Prof Manda's Volunteerism Piece
#SSACAB
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#Scienceforafricafoundation
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#Wellcometrust
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#Wits
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#UniversityofPretoria
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#Volunteerism
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#Africa
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#CommunityImpact
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#SocialCohesion
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#EconomicValue
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#CommunityResilience
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#PublicHealth
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#EducationMatters
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#SocialDevelopment
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#VolunteerImpact
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#YouthEmpowerment
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#HealthOutcomes
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#MaternalHealth
Volunteerism is a powerful driver of both social progress and economic value. Beyond improving individual well-being and building practical skills, it strengthens trust, cohesion, and resilience within communities.
In Africa alone, the economic value of recorded volunteer hours is estimated at over US$353 million annually, contributing meaningfully to GDP. Using the replacement cost method, research shows that volunteerism has clear economic significance — but its greatest impact is often social and systemic.
Volunteers play a key role in improving health outcomes, including reducing maternal mortality through community health support. In education, volunteer teachers help reduce pupil–teacher ratios and improve learner performance. At the community level, volunteer activity strengthens social cohesion by building trust and reducing conflict.
Statistical analysis further shows that volunteer involvement explains important variations in community resilience and service delivery — often beyond what public spending alone can achieve.
These insights are drawn from the State of Volunteerism in Africa Report 2025, one of the most comprehensive studies on the subject to date.
As highlighted by Professor Samuel Manda, Co-Principal Investigator of the Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics (SSACAB) programme led by the University of the Witwatersrand and a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Pretoria, the true value of volunteerism remains under-represented in official statistics and policy measurement frameworks. To read more 👉: https://bit.ly/4nkNCtR