2007). In the analysis of the phenomenon of self-help,
R.Baublienė (2003:45) states that "the introduction of high-level educational tech­
nology has enabled informal education to achieved a great educative capability, to
create a particularly wide range of opportunities for self-help, and to produce these
opportunities not only in educational but also in education-supporting systems.
Scientific problem. Opportunities of civil education in the informal activity of youth
have been analysed by G. Kvieskienė (2005), I. Zaleckienė L. Rutkauskienė (2003). The
role of community in the informal education of youth's public spirit has been investigated
by G. Williams (2006), Jh. Porter (2002), Ch. Johnson and A. Vanneman (2001). The
phenomenon of self-help and its significance to the educational system in Lithuania has
been researched by V.Jakavidus (1998), V. Spurga (1999), R. Baublienė (2003), L.Jovaiša
(2003), B. Bitinas (2004) and other authors; however, the self-help of volunteers in the
non-governmental organizations has never received a more serious interest. Therefore,
investigation of possibilities for self-help in movement of non-governmental organiza­
tions is very relevant: it is important to learn what factors influence the self-help in these
organizations, what forms of self-help arc the most efficient, what kind of voluntary
socio-educational action determines the self-help of students.

148 HoiuJONinVlTi, D a r i u s R l i K l S
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Object of research: self-help of volunteering in non-governmental organiza-

tions.
Purpose of research: initiation of possibilities for young volunteers to self-help
in activity of non-governmental organizations.
Method and respondents. In order to develop these possibilities, the method
of quantitative research was used. The data for the research were gathered by car-
rying out a written survey in form of questionnaire and processed using S P S S - 1 2 .
Methods used for descriptive statistics analysis include: Chi-square test; analysis of
dichotomies; Kruskal-Wallis test; Mann Whitney test. The population of respondents
consisted of youth aged from 14 to 18 and participating in the activity of NGO.
149 active young volunteers from Lithuanian NGO participated in the research.
To explore the opportunities of young volunteers' self-help in non-governmental
organizations, the organisations involved in socio-educational activity were selected
for the analysis. Socio-educational field of activity was chosen because of potentially
bigger number of the organizations and of the bigger number of school-aged youth
engaged in the activity of such organisations.

Peculiarities of volunteers' self-improvement in non-

governmental organizations

The informal system of youth education, including self-help, is increasingly com-

pared to the formal one, i. e. potentialities of both systems are combined. One of the
most modern forms of education in this kind is youth volunteering. G. Kvieskienè
(2005) noticed the importance of organizations to the informal education, stating
that profile students' centres of scientific, technical and artistic education, children
clubs, organized leisure centres etc. are a source of informal additional education. This
positive way of spending free time in non-governmental organizations encourages
moral development of student's personality, enables growth of creational capabilities
and public spirit, improves social skills and abilities to put the knowledge gained
at school into practice as well as creates conditions for self-realisation in the most
attractive form of activity (Dapkicne, 2006; Rotollo, Wilson, 2006).
Self-improvement arises from introspection, self-examination, self-criticism,
self-evaluation and defining of aims (Baublienè, 2003). Therefore educators have
to evoke children's wish to be better, to stimulate their interest in introspection, to
teach realization of their personality strengths and weaknesses, gathering experience
in introspection, self-evaluation, self-criticism and edification, gained in socializing

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with peers (Dumčienė, 2004). Educators might be assisted by NGO, wherein students
could express themselves in a personally chosen practical action. In the informal
activity of self-help there is no insistent external pressure or particular requirements
but in the constant movement of offer of ideas and positive activity there are condi­
tions for individual self-help and self-expression (Baublienė, 2003). For this reason,
non-governmental organizations are an attractive environment for students' self-
education. Voluntary work creates a potential for youth's development: first of all,
it helps improving special skills, and second, provides opportunity for successful
self-help and education (Johnson, Vanneman, 2001; Jonutytė, 2007).
According to L. Jovaiša (2003), fundamental condition for self-help is a need.
A need for self-improvement comes along with the awakening of consciousness as
child interacts with human and material environment. Consciousness is not externally
given to a person: it is formed by activity and his/her relation to the environment.
Individual's ability to operate and correlate determines a concrete social role. This
role determines self-awareness, that is self-consciousness in a particular role: a role of
child in a family, that of a student at school or volunteer's role in a non-governmental
organization. Self-investigation and self-help have to be organized systematically and
without losing the relation to the general process of education, which aims to create
a personality (Jovaiša, 1997). There are two basic forms of youth self-help observed
in non-governmental organizations (Jonutytė, 2007):
• Organizing volunteers' involvement in the socio-educational activity in the
community. During this stage volunteers attend preparatory courses, where
they acquire knowledge of social pedagogy, social work and psychology, at­
tend educative seminars and read supplementary literature.
• Organizing volunteers' activity to establish opportunities to gain experience
in socio-educational work through voluntary action.
Consequently, motivation is essential to conscious self-help; however, a range of
self-help possibilities in non-governmental organizations consist of various factors
which motivate the self-improvement.

Results of research and their consideration

The research was conducted to reveal the volunteers' self-help opportunities in

non-governmental organizations more comprehensively. During the research an
attempt was made to identify the most attractive forms of voluntary work among
young people. The data analysis of this research revealed that students mostly prefer

150 llona J O N U ' l V r i i , Darius K H K 1 S

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organizing events (69.1 % ) , participating in projects (61.1 % ) and seminars (39.6 % )

held by organizations. Such distribution of respondents' answers was conditioned by
the format of activity. Event organization and participation in projects or programmes
is a dynamic, non-monotonous and, therefore, more attractive kind of activity for
young people, during which they can improve their planning and socializing skills or
learn to assume responsibility. The popularity of seminars (39.6%) is conditioned by
the fact that majority of non-governmental organizations seek for training of new­
comers who have a need to self-educate and develop in informal environment.
Informal education is a very important field of school learners' activities, which
provides opportunities to reveal their talents, to deepen and practically apply know­
ledge gained at school. In order to evaluate the importance of practical activity in
NGO to the self-improvement of school students, the respondents were asked to
agree or disagree with statement that school learners, who participate in activity of
NGO, do not like theoretical subjects at school. The analysis of the accumulated
results showed that the very 63.1 % of the respondents think that activity of non­
governmental organizations attracts students who dislike theoretical subjects and tend
to learn involving in practical forms of action (Table 1). The results demonstrated
that one of the most attractive forms of self-help is participation in events (76.9%),
which implies that school students perceive self-help as any experience that can be
attractive. Learners' self-help also occurs by making socially valuable contacts with
peers and adults, specialists working in the organization, who directly and indirectly
share their experience. Volunteers acquire knowledge and skills through commu­
nicating with their peers and adults during an independent purposeful practical
social activity.
Self-help in its widest meaning contains everything that a person purposefully
aims at developing his / her personality. Therefore, a wide range of various forms
of activity can be employed in self-improvement because the self-help itself is, first
of all, perceived as an effort to change own personality regardless of the forms
applied (Spurga, 1998).
As the results of analysis reveal, the volunteers in the research refer to these
forms of self-help as most effective: independent reading, participation in events
and collaboration with specialists. Thereby, students participating in socio-education
movement of NGO bring themselves up by independently getting deep into various
problems, related to activity of NGO. Young volunteers also develop through par­
ticipation in various events, educate their social capabilities through communication
with specialist of various fields.

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Table 1

Volunteers' attitude to practical forms of activity and self-help through activity

Answer results of students

What form of activity is the most who dislike theoretical Average
suitable for self-improvement? subjects In total rating

I don't
p=0.394 Yes No
know

61
Practical activity 60.7 % 19.7 % 19.7 % 74.94
100 %

21
52.4 % 9.5 % 38.1 % 84.64
Seminars 100 %

14
64.3 % 7.1 % 28.6 % 75.36
Communication with specialists 100 %

24
58.3 % 8.3 % 33.3 % 80.00
Communication with contemporaries 100 %

26
76.9 % 3.8 % 19.2% 65.71
Participation in events 100 %

Independent learning and reading

100 % - - 3
100%
47.50

In total 63.1 % 12.1% 24.8%

149
100 %
-
N o t e : the c o r r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n c h o i c e o f practical activity f o r m and positive evaluation o f self-help t h r o u g h practical
activity (statistically insignificant, f o r p = 1 , 3 9 4 ) w a s established using K r u s k a l - W a l l i s test.

As mentioned before, integration into activity of non-governmental organizations

cannot be compulsory, therefore students make the choice whether to participate
in training held in organization or not. Considering the type of training the school
learners participated in, the information and knowledge, that interest students the
most, can be identified (Table 2).
Dichotomic analysis of the results demonstrate that seminars of "voluntary work
in an organization", "contribution", "event organization" and "collaboration in a
team" are attended most frequently. Young volunteers mostly strive for acquisition
of psychological and pedagogical knowledge and teamwork skills.
It was important to learn what knowledge and abilities arc acquired and developed
by volunteers in the non-governmental organizations. Dichotomic analysis showed

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Table 2
Training courses attended by volunteers

Description of a seminar Number of Gender

respondents,
X2
df P
%

Organization management . 21.5 0.113 1 0.737

Strategic planning 6.7 8.546 1 0.003

Collaboration in teamwork 32.9 29.923 1 0.000
Enlisting of human resources to the organiza­ 15.4 9.357 1
0.002
tion

Information dissemination 19.5 4.07 1 0.044

Voluntary work in organization 41.6 0.422 1 0.516
Encouragement of motivation 12.8 0.000 1 0.995
Peculiarities of management and leadership in 18.8 1.341 1
0.247
organization
Organizing of events, project development 36.9 3.47 1 0.062
Fund-rising in the organization 6.7 6.272 1 0.012

Assistance to others 40.9 0.032 1 0.858

Psychological aspects 20.1 21.396 1 0.000

Mutual understanding and sensibility 14.1 2.512 1 0.113

N o t e : the table illustrates results o f d i c h o t o m y analysis and C h i - s q u a r e test.

that teamwork skills are acquired most often. This has been stated by 67.1 % of the
respondents, which allows for the conclusion that non-governmental organizations
induce sociality, collaboration skills and sense of responsibility, because sociality cre­
ates possibilities for accountability to each other and for support facing difficulties
(Jovaiša, 2003), whereas a team is already a factor of education, as it is a solid entity
and every member of it is able to achieve more in a team than s / he may achieve
independently (Bitinas, 2004). Volunteers also indicated that their participating in
NGO conduced to acquiring a greater sense of duty and responsibility (32.5 % ) ,
improving positive self-evaluation (31.5 % ) and organizational skills (30.9 % ) .
Searching for correlation between the experience of working with NGO and
knowledge and abilities acquired, statistically significant differences in opinion of

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the respondents were revealed. The increased sense of duty and responsibility is
usually pointed out by volunteers with NGO activity experience of two to three
years, while volunteers with experience of three to four years mark a possibility
for improvement of self-confidence as the least important, on the other hand, they
emphasize the ability of gaining organization skills more than others. Although
volunteers' priorities change throughout their activity in non-governmental organi­
zations, self-help in these organizations is purposefully oriented towards the needs.
Volunteers, who have been active in the organization for longer time, assume more
responsibility for the conducted activities, for they are more experienced and prefer
increase in their self-confidence. Thus, volunteers obtain organizational skills and
public spirit, as well as solve psychological problems during their involvement in
the activities of NGO.
With reference to S. Dapkiene's statement that "self-help is person's conscious
effort to repress and eliminate one's imperfections, improve available qualities
and form new ones" (Dapkiene, 2006: 78), an attempt was made to identify how
consciously young volunteers are motivated and how purposefully they aim at self-
help in non-governmental organizations. The respondents were asked to identify
reasons for volunteers' choice of organizations. The data analysis demonstrated that
young volunteers join voluntary action for the following reasons: opportunity for
self-realization (38.9 % ) , attainment of valuable experience in the organizational
activity (36.2 % ) , and need to help people (34.2 % ) . The analysis of volunteers' mo­
tives reveals their need for self-help. The research demonstrated that 92.6 % of the
respondents find personal initiative and striving for achievement most important
in non-governmental organizations.
However, volunteer's positive attitude to self-help in NGO activities does not
ensure the quality of self-improvement; therefore, educative environment has to be
created in a non-governmental organization. In order to explain the social-climatic
influence on voluntary self-improvement, the respondents were asked to make sugges­
tions regarding optimisation of self-help of youth in non-governmental organizations'
activity (Picture No 1). The volunteers stated that constant sponsorship is essential to
non-governmental organizations, for it ensures sense of security and stability of the
action (30.2 % ) . The respondents also emphasized the variety of choices for activities
and referred to the improvement of NGO youth workers' expertise as to one of the
most substantial factors contributing to the quality of youth education.
Even under conditions favourable for involvement in social life actively, a number
of skills necessary for an efficient activity: organisation, collaboration, teamwork

154 IlonaJONU'IViE, Darius K H K 1 S

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M o s t i m p o r t a n t f a c t o r s optimising the self-help in N G O n Assurance o f constant

n
Ensured opportunity o f
every volunteer's
self-realization
D
Specially trained
NGO leaders

• C o l l a b o r a t i o n o f NGO
with schools

B
Ensured variety o f programs
Boys Girls In total for the youth

Picture No 1. Most importantfactors optimising the self-help in NGO

and project implementation skills. A certain level of expertise is requisite, social

leaders - youth, persons willing and able to lead formal and informal social youth
groups in particular - must be trained (Deltuva, 1997). Therefore, preparation and
expertise of organization leaders, their leading qualities that attract and positively
dispose the volunteers (25,5 % ) , and discretion given to the volunteers to let them
fulfil their potential (24,8 % ) have an important role to the realization of self-help.
Voluntary action can function in a several ways to the same person, consequently, it is
very important to offer as wide as possible variety of action to the volunteers to gain
a more active participation of youth in the voluntary socio-educational activity.

Conclusions

• Self-help starts with introspection, self-examination, self-criticism, self-eva­

luation and determination of aims; therefore, the maturity of personality,
a formed need for self-help and self-improvement is essential. Motivated
activity of self-help is observed through volunteering in non-governmental
organization, because the principle of voluntary action is based on person's
inner motivation to act. Integration of young people into voluntary socio-edu­
cational activity establishes conditions for fulfilling their social, educational,
psychological and other needs, for acquiring knowledge and improving social
skills. Thus, non-governmental organizations become perfect environment
for self-help.
• The results of the research demonstrated that students aim at self-help through
practical action. The most attractive forms of self-improvement among young

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people include independent interest on a chosen problem, participation in

events and collaboration with specialists. Relations of students' aims of self-
improvement and practical action experience in NGO. These forms usually
offer a wide range of different activities; therefore, self-help in non-govern­
mental organizations is comprehensive and a volunteer is able to regulate the
aspects and intensity of self-help by choosing particular activity and assuming
responsibility. Volunteers gain psychological and socio-pedagogical knowled­
ge, collaboration and organization skills.
• Non-governmental organizations are becoming an increasingly important
part of educational system, supplementing the system of informal education.
The analysis of young volunteers' motives revealed the need for self-help.
Volunteers choose non-governmental organizations purposefully and having
motives of self-realization, acquisition of specific knowledge, or contributi­
on. Non-governmental organizations create a benevolent social climate and
friendly atmosphere to allow the self-help in collaboration. In purpose of
achieving quality self-help for students, it is important to encourage variety of
practical action in NGO, improve the expertise of the educators and ensure
social and economical security of youth organizations.

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Ilona Jonutytė - Doctor of Social Sciences (Education), Associated Professor, Head of

Department of Social Pedagogy, the University of Klaipėda; spheres of research interests:
social pedagogy, education of community, social pedagogic activity of volunteers in the com­
munity, social educational victimology; address: Herkaus Manto str. 84, LT-92294 Klaipeda,
Lithuania; e-mail Ilona.jonutyte@ku.lt

Darius Rekis - Master Student (Social Pedagogy) at Klaipeda University, Head of Infor­
mation and Public Relation Department; spheres of research interests: sector of non-gov­
ernmental organization and its influence on schoolchildren socialization, development of
spiritual values in formation of contemporary personality; address: Herkaus Manto str. 84,
LT-92294, Klaipeda, Lithuania; e-mail Darius.rekis@ku.lt

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