Transformative Journal of Tay Chia Hin

Reflective Journal.

Tay Chia Hin (CIA 160178)     

      For me, I have no idea when is the last time since I joined volunteer work. But somehow, this semester I am giving a chance to join in volunteer work. Social Engagement is a university course that has introduced to encourage the students to play their role as volunteers to treat the society. We have to plan a 30-hour social programme including activities, interaction and social exchange with the participants. One of the main objectives of this project is to cultivate the idea of voluntary and community service, especially amongst young people by providing opportunity to them. We took this opportunity to join the activity which we could contribute our little effort to the society. During semester 1, we are informed we are going to take this course, and all of us already distributed into groups. The very first meeting, which is carried out in DK 1, we have to sit with the members. I still remember at that time, there are only little people in my group, and most of them which I do not know.  We just know we have to take this course during this semester. Our group is formed and Muhammad Asraff Asri had been chosen as our team leader.

       We had most of our meetings at Dataran Za’ba at Faculty of Business and Accountancy. All of us are assigned into different tasks such as researching on potential organizations and to contact with the organizations. Initially, we wanted to volunteer as street feeders but we changed our plan due to safety problem. After few times meeting, we came out with several plans, and lastly after voting, we had chosen to help the children in SKPK ( Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas ). Being honestly, before joining the event, I don’t feel anything since we are immersed in a studying environment which we all are busy because of assignments. But something had changed after I joined the activity.

      On the first day of our program, which is on 1^st of April, we gathered at Dataran Za’ba at 8am. Before we depart from UM, we had our final preparation work to ensure all materials required are fully prepared. We had separated into groups which some of them will follow my car, and some of them will be taking Uber to there. I am in charge in the transportation, and I am willing to offer to drive my own car there in case anything happened. It took us approximately 40 minutes to reach there. Once we reach there, I was shocked because the children were all already gathered to welcome us. We quickly unload our things and prepare ourselves. Once all of us stepped in the hall, all of the participants were looking at us. They seemed anticipating with us. Then we take turn to introduce one by one, I was really shocked and felt amazed since they can’t speak but they still listen carefully to what we are talking. After that, all of them were distributed into groups and carried out activity prepared by us. I am the facilitator from the Group 1, which I had to care the children in the group 1. The first activity was colouring, all groups are required to colour own drawing. As the facilitator, I need to help them. At the moment, I found that communication is really a big problem. I can’t interact with them since most of them are deaf. And I do not know the sign language, so the only way which I could use is using writing. Most of them only know simple word, so they also cannot understand what I mean exactly. At the moment I really feel hopeless, me and my partner, Suha can’t really communicate with them, and we just let them to colour the drawing by themselves. Fortunately, we found one of the kids know to speak little bit. Until the lunch hour, we discuss our next activity at the hall while all of the kids already left for lunch. After our meeting, we headed to the canteen. We found that all of the kids are sitting on their chair quietly even though they finished their foods. We were quite curious, and after we had our lunch, they stood up and left the canteen with us. At the moment we only realized they are actually waiting for us to finish our lunch so that they only leave the canteen. Although they are disabled, but their discipline is what we, the normal people do not behave. For the evening game session, raining spoilt our plan, which we initially want to carry outside the hall. Fortunately, after we decided to carry it out in the hall, the participants are still enjoy with the games we prepare. Another activity which was the night self-revising session, we had to discuss their homework with them. I personally found out that they are learning some basic knowledge, and after I explain few time, they are still unable to understand. We were told that their learning process is totally different from normal people, they rely on memorizing all the things, because they can’t hear what are we talking and they have no such imaginative ability. On the second day, everything runs smooth and our activity ended successfully. We expect they may be feeling sad because we were leaving, but they were not. Maybe they already get use to leave someone.

     For myself, after this activity, I feel really amazing and a totally different experience. If you say that we are going to teach them something, I personally feel that they let me see something from other perspective. Although they are disabled, but they are really tough. Their living style is not much difference from us, this is why I really feel amazed. The facilities over there is quite ok, for me personally I think their guardian treat them very well. They are willing to help the children from day to night, even on weekend. But somehow I feel the syllabus for education should be changed, since they are hardly to learn something actually. Their way to learn something should be different from the normal syllabus. They deserve to live like normal people, they deserve to have the basic needs of daily life. Nowadays, many people still not aware that the disabled actually need our help. We are the one who can show our kindness whenever we can. The society is getting different, most of the people only concern about themselves, we lost the sense of sympathy to the people at our surrounding. Being on their side, we know they always hope they are being treated fairly. We felt quite satisfied when we heard from the guardian of the SKPK, the children were enjoying themselves in our visit. The guardian also told us that, their school is the first time to have such visit from university, they hope that there will be more people concern about the children here, knowing the world still need love. My feeling is quite sad because they may face a myriad of problems and obstacles in their future path, but I truly hope they can overcome all the challenges they are going to face in the future.

     

I think this volunteer work is a very special experience for me as it is hard to take initiative to go do volunteer work. I can see a very big difference between what I expect and what the truth look like. The students always full of energy and look happy without any reason. This project allow me to not only learn in planning and conducting a project but also learn from the students to appreciate everything we are given. This is an experience that I will never forget and always cherish it. Last but not least, really appreciate we are born to be healthy, with the ability to communicate, since not really everyone would have the chance. Be yourself, always love yourself, is the best way to appreciate in life.