Hello!
Next week will be my last week being in Pusat Pertubuhan Kebajikan Destiny. Honestly, after 5 weeks I have to admit that it's all not a smooth sailing, and the burnout is slowly seeping in. Anyway, here's the second reflection that I submitted:
Reflection (27th January 2020)
I am currently in my fourth week of working with Pusat Pertubuhan Kebajikan Destiny. Despite feeling exhausted by the end of the day every day, there is a priceless feeling of fulfillment and contentment in doing this rewarding job of giving back to others that simply cannot be achieved in ordinary 9-5 office work.
My groupmates and I have followed the van to pick up the children from their homes in the morning and sending them back. It was eye opening to see the conditions of the homes they were living in, with some places housing even five families in one apartment unit. It really made me think of the hardships faced by refugee families settling in Malaysia and how most of us are unaware of it. Nevertheless, it is clear that the children's parents deeply care and love for them as I can see the look of adoration they have when they greeted their children back after a day of hard work trying to make a living in this place far away from their original home.
I have recently been tasked to take care of the younger children of the centre and found them to be more difficult to handle than the older children. I understand that it is the period of their life when they want to explore everything around them and have yet to grasp an understanding of directions. The emphasis on discipline in this center has made it impossible for me to not raise my voice or use the cane despite my uncomfort in doing so. I hope in the future I get to find more harmless strategies in capturing and maintaining the attention of the younger children.
There have been three additional volunteers here who just arrived last week from China, Indonesia and Pakistan. One of them only stayed for a week before leaving as she cannot adjust well with the place and work here. It made me realize the stark differences in culture and how the normalized attitudes in Malaysia could be perceived very differently in other countries. I hope to be more sensitive to other cultures so that I do not risk offending people of different backgrounds unintentionally. Regardless, it is great that I get to meet and befriend people from different cultures through this experience as well as learn about their backgrounds.
Entering the second half of this programme, my groupmates and I have began formulating ideas for this center and we are excited to work on it. We hope these ideas will give a long-lasting benefit for the center. With this programme halfway done too, I am certain that I will miss working in the center greatly and the experiences I have gone through while being here.
Next week will be my last week being in Pusat Pertubuhan Kebajikan Destiny. Honestly, after 5 weeks I have to admit that it's all not a smooth sailing, and the burnout is slowly seeping in. Anyway, here's the second reflection that I submitted:
Reflection (27th January 2020)
I am currently in my fourth week of working with Pusat Pertubuhan Kebajikan Destiny. Despite feeling exhausted by the end of the day every day, there is a priceless feeling of fulfillment and contentment in doing this rewarding job of giving back to others that simply cannot be achieved in ordinary 9-5 office work.
My groupmates and I have followed the van to pick up the children from their homes in the morning and sending them back. It was eye opening to see the conditions of the homes they were living in, with some places housing even five families in one apartment unit. It really made me think of the hardships faced by refugee families settling in Malaysia and how most of us are unaware of it. Nevertheless, it is clear that the children's parents deeply care and love for them as I can see the look of adoration they have when they greeted their children back after a day of hard work trying to make a living in this place far away from their original home.
I have recently been tasked to take care of the younger children of the centre and found them to be more difficult to handle than the older children. I understand that it is the period of their life when they want to explore everything around them and have yet to grasp an understanding of directions. The emphasis on discipline in this center has made it impossible for me to not raise my voice or use the cane despite my uncomfort in doing so. I hope in the future I get to find more harmless strategies in capturing and maintaining the attention of the younger children.
There have been three additional volunteers here who just arrived last week from China, Indonesia and Pakistan. One of them only stayed for a week before leaving as she cannot adjust well with the place and work here. It made me realize the stark differences in culture and how the normalized attitudes in Malaysia could be perceived very differently in other countries. I hope to be more sensitive to other cultures so that I do not risk offending people of different backgrounds unintentionally. Regardless, it is great that I get to meet and befriend people from different cultures through this experience as well as learn about their backgrounds.
Entering the second half of this programme, my groupmates and I have began formulating ideas for this center and we are excited to work on it. We hope these ideas will give a long-lasting benefit for the center. With this programme halfway done too, I am certain that I will miss working in the center greatly and the experiences I have gone through while being here.
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