‘They’re just like credit card salesmen, stopping us rudely!” the
thinking goes. ‘If I could just avoid them, I would!’ At best people consider
fundraising boring; at worst, it’s an act of pestering.
The fundraisers - we call them ‘Facers’ in Indonesia - are these young
people wearing a UNICEF t-shirt we often see on the street or in the mall. In
fact, they do an incredibly important job, informing people about the
challenges faced by Indonesia’s most vulnerable and marginalized children.
Last week, I had an opportunity to join four UNICEF-Facers on a trip to Mamuju
District, West Sulawesi, where they learned about the implementation of
UNICEF-supported programmes. My first impression was that they were super-talkative.
A useful trait, I thought, for people soliciting donations.
On their trip to the Mamuju, the
four Facers asked all kinds of questions to the local organizations that are implementing
the government-run, UNICEF-supported programmes. The questions were deep and informed, for
instance concerning how data and facts were uncovered in the field.
Later, armed with this newly
gathered knowledge, the Facers will be better equipped to answer questions from
potential donors. Indeed, that is the idea; to give Facers a better sense of
the true impacts of interventions for children by sending them to the programme
sites.
The motivation to learn and the spirit
of service displayed by the four Facers in Mamuju was truly inspirational. Take
Mey, a young woman who decided to become a Facer after her little sister died
at a young age. “Maybe this is my chance to do something for my sister,” she
told me. “Even though it’s not directly for her, at least I can say I am doing
good things for children. Seeing the UNICEF banner at the job fair made me remember
how my little sister died and I wasn’t by her side,” Mey said.
Understanding before judging,
perhaps that’s the best thing to do. It may be irritating to have to sidestep Facers
on the street when we are in a rush. But now I know I won’t always try to avoid
them: They truly work hard to learn about the problems facing children in
Indonesia and to raise money for a worthy cause. That deserves our
appreciation.
So, the next time you see a Facer
on the street, instead of running away, give them a high five and say good
luck!
“Not all of us can do great
things. But we can do small things, with great love.” Mother Teresa
©UNICEF Indonesia/2016/Dinda.
