A rewarding life lesson

While I was busy working in my office in February 2017, I decided to give myself a social media break, I went on Facebook and scrolled through my feed to take my mind off the horrible sets of management accounts that I was working on for my Indonesian clients. I would usually relax by reading articles on self improvement and sharing them on my feed quoting an excerpt I could relate to but this time my eyes were glued on a post shared by my friend, Nalina Nair who I met in AWAM's Feminist Camp and she just so happened to be involved with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) back then.

Her post was about Impian Malaysia needing volunteer teachers for their education camps in Sarawak and Sabah. I knew about Impian Malaysia and what they were doing as a friend of mine, Collin has been involved in it once. I saw him sharing about his experience on Facebook and I really felt like doing it as well but I just couldn't find the time. There is always something more important or work related that just seemed really important and I had this mindset that I should focus on working. You know working hard and then trying to climb the corporate ladder. I was at that time a management trainee in a shared service center and I felt like I needed to focus.

However, when I saw Nalina's post, I felt a strong desire to volunteer as a teacher. I had annual leaves to clear anyway so I decided to use it for Impian Malaysia. I put in my leave application and applied to be a volunteer teacher in Kampung Serikin, Bau, Sarawak. To my absolute delight, the person in charge, Cheryl got back to me almost immediately. Before I knew it, I was all set to volunteer for Impian Malaysia's educational camp.

I enjoyed everything about my experience and I highly recommend Impian Malaysia to everyone who wants to do their part for the society. Here are some of the things I learnt during my short stint as a volunteer teacher with Impian Malaysia;

1. The Joy of Teaching

By participating in Impian Malaysia's educational camp, I had the opportunity to teach the most wonderful group of kids ever. The kids, all of Bidayuh ethnicity, were from a rural background and spoke Bidayuh but they understood Bahasa Malaysia. It was my first teaching experience in a rural setting and being around kids from a village. I assumed the children would be different and they were. There was so much to admire about them but perhaps the main thing was the passion I saw in them. They were keen to learn and were very interested in participating in the lessons.

As a volunteer teacher, I was moved by their passion to learn. One particular experience stands out. One of my children, Lucas was injured badly on the night we were having cultural performances. Lucas was the brightest kid in the group I taught and he got injured quite badly in a bike accident just before the performances were to take place.

We had to pick him up from his home and bring him to the Balai Raya, the venue for the performances. I sat him down and told him to just be a spectator as he looked really weak and had sustained some bad injuries on his face. To my surprise, he still went out to perform with his group. I couldn't have been more proud of him for doing that and I was moved by the strength that he displayed that day, Watching him perform made me realise how much strength and resilience kids possess. Kids bring an element of joy to our lives and I consider myself blessed that I was able to experience that joy through Impian Malaysia.

2. The Joy of Friendship

One thing I did not expect to gain from this experience was meeting a great group of people and befriending them. I had the privilege of working with a talented and diverse group of volunteer teachers, all of whom were as passionate about the children as I was. We worked hard to ensure the educational camp was a success, The one thing we had in common was a desire to help the children to learn and grow through the activities we had planned for them. We taught them English, Mathematics and Science in pairs of two so I was able to bond with my peers. I learnt their backgrounds and reasons for volunteering with Impian Malaysia.

As a young working adult, I have struggled to find meaning in the corporate world and have often participated in volunteer activities in my spare time. I always felt that I was alone in feeling that way as I had trouble finding like-minded peers who would want to do more than just work a 9 to 5 job and then go back to their families. When I befriended  the other volunteer teachers, I discovered that there are many young people who are just as passionate as I am in making an impact in areas such as children's education. I've always believed that to get ahead in life, one needs to surround one's self with positive individuals and that is what I gained through the camp.

Everyone I met while volunteering with Impian Malaysia made an impact in my life. My perspective has definitely widened and I have a better sense of the world now. I am more driven to continue volunteering for the causes that I care about now that I have the support of like-minded friends.

3. The Joy of Being in Nature

Being in a rural area in Sarawak was one of the biggest blessings of my life. I enjoyed the quiet and peace so rarely found in Kuala Lumpur. Life was simple in the village and the people were great. We experienced amazing hospitality and I also had the opportunity to visit some awesome places before I left Sarawak. I'm a city boy through and through and I'm proud that I chose to make a difference by going to Sarawak to volunteer a teacher. Working and living in the city, I've never really had the time to do what I really want sometimes. I got to do what I want in Sarawak.

All in all, volunteering for Impian Malaysia was the best thing that I have ever done, I went to Sarawak as a teacher but I learnt so much from the kids I taught. I learnt how to appreciate the little things in my life and to be content with what I have. I learnt that you don't have to be successful or wealthy to make an impact in the community-all you need to do is to embrace opportunities that may come along. I am glad I went to Sarawak and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I was given the chance. I would strongly urge young people to join this programme at least once. Thank you Impian Malaysia for giving me the platform to serve and to make an impact on children's lives.

Here is a clip of volunteers sharing about their experience with Impian Malaysia: