A Note by Our Editor, Jasmina Siderovski - eYs Magazine

Giving back to the community is something we can all do!

What an incredible year 2022 has been …

Especially here in Australia! We are now OPEN for business and life is somewhat a reset for a new mindset, different goals and aspirations and a whole new outlook on the importance of how we as humans can add value and impact in our community.

eYs Magazine has dedicated the cover of this edition to our children and World Humanitarian Day – 19 August 2022. On the front cover is our beautiful boy Brian Tumwine who is six years old. He suffers from Hydrocephalus and lives in an orphanage in Uganda. Young Brian is very special to us and is our eYs Child Ambassador. Our team editor, Christopher Mukasa, from Tokens of Life, Uganda – Live to Give Hope, changes the lives of children like Brian every day. I look forward to meeting this little boy when I visit Christopher and volunteer with his community and not-for-profit Tokens of Life, and live the day-to-day challenges that communities like this face daily.

Brian Tumwine, Uganda 6 Years Old

eTs Magazine Child Ambassador for World Humanitarian Day 2022

At eYs Global, the Consortium for all the subsidiaries of the eYs branding is about giving back to our global community. And we do this through sponsorship and donations that help impact and change the lives of our vulnerable communities. We understand the importance of health and well-being, education, food, and water, learning a skill, mentoring and community outreach and more on a global scale. Our mission is to help our international community prosper and grow by providing the resources that everyone deserves.

JASMINA SIDEROVSKI

Editor-in-Chief at eYs Magazine

Volunteering and giving back to your community is an incredibly rewarding and life-changing experience. Some people believe that you must be rich or have time to give back. However, that couldn’t be truer. You don’t need to be wealthy to help. What you need is motivation.

It is good for your health

Yes, that’s right! One of the benefits of giving back to your community is that it makes you a much healthier person. Studies have shown that those who spend more time volunteering develop a greater sense of purpose in life, thereby changing their outlook entirely. They are much more motivated to live healthier lifestyles to achieve their goals. You want to sleep better, eat better, and have well-managed schedules. Volunteering is also linked to better stress management and the prevention of chronic health diseases. So, if you need another reason to be in top shape, then here it is.

It gives you a sense of purpose

Futility is one of the biggest reasons why many feel unfulfilled. They are tired of the cycle they are in, the routine they are stuck with. Eventually, these people will feel empty and begin to live lives that feel more like a bad dream. Giving back to the community, however, gives you a greater sense of purpose. You wake up each day knowing you’re about to do something meaningful. You look forward to each time you affect positive change in people who have touched your hearts. It’s an indescribable, mesmerizing feeling we constantly wish everyone would experience.

It widens your network

Whether you are a student volunteer or a university graduate, volunteering widens your network. This can eventually be advantageous when you are going to apply for a job or a scholarship. The experiences you would have had as a volunteer will garner you the extra points to take your career further. Widening your network also means creating more opportunities for you in the future. Relating to people and organizations of significance puts you in a better position to take your volunteer work and profession further.

It teaches you a better sense of community

It’s easy to forget the necessity to coexist. When we are so caught up with our problems, we overlook other factors such as the community we live with and the area we inhabit. However, the community is much more than a collective of people living together. Developing a deeper sense of it means the drive to improve the areas you live, work, and play in. Moreover, it means fighting for safer, more peaceful, and united lives for you and the people around you.

It unlocks your potential skills

A lot of volunteers discover their greatest skills while on the field. Many of them came in at a loss on what they could truly contribute to the cause. It didn’t take long until they unlocked their potential and became the best versions of themselves. Suddenly, they become exceptionally skilled in various tasks. Whether you are giving back to a local or international community, volunteering helps you to discover and hone your skills. From here, you can use these skills to expand your horizon and become a better servant leader.

It shares your expertise

Along with unlocking a new skill set, another benefit of giving back to your community is it shares your expertise. Whether you are good in construction, music, or mathematics, sharing your talent with the world can give hope and change lives. In turn, sharing your expertise further sharpens it. The more you use it, the more people you can help and all the better you can be.

It’s a gateway to a new perspective

A lot of us have it well. We live in comfortable houses in safe neighbourhoods. We have constant access to food, water, and clothing. Plus, we get to have all these things that make life much easier. However, the reality is a lot of people don’t have that. Billions are leaving on less than a dollar each day. When we make it our mission to give back, we gain a new perspective. We realize that there are so many helpless people who need help. Furthermore, the experience opens our eyes to what the real world is. Suddenly, the worry of what to wear to a party becomes trivial.

It helps you grow

Volunteering is not easy work. It’s an immersive venture that comes with its own sets of challenges. From lack of funding to being stuck in between socio-political turmoil in the outskirts of troubled countries, it gets extremely difficult. However, the reward of surpassing these obstacles is unmatched. You can grow not merely as a volunteer but as an individual and human being. You open yourself up to a challenging experience, and you become willing to learn and make sacrifices. When you return home, you will have been a changed person, only for the better.

It gives new knowledge

Whether it’s to learn more about the current situation in Ukraine or discover how to build houses, giving back to the community teaches you a thing or two. It can inspire you to take your volunteer work further by conducting research, studies or even funding your very own program. Working with other volunteers and organizations expands your mind. This is yet another benefit you can bring back home with you. Moreover, this is also another benefit you can use to your advantage and share with others.

It boosts your self-esteem

One more benefit of giving back to your community is it boosts your self-esteem. There’s nothing more self-affirming than knowing that you are doing something good. Plus, it makes you feel good. Now that you are doing something more meaningful in your life, you develop a better sense of self. You begin to discover that life isn’t just about gaining the approval of others or striving not to be judged. It’s about doing something that matters to you and the people who need it most.

The word community is, without question, central to human experience

Being part of an engaging community gives us a sense of belonging. It enables us to share personal relatedness and support the perpetual growth of each other, ourselves, and our environment.

A community can be anything from a physical place where people geographically connect to or via a virtual space such as social media groups or private community platforms. Communities bring like-minded people together with similar characteristics and common interests. Every community operates with specific boundaries to meet the needs of that community. Having a sense of community embraces spirit, character, image, and pride is a vital element of a healthy community. It is a feeling that people within the community matter to one another with a shared faith that their needs will be met through commitment and togetherness. Being a part of a community can make us feel like we are a part of something greater than ourselves.

Benefits of being part of an engaging community

There are so many positive aspects to being part of a group or community. Providing unique opportunities for people to learn from each other and give support and encouragement is an invaluable part of joining forces with our peers:

SUPPORT Being part of a community enables us to give support to other members. Being supportive of others will help them to feel good and better about themselves. With so much stress in the busy world we live in, there’s never been a more critical time to help others struggling with their mental and physical wellbeing.

INFLUENCE With community participation comes empowerment. When people feel empowered, they feel a sense of control, enabling them to influence positive change. It is about making a difference to a group that matters to its members.

SHARING stimulates innovation and growth. Ideas breed new ideas. Apart from having personal benefits of gaining knowledge and insight, sharing also contributes to the community’s greater worth.

REINFORCEMENT can be an effective learning tool to encourage desirable behaviours and provide motivation. A strong community will go beyond the immediate, basic needs and ensure that fulfilment is a positive experience. Doing so, it builds positive rewards and reinforcement for an enjoyable sense of togetherness.

CONNECTION An open bond with new connections is what builds valuable relationships and gives us a deeper sense of belonging. It helps us to reach our goals and brings a sense of security.

LEARNING/RESOURCES – communities are rich in resources. Knowledge is a unique resource, and through its use, it increases in value.

PASSION's outlet for passions allows people to share a subject they’re passionate about. This helps to spread confidence and encouragement to create new things that they can share with others.

Our strengths may be someone else’s weaknesses, and being part of a shared space, whether physical or virtual, allows people to be inspired, solve problems, share humour, vent their frustrations, and share their achievements. People who stay within a community are the ones that agree passionately with its values, and with these shared beliefs, trust and togetherness, there’s no limit to what they can do for their community. Bringing together like-minded people headed for the same goal undoubtedly, nurtures a rewarding and engaging community.

We create COMMUNITY through eYs Global through our love and passion for humanity. Our Mission - People, Planet, Partnerships, Prosperity, and Peace are our top priority. It’s about how we can eradicate extreme poverty and ensure sustainability.

We hope you enjoy this edition and feel a sense of community through the voice of our Youth for International Youth Day 2022. We asked youth from around the world to tell us what is important to them and why their demands are imperative for a sustainable future for our youth. You will also meet some incredible people and stories of mentorship and success and be inspired through the messages of hope, love and a global community that creates impact every day.

Jasmina Siderovski

Editor-in-Chief at eYs Magazine