PROFILE OF A VOLUNTEER

My life has been surrounded by volunteerism but the volunteer that really appeals to me is an international music artiste: Orville Richard Burrell otherwise known as “Shaggy”. 10 years ago, Shaggy was introduced to the Bustamante Hospital for Children whilst visiting a friend’s son who had been admitted there. He was so moved by what he saw, that he vowed to do whatever he could to make things better there for Jamaica’s children. This visit opened Shaggy’s eyes to the obstacles children faced with receiving medical care in Jamaica and the region, it being the only full service children’s hospital in the English speaking Caribbean, he resolved that something had to be done in order to improve the conditions there. For eight years he quietly made personal donations of medical equipment, which the hospital desperately needed, such as:

2001- two (2) Ventilators

2002- Electroencephalogram (EEG) Machine

2003- Table Top Sterilizing Machine

2005- Funded the Upgrade of the Medical Oxygen System

2006- Funded the Beautification of the Administrative Block

2008- Collaborated with Scotia bank to create a park & recreation area

Shaaggy’s donations gave birth to the organization “Shaggy Save A Life Foundation” where he encouraged other artistes to give of their services free of cost in raising funds for the Bustamate Children’s Hospital”. Every year artistes from the Caribbean and other parts of the world come together in the form of concert to raise millions of dollars at their expense. This effort has also raised an awareness on the health issues that children face on a daily basis.

I feel very proud of Shaggy and his friends because they have not only saved many children’s lives through their voluntary efforts but they have made me realized that anything is possible when you put your heart in it and truly believe that you can make a world of a difference. The Shaggy Foundation is not just a one-time affair but it has transpired into a life commitment to very ill children.

Here is a link to the “Shaggy Foundation”: http://shaggyonline.com/charity

Using Social Media to Get Connected

Provide a brief overview of your past and present experience with social media.

The only social media I have involved in are blogsopt.com and wordpress.com and it is only because of Walden. I have always been very wary about social medias because I believe they tend to attract too much negatives. Every other person I know is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and to me persons just don’t seem to can keep their private lives out of the limelight. My brother asked me to add him to LinkedIn and I before I knew it I was automatically connected to a host of other persons. I am a very private with my life and because social medias can be so dangerous I always choose to avoid them completely.

Describe what social media tools you feel lend themselves to effective advocacy.

Facebook seems to be a very powerful tool for advocacy. Where I am from it has generated some great positives in education. It is through this social media persons are in the loop about what is actually happening. Persons can actually post their opinions about the good and the bad. This will catch the attention of many persons, therefore giving persons an opportunity to share and to become actually part of an organization that practices advocacy.

Identify how you might use these social media tools to educate and inspire others in your advocacy work

Social media networks such as Facebook can provide an excellent avenue to share stories that relates to advocacy. It is through this medium you can attract and identify persons who are interested in the same advocacy issues. Social media also does not limit you to a specific audience or country but get the attraction from persons on a global level.

Ask your colleagues for their suggestions and/ or their help with using social media as a tool to promoting advocacy efforts

Because I am not a social media fan I would definitely need help in using social media as a tool to promote my advocacy efforts. I know creating a web page or signing up to be part of Facebook is not enough to get my message out. I believe we have to use other methods to help to promote my advocacy efforts such as participating in council and town meetings, using local television and radio stations. It is through the local mediums you can strengthen the use of other social mediums. Each medium is dependent on each other and also promote each other.