Volunteering in Oman: giving a little, getting a lot... (Part I)

Dimaniyat Islands, Oman

As a part of my Arabic course at the Center for International Learning I have had numerous opportunities to volunteer on a short-term basis. The opportunities having been rewarding to a certain point, but in reality what I have discovered about one-off volunteering in Oman is that you don't necessarily have to do all that much in terms of work, but you still receive a lot in return...

Rustaq- Elderly People's Home

The first opportunity was a day volunteering in an elderly people's home in the Rustaq region of Oman. When the sign-up sheet was put up on the board, I was quite surprised by the nature of the volunteering opportunity. You see, Omanis, and Arabs in general, are known for the importance they put on family life, and it is more likely than not that they will take in members of their family who are in need. Often, Omanis live in a house with various different members of the family under the same roof; mothers, fathers, children, aunties, uncles, grandparents... So, it was strange for me to find out that there even was a home for the elderly in Oman, taking this into account. But one thing I've definitely learnt about Oman, and any foreign country really, is not to jump to rigid conclusions about the culture, people, or happenings; there are always exceptions to the stereotypes, and things that will surprise you.

My two house mates and I were the only ones who signed up for the volunteering, but we later found out that that was more than enough people for the task at hand! The student affairs coordinator and one of the Omani female teachers also came along with us to help out. We headed to Rustaq in the school minibus, stopping on the way to take a photo by a large statue of a traditional Omani coffee pot, because why not? When we finally arrived at the home (a good two hours away and seemingly in the middle of nowhere) we were welcomed by some Omani women who were part of a charitable team and were preparing a BBQ for the residents, that we'd be helping to serve. They were very enthusiastic about us volunteering for the day and we took lots of photos before we even entered through the gates. I didn't really know what to expect, but the home was spread over a large area, and very pleasant looking. There were outdoor sitting areas under the shade and various buildings for different purposes scattered around. We were ushered into the meeting room for a quick briefing of the day ahead.

The talk was done all in Arabic- and not the Modern Standard Arabic that I learn at the centre, but mostly in Omani Arabic dialect. This was a great opportunity to practise listening skills and chat to the other volunteers around me in Arabic. I understood the majority of the talk and found out more about the home, and the reasons why it was set up. There were a few reasons given as to why people are sent to live there. Some of the residents have no family left to care for them, and others have mental disabilities which meant that their families were unable to take care of them themselves.

After the talk we took a tour of the home and met the residents. This was probably the saddest part for me, as many of them were unable to look after themselves at all, and were bedridden. We shook everyone's hand and said the formal Arabic greeting, but it was very difficult to understand anything more that was said. One man recited a poem for us, and and few other men joked around and seemed happy to see us. There were lots of people working at the home, helping the elderly residents with daily tasks and giving them the company that they need. It was nice to see that they were cared for well, by people who are keen to do their job and more.

We then started to prepare the lunch by carrying a few boxes from one place to another and setting up a table of food. To be honest, we didn't do a whole lot, in comparison to what I thought we'd do, but we made people smile and were part of a nice day for the residents and other volunteers alike. Once we'd done our (small) bit, we were invited to sit down and eat. After that we were presented with small gifts to say thank you. We all felt a little bit guilty, receiving gifts for such little work, but it seems that that would become a trend in terms of my volunteering experiences in Oman.

On the way home from the home we made a stop at the near-by hot springs, which are meant to have 'healing powers'. I don't know how much I believe that, but it was nice to dip my feet in the hot water nonetheless!

Hot springs, Rustaq