Slum Life Empowerment Activities - Essay Example

Slum life empowerment activities Choice of leisure activity It would be expected that despite the tight schedules that would define an individual’s daily routine in the formal/regular routine in work, study or such other occupations, every person has at least some time to spare from that routine described. In often times, human beings engage in various activities in spending the ‘free’ time. People would engage in sporting, clubbing, socializing and such other activities that would yield highest satisfaction to the person(s) while away from the regular routines. I have engaged in a number of such activities in the past among which is playing soccer, dancing and listening to music as well as engaging in community work. Among those activities, I enjoyed community mobilization and community empowerment through environmental cleaning as well as public awareness through talks. It is now the third year since I chose and decided to pursue a course of life in giving back to the society in form of youth mobilization for behavior change as part of my leisure activity. Studying from the city presents a challenge in time management in that weekly daily routines are often defined by waking up for school early every day and returning home late in the evening, very tired and having a lot to accomplish in studies before I retire for bed. Nevertheless, much of my free time is over the weekends and especially on Saturday when I do not attend school. In weekends, I engage in the activities of visiting the slums around the city for empowerment programs especially aimed at youths who often indulge in drugs and are associated with crime. I enjoy the whole experience of mobilizing and gathering people together for a public lecture on behavior change, for street cleaning exercises as well as for talent shows. After growing up within the city suburbs, passing through slums have not been new to my life and I have observed the challenges that life in slums entails. Life in slum is characterized with poor living standards, lack of basic needs like food shelter and clothing as well as deprivation of such basic services as education. This contributes more to antisocial behaviors especially among the youth where drug use and insecurity becomes part of their lives. This therefore informed my decision to spend my leisure time interacting with slum dwellers in efforts to help them change behaviors for a positive living. More specifically, my delight is in engaging the people in community welfare activities such as environmental cleaning activities, drugs and substance campaigns as well as in talent search through sporting activities. It is often most satisfying to observe youths change from drugs and substance use as well as the image of the streets improve through cleanliness. This therefore explains my motivation and commitment to choose this way as my style of utilizing free time. Outcome and demands The activities as described above offer a number of things to me as an individual and to the community within the slum areas. First, as an individual, the activities offer me an opportunity to give back to the society and contribute positively towards better living within the slum. Despite the fact that slums often has many people and therefore no greater change would be observed, I am always determined to impact lives even if it is in one family. Nevertheless, over the last three years, the leisure activity has seen many youths adopt positive living, free of drugs and this has contributed much to reduction of antisocial activities like crime within the slums. Besides, the number of times that I have mobilized other people to participate in feeding programs as well as in gathering clothing for the slum people, positive results has been seen in that we provide food for them at least for a meal and provide the clothing that is most needed there. Besides, through talent search programs, I have been able to identify and connect a number of talented young people to charitable organizations, which mentor such talents for greatness. It is however worth noting that though being a leisure activity, it has not been an easy task to undertake in that much is needed for organization, mobilization as well as in resource allocation. Besides, the effectiveness of the leisure activities get constrained in effectiveness by time limitations because the only time I have ample free time is in weekends. The other requirement of the leisure activity is that I need to have basic skills and knowledge as to handle uncooperative persons, drug addicts as well as hungry persons. Consistency in any program started with the people is also required for effectiveness. Challenges Among other challenges that the leisure undertaking involves are mobilizing persons for such activities as cleaning and gathering them for public lectures with no such incentives as rewards and material gains. This therefore makes the activities demanding in terms of costs where though it is a leisure activity on my sides, to the slum dwellers, participating in the activities without material gain is not satisfactory at all. Besides, convincing people who are already addicts to drugs and substance to stop taking them is almost impossible in the mere mentioning. Nevertheless, these challenges form part of the fan derived from the leisure activity in that through strategic planning, the effectiveness of these activities is observed. I like taking positive challenges and this therefore explains the satisfaction I derive from interacting with such ‘difficult’ people. The strategy applied in overcoming these challenges is through offering such tangible gains as enrollment to supportive institutions for best talents and through charitable sponsors, I am able to have food and clothing to offer at the end of the activities. This therefore motivates the persons to participate and hence is seen as part of the fun I derive from this leisure undertaking. However, finances form part of obstacles to enjoying the leisure activity through the part of mobilization and use for a good course explains the fan of it. Positivity in mind thus plays a critical role in the overall success of the leisure undertaking as I have observed in the last three years. Motivations/rewards The motivation in reward in the activities described above is not always as substantive in quantification as would be expected in many other such activities. As earlier said, I take much pleasure in influencing people for a positive course where my satisfaction is more in involving people to change the way of life through cleanliness (in the environment), positive behavior (shown by management of drugs and crime) as well in occupational change (shown in talent development). Over time, the activities described leads to individuals living in the slums having a positive life through peaceful interactions, as is a prerequisite in engaging in the common activities. The programs bring together people with different backgrounds and the public lectures contribute towards creating awareness on essence of peaceful co-existence, hard work and benefits as well as identifying of talents and use of such for personal development. The outcomes are much fulfilling and hence the motivation to utilize my leisure time in the way. Besides these gains outlined, my leisure undertaking is instrumental in building social cohesion and empowerment for good governance as a necessity to development. I always spend my week looking for the weekend especially whenever I have scheduled an activity with the people in the slum as offers me an opportunity to interact with other segment of people than the common people I spend my week with. Effects The leisure undertaking has immediate as long as long term effects both to me as a person as well as to the slum dwellers. For instance, it is through the program that I have developed a positive attitude to the persons living in slums. This has also shaped my career path in that I am so pleased with social work that this has a likely impact in influencing my future career. On the other hand, interacting with the people has helped me develop social bonds with the people, which is a positive effect and which helps me appreciate the needy in the society. From the perspective of slum dwellers, the involvement in the leisure activity through cleaning exercises has immediate benefit in better living environment and thus lower health hazards. Talent development is however long term in that when talented persons are adopted for nurture through charitable organizations, the individual persons and families benefit. Moreover, affecting the youth and such other people who are involved in drug and substance use as well as crime through the programs has the effects of improving personal lives as well as the society in general. Other effects are such as social cohesion, good governance, improved education performance as well as eradication of poverty through positive living. Conclusion This paper explains personal lifestyle in management and use of leisure time through interacting with slum dwellers for talent harnessing, community mobilization on behavior change as well as in environmental conservation. The undertaking has been ongoing for the last three years with observable effects on improved living standards of the people as well as personal satisfaction on my side. It is however worth noting that the undertaking has had and continues to face challenges majority of which are seen as the main fun part of the leisure undertaking. The overall effect of this is a potential in influencing my future career, as community service through social work seems to be more satisfying to me. Read More