How far would you go to help street children in a war torn country, to assist communities struggling under overwhelming poverty, and to empower disabled people thrown aside by society? “Why A Volunteer?” is a thought-provoking journey to the four corners of the world searching for answers to the question of why ordinary people choose to do extraordinary work in the face of cultural, environmental, and political challenges. Intimate conversations and glimpses into day to day struggles paint vivid portraits of true heroes. Their status as heroes is frequently underappreciated by our celebrity obsessed culture. Their international work in this ever shrinking global community reinforces the connection between human beings. Through time spent in Afghanistan, Ecuador, and India with grassroots organization, this inspiring film reveals the motivations and passions of courageous people dedicated to improving the human condition. Why are they there? What are they getting out of it? Why do they stay? The motivation to “help the world” is only the beginning.
BACKGROUND
“The real question is: why does anyone ever act for the benefit of other people when they aren’t required to do so? Mark Snyder, Ph.D.
Sixty-two million Americans, more than one quarter of the U.S. population, did volunteer work last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Less than 5 percent of these volunteered internationally. Why?
The idea for this documentary, “Why A Volunteer?” started in Bulgaria, where we, the film makers, were U.S. Peace Corps volunteers. Questioning our own motivations as to why we were doing this work, we began to think about other American volunteers who choose to leave their homes for long periods of time, travel to far away countries, which are sometimes not so pretty or safe, and help other people. Our research led to some fascinating findings, including the work of Dr. Mark Snyder, who studies the psychology of volunteering. It turns out that people volunteer not only to “help others” but to help themselves in deeply fulfilling ways. Because the cultural and language barriers of volunteering abroad present such extreme challenges, we decided to focus on international volunteering to provide the best lens for examining the key question, “What motivates people to volunteer?”
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
“Why A Volunteer?” is a hybrid documentary, part character-driven and part essay-based. Through observation, interviews, and the journeys of three volunteers, we find the answers to the question, why do people volunteer? Enriching the three stories are expert commentary from researchers such as Dr. Mark Snyder, one of the world’s leading investigators in the psychology of volunteerism. Other materials include narration, composed music, location music, verite footage, maps, and photographs.
The character-driven aspect of the documentary weaves together the stories of three volunteers in distinctly different places around the world: Afghanistan, Ecuador, and India. In the beginning, we meet these volunteers and discover why they decided to volunteer abroad. In Act Two, we see how they handle conflicts, how they take care of themselves, and their joyous moments. We start to meet their friends and see their life outside of their work. We hear the opinions and thoughts of the local population and the people being helped by the volunteers. Through the day to day challenges they face, we delve into the question of why they are volunteering. In Act Three, whether or not the characters complete their assignments, we come to understand the real reasons why people volunteer in difficult circumstances.
Stories
Here are the stories of three international volunteers and the struggles they face. These will be supplemented with new stories that we uncover on our location shoots. We will follow several stories and ultimately choose the three most riveting characters and story arcs for the film.
1. Jacob
Jacob is a good looking, athletic, 24-year-old, Afro-Columbian with a passion for soccer. In Act One, we learn that, as a baby, Jacob was abandoned by his mentally ill birthmother in Columbia, living several months in an orphanage. Adopted from the orphanage by an American couple, Jacob has a strong sense of obligation to help the people living the life he feels he would have lived, had he not been adopted. This compelling need motivates him to write a grant proposal to do volunteer work in Columbia through his university. Rejected by the school because Colombia was “too dangerous,” he settled for Ecuador and volunteered with the Fund for Intercultural Education and Community Volunteer Service (FEVI). FEVI is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides services to the impoverished in small, rural villages surrounding Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Although Ecuador is a petroleum-producing state which has been benefiting from rising oil prices in recent years, a staggering 65 to 70 percent of Ecuadorians live below the poverty line and 40 percent of children under five years old are malnourished. Most of the people in the rural areas are illiterate and value work over education as one local man stated, “I’d rather have a machete in my hand, than a pencil.”
In Act Two, Jacob begins volunteering in an overcrowded grade school with approximately two hundred students and only three other teachers. The village school, where Jacob teaches English to a class of sixty 4th graders, is made of wooden slats with gaps between them and glassless windows covered in barbed wire. One of the challenges for Jacob is the racial/ethnic tension between Columbians and Ecuadorians. He is recognized immediately as a Columbian. He is denied a ride on the public bus when the driver declares that he “is not doing business with Columbians today.” On his first day at the school, the children ask “where is the volunteer?” When Jacob says “here I am,” the response is “why did they send us a Columbian?” He is not respected by his students because he does not look like the “typical American volunteer” i.e.: blond, white-skinned, and speaking bad Spanish. Jacob feels “a brutal lack of respect” from his students who frequently insult him and call him derogatory names, including the “n” word. Despite this disrespect, he still tries to develop positive relationships with his students. At this point in Jacob’s story, his racial/ethnic conflict with his students in Ecuador has not been resolved yet. As we continue to follow Jacob and look for a climactic ending to his story, we will probe into the question of his motivation for volunteering in a difficult situation. What are the benefits he receives? Why does he stay?
2. Elinor
The second volunteer is Elinor, a Caucasian woman in her mid fifties. Religion and her faith in God are integral parts of how she lives her life. In addition, Elinor has been a volunteer for many years as it gives her immeasurable joy. Volunteering is such a strong need that it has become a part of her identity. It is one of the ways in which she defines herself. It gives her a sense of purpose. In Act One, we learn that Elinor attended a presentation at her church about Afghanistan and Aschiana, an NGO that provides services and education to children and families in the capital city of Kabul. Despite the removal of the Taliban from power, education for boys and girls still faces many challenges resulting from insufficient funds, inadequate school facilities, and cultural norms. At this presentation, Elinor heard from two Afghan women and saw a video about Afghanistan and the children of the Aschiana. Immediately following the presentation, she introduced herself to the two Afghan women and asked how she could get to Afghanistan and help. In that moment, Elinor’s passion was ignited. This motivation was so great that nothing was going to stop her. She knew, without question, that she had to follow her passion to help the people of Afghanistan.
In Act Two, Elinor begins the arduous journey of getting to Afghanistan, which includes being laughed at by her congressman. Elinor persevered and made it to Kabul a few months later. Once there, she gave her heart and herself to that place, committing herself to Afghanistan and Aschiana. Over the next six years, Elinor volunteered at Aschiana six times. During one stay, lasting nine months, she taught at the six Aschiana centers, one being an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. The need to work with the children of Aschiana is so strong in Elinor that she has organized her current life around fulfilling it, to the point of taking a low paying, flexible job that allows her to maintain her Kabul volunteer work as a priority. Even when in America, Elinor continues her volunteer work for Aschiana by organizing countless fundraisers and putting together large shipments of needed supplies including clothes and school materials.
As one can imagine, Elinor faces many challenges in a country that has been in a nearly constant state of war since 1978 and whose streets are lined with crumbling skeletons of bombed out buildings. The most obvious challenge for Elinor during her time in Kabul is safety. Two experiences bring the very real dangers of Kabul to her awareness. The first incident occurs when Elinor is visiting Aschiana with an American friend. One day, they are in a car in Kabul with their translator. Looking out of the car window, Elinor notices a sign on another car that says “One Hit Kill Squad” in English. Elinor is afraid, but her motivation, her passion, her love for the children of Aschiana is much stronger. She manages her fear by getting a bodyguard. However, she is adamant that he will not carry a weapon and be a part of the gun carrying status quo of Kabul. The second incident occurs one evening when Elinor is staying alone in one of the Aschiana schools. While she sleeps, someone tries to get into her room. At first, she does not think anything of it or that perhaps she has dreamed it. Then, two nights later, it happens again. When this happens a third time, she becomes scared and realizes that she needs to do something about it. She brings up the incidents with her bodyguard and he says that they need to tell the Aschiana director. As a result of this, Elinor is moved to a different school in a more populated area. Through her challenges, we learn about Elinor’s motivations for choosing to be an international volunteer in dangerous situations. What are the benefits? Why does she stay? We are still seeking a dramatic end to Elinor’s journey.
3. Asha Niketan Volunteer
The third volunteer works at Asha Niketan –L’Arche in Kolkata (Calcutta), India’s second largest city with a population of 15 million people and expansive slums inhabited by approximately 5.5 million people. Asha Niketan, which means “Home of Hope,” is part of the international L’Arche network of communities serving people of all ages with intellectual disabilities. The community provides housing, vocational training for adults, and daycare for children. This is one of only five interfaith L’Arche communities, combining Christianity and Hinduism, that provides services for people regardless of caste, creed, economic, or social status, so that they can realize their gifts and become contributing members of society. The Kolkata community is situated in the heart of an economically deprived urban neighborhood. We are still in the process of choosing which volunteer at Asha Niketan will be best for this film.
Essay Component
Supplementing the stories of these three volunteers are interviews with experts, including Mark Snyder, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading researchers in the psychology of volunteerism. These experts build arguments in support of the film’s underlying proposition, that people volunteer not only to “make a difference”, but to further their own development as human beings. As Dr. Mark Snyder states in Act One:
“One of the keys to understanding volunteering is to look at the motivations that volunteers have. In a psychological sense, a motivation is something that moves people to do what they do. In fact, the root of the term motivation is the same as the root of the word move or movement. The whole answer is really not that volunteers want to make a difference for society. It’s certainly a part of it, but it turns out that the really important motivations for volunteering are the ways in which people who volunteer use their volunteering to, in addition to doing good for other people, to do some good for themselves.”
In Act Two, Snyder and others reveal that motivations for volunteering vary widely, but are rarely limited to simply “helping others” or “making the world a better place.” Some examples of motivations include, but are not limited to the following:
* Self Esteem: people think it will help them feel better about themselves.
* Community: People are lonely and want to make new friends
* Romantic Connection: People want to meet a potential romantic partner.
* Ego: People think it might improve their reputation and self image.
* Career Development: In today’s economy, with people losing their jobs, some may choose to do volunteer work as a way to acquire new skills as well as a way to get their foot in the door at an organization where they might like to get a job. For young people, volunteering looks good on a college application.
Someone who is getting their needs met is more likely to continue volunteering and to be more effective as a volunteer, than someone who is not. For example, if a woman signs up to do volunteer work to meet a potential husband and then finds that she is only working with women, she will, most likely, quit because her needs are not being met. On the other hand, if she is meeting men through her volunteer work, she may be more apt to continue. As we conclude in Act Three through the climactic events of our three characters, the success of any given volunteer revolves around their own needs being met, in addition to the needs of the organization or people they are helping.
We chose Dr. Snyder’s research for the foundation of the essay component of our documentary because he best explains and most directly addresses the questions this documentary poses. A faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Snyder’s research interests include issues associated with the motivations of individual and group behavior, and the application of that research to addressing current, real world problems. Widely published in scholarly journals and academic books, he has been interviewed many times on television and radio regarding volunteerism, including appearing on Dan Rather Reports.
RATIONALE
On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill to encourage Americans to volunteer, saying “we need your service right now. . .I am asking you to stand up and play your part.” For the general public, this documentary may be the catalyst for people who are considering doing volunteer work, whether it is domestic or international. It will also be an excellent teaching tool for learning about different and frequently misunderstood cultures. In addition, this documentary will shed light on some under-reported, current world issues. While watching the volunteers in the documentary learn more about themselves, perhaps the audience members begin to think about themselves and their place in the world, in their community, and their role in society. Also, with so many people today losing their jobs and having trouble making ends meet, more and more people are turning to assistance organizations that are already stretching their resources thin. These organizations rely on volunteers to provide their services. So understanding volunteers’ motivations will help the agencies to not only recruit new volunteers, but to keep the volunteers they already have and to help them be more productive.
The documentary format is the most effective way to approach the subject of international volunteerism and the motivation behind these volunteers because the moving images bring a truer sense of who these people are. The audience will be able to literally see the environments, countries, and cultures in which these volunteers live and work. Through the incomparable emotional capacity of the medium of motion picture, the audience will be able to make a more genuine connection with characters who put their heart and soul into helping others.
PRODUCTION PERSONNEL
We are the best people to tell this story because as Peace Corps volunteers who successfully completed two years of service in Bulgaria, we encountered conflicts on a daily basis. The organizations we worked with were not always supportive, which meant we had to struggle to find how best we could contribute. We had to learn to function in a culture very different than our own and overcome the language barrier. We know what it’s like to walk home alone at night feeling exhausted and empty and wondering if you are really making a difference. Yet the next morning we got up and went back to work. Because of our experiences, we are deeply curious about contemporary research on volunteerism, and we feel passionate about telling the stories of courageous volunteers. Their stories need to be told in order to stir others. We believe that media creators have a huge responsibility which they are not, for the most part, living up to. With the guidance of an experienced story consultant, editor, composer and other industry professionals, we want to make a film that is thought-provoking, inspiring, and educational.
Susan Chestnut – Producer, Director
Susan Chestnut is a teacher and a therapist with a M.S. in Education from Purdue University and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University. Her professional career has focused on working with children and adults with severe psychological and developmental problems. She is an experienced world traveler who has done international volunteer work, including being a Peace Corps volunteer. One of her professional interests is learning about cultural and ethnicity and how best to provide services within the cultural context.
Jason Penarelli – Producer, Director, Cinematographer
Jason Penarelli is an experienced film maker with a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of California, at Santa Barbara. He has directed a documentary (Brothas In Arms: The Making of a Modern Western) which was distributed on home video, as well as worked as Cinematographer on multiple feature films and television shows: Go For Broke 2, Voodoo Curse: The Giddeh, Ghetto Fabulous Makeover (TV pilot), Mechani-chicks (TV pilot). As a Peace Corps volunteer, he gained experience traveling the world, integrating into foreign cultures, and appreciating the impact and power of volunteerism. This experience in the Peace Corps has raised Jason’s awareness and sensitivity to culture and now impacts his work as a film maker.
Karen Everett – Story Editor
Karen Everett, owner of New Doc Editing™, is an award-winning editor and story editor who helps documentary directors convey their vision by adapting screenwriting techniques to films about real life. She has edited and consulted on dozens of award-winning documentaries, including Reporter Zero, nominated for Best Documentary at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Emmy Award winning series China and The Environment. Karen teaches editing at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, the top-ranked American documentary program in America and is writing a book entitled “Documentary Editing.” Karen has directed and produced five documentaries, including the critically-acclaimed PBS biography I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs. Her films have screened at more than 150 film festivals.