Kuthunyelwe ngo-Okthoba 12, 2023
8: 00 am
Amavolontiya e-Legal Aid asekelwa abasebenzi abesabekayo kwa-Legal Aid, lapha ukuze basize pro bono abameli zonke izinyathelo zendlela! Funda lapha i-#MyLegalAidStory ka-Aliah Lawson, u-Isabel McClain kanye noTeresa Mathern - Abasizi Bokuphatha Bohlelo Lwabameli Bamavolontiya be-Legal Aid.
Basiza ukusetha ithoni futhi bagcine yonke into ihlelekile emitholampilo ye-Legal Aid Brief. Ukwengeza, basekela abameli abangamavolontiya abathatha amacala kwa-Legal Aid ukuze bathole usizo olunwetshiwe nokumelwa. Kusukela ekuxhumaneni nozakwethu bomphakathi, kuya ekusizeni amaklayenti aqondanise nabameli kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi amavolontiya anezinsiza ezidingekayo ukuze asize amaklayenti Osizo Lwezomthetho, abaluleke kakhulu emsebenzini we-Legal Aid we-pro bono.
Funda kabanzi mayelana neqembu kule ngxoxo!
Waqala kanjani ukuzwa ngeLegal Aid?
U-Aliah Lawson: Ngaqala ukuzwa nge-Legal Aid ngisengumfundi e-Case Western Reserve University. Iqembu lami langaphambi kwezomthetho lizobamba umbuthano waminyaka yonke wokuqoqa izimali ze-Legal Aid futhi ngizosiza ukuhlela umcimbi. Ngangazi ngeLegal Aid ngokuvamile, kodwa ngangingaqondi ukuthi ngingavolontiya kanjani ngaphandle kokuba ummeli. Ubulungiswa bezenhlalakahle buyaqhubeka nokuba yingxenye ebalulekile yempilo yami futhi ngiyakujabulela ukulwela labo emphakathini. Lapho ngibona ukuthi umsebenzi we-Legal Aid uhambisana kanjani neyami, nganquma ukufaka isicelo sesikhundla.
Isabel McClain: Ngaqala ukuzwa ngeLegal Aid ngokuba ngaphandle emphakathini. Futhi, umngane omkhulu kamama waya ekolishi nomuntu owayesebenza kwa-Legal Aid. Ngaqala ukuba nesithakazelo kwezomthetho ngenkathi ngenza izifundo ezibizwa ngokuthi “Neverland” ngenkathi ngifunda eNyuvesi yasePuget Sound eWashington State. Isifundo bekuwucwaningo lokuthi izingane zichazwa kanjani ngumthetho. Ngabona ukuthi engangikushisekela kwakuhambisana nenjongo nezimiso ze-Legal Aid.
Teresa Mathern: Ngasebenza kwa-Akron Legal Aid iminyaka engaphezudlwana kwengu-8, ngase ngijoyina i-Legal Aid Society yaseCleveland ngo-2022. Bengilokhu ngiwujabulela umsebenzi ongenzi nzuzo. Kuyanelisa kakhulu futhi kuhle ngokwethembeka emphefumulweni. Kukhona umuzwa onjalo wokufeza okuthile lapho ukwazi ukusiza iklayenti. Futhi phezu kwalokho ukusebenza kanye nabantu abanenhloso efanayo yobulungiswa emphakathini.
Kungani uthanda ukusebenza namavolontiya?
U-Aliah Lawson: Kuyajabulisa ukubona imibono ehlukene kanye nolwazi olulethwa umuntu ngamunye eMtholampilo Wezeluleko Kafushane. Abanye abameli banovalo ngoba bangase bangabi nolwazi oluningi ngezinkinga amaklayenti Osizo Lwezomthetho abhekana nazo, kodwa ithimba lethu liyawasiza futhi liyawakhuthaza ngakho. Engikutholayo ukuthi uma abantu sebethole i-Brief Advice Clinic, bayakujabulela ukubuya, benze okwengeziwe, futhi “bathathe icala” ukuze banikeze usizo lwezomthetho olwengeziwe kumakhasimende Osizo Lwezomthetho.
Isabel McClain: Ngiyakujabulela ukwazana nabantu. Iqhaza lami lingivumela ukuthi ngihlangane nabantu abavela kwezinye izinhlangano futhi ngifunde ngabantu abavela ezinhlobonhlobo zokuhlangenwe nakho nezizinda kubandakanya nalabo abasemphakathini wamakhasimende. Umsebenzi wami unomvuzo.
Teresa Mathern: Ngithanda ukuhlangana nabantu abasha futhi lo msebenzi unginikeza lelo thuba, kuyilapho ngithuthukisa ubudlelwano neqembu labantu abazimisele ukunikela ngesikhathi sabo nolwazi ukuze basize imindeni kanye nabantu okungenzeka bangabi nabo ukumelwa okusemthethweni noma okungenani ukuqonda okuyisisekelo kwabo. inkinga yezomthetho nokuthi yiziphi izikhambi ezinikezwa zona ngokomthetho.
Ungathini ukuze ukhuthaze abanye ukuba bavolontiye?
U-Aliah Lawson: Abameli bazokwazi ukusebenza namakhasimende adinga kakhulu usizo okungenzeka angeke aluthole ngenye indlela. Ngisho nomnikelo omncane wesikhathi sakho ungenza umehluko omkhulu. Futhi uma uyivolontiya futhi udinga usizo, awuwedwa. Izisebenzi Zosizo Lwezomthetho zikhona ukuze zisize. Umsebenzi unomvuzo ngempela. Umsebenzi Womtholampilo Wezeluleko Omfushane unganikeza ukwaneliseka okusheshayo kokubili amavolontiya kanye namakhasimende ngoba amaklayenti angahamba nolwazi olufanele kanye nezinsiza eziqhubekela phambili. Kuyinto ebalulekile futhi kuyazuzisa ukubuyisela emphakathini.
Isabel McClain: Angikwazi ukugcizelela ngokwanele ukuthi amavolontiya abaluleke kangakanani kumakhasimende ethu. Kwesinye isikhathi amavolontiya esaba ukuthi awazi ngokwanele ukusiza iklayenti, kodwa awakuboni ukuthula kwengqondo angakunikeza iklayenti lapho lisempini yomthetho. Abaqondi ukuthi bangenza umehluko obonakalayo empilweni yomuntu. Kuyinto enhle ukuzwa okuvela kumakhasimende okwathi emahoreni amabili akwazi ukubuyekeza incwadi yefa futhi alondoloze ifa lemindeni yawo. Kuyajabulisa ukuzwa ukuthi umuntu owayenenkinga yokuqothuka manje angaba nemali eyanele yokuvula ukushisa kwakhe ebusika.
Teresa Mathern: Bengingabazisa ukuthi bayadingeka, ukuthi kukhona abantu nemindeni engakwazi ukumelwa ngokusemthethweni. Ukuthi umsebenzi wabo wokuzithandela ungaba namandla okushintsha ukuphila.
I-Legal Aid ihalalisela ukuzikhandla kwethu pro bono amavolontiya. Ukuze uhlanganyele, vakashela iwebsite yethu, noma i-imeyili probono@lasclev.org.
Futhi, sisize sihloniphe Umgubho Kazwelonke we-ABA wango-2023 Pro Bono ngokuhambela imicimbi yendawo kule nyanga eNyakatho-mpumalanga ye-Ohio. Funda kabanzi kulesi sixhumanisi: lasclev.org/2023ProBonoWeek