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Direct Action:
A Student-lead Community Service Organization
What is Direct Action?
Direct Action is a student-run organization that communicates directly with those in need. In this way, areas of urgency can be targeted quickly and funds may be raised to provide tangible aid for the impoverished in the Vietnamese community, rather than donations through organizations. For example, in the bitterly cold winter of 2007, we bought and supplied blankets to needy villagers. |
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The Glory and the Pitfalls of a Student-run Organisation
Naturally, reality is rarely as perfect as imagined. Countless obstacles have hindered our progress and we have still found it necessary to have a teacher advisor – just in case. At the end of the day, the question that remains is whether or not Direct Action has been ‘worth’ the effort.
The cause of our troubles most likely stemmed from the nature of the organization: it was student led and managed.
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All responsibility for failures, and successes alike, rested on our shoulders. No one stood behind us to keep focus and motivation. We had to get started and follow the project through.
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We were also a group of friends. Not surprisingly, keeping one another disciplined proved to be difficult and it is awkward to scold a friend seriously.
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While other student organizations have the benefit of a teacher to keep order, the lack of authority in our meetings caused them to be frequently inefficient, with plenty of side conversations and digression.
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Furthermore, the group consists mainly of IB diploma students; hence, the heavy workload makes it very difficult for everything to be organized well and perfectly executed.
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Another major problem was bureaucracy. In trying to obtain approval for events, we often faced a stone wall. For example, trying to receive permission for holding a charity run is more difficult when you are a student rather than an adult.
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As a result, it was extremely easy to become discouraged at times. However, there are priceless rewards of being a student organization.
- It is empowering to know that we are able to create tangible results by our own efforts. The gratitude on people’s faces when you deliver aid is immensely satisfying.
- From both of our successes and failures, it has been a wonderful learning experience. We learnt from our mistakes quickly, and one classic example was the realization that great ideas on paper did not tend to work out so perfectly in practice.
- It has been an experience that allowed a group of friends to bond and work towards something we really believed in.
- In the long term, running a group like Direct Action has given us a taste of the problems that official organizations may face. We learned to anticipate problems with each project and see what factors needed to be considered during the organization and planning stage.
To answer whether or not this is ‘worth’ it, I’d say that I would not trade the opportunity for anything. Perhaps it is the thought that the challenges can be so daunting at times, that spurs me onwards. It’s the will to prove something to the world and make a difference when others tell you that you can’t. To let the world know that it is us, the young, idealistic and naïve, who will eventually make things right in this world.
Ngoc Pham
Grade 12
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