Volunteering
Written by Beata Wong 29 Aug 2020
Volunteering could be no more than ‘ticking the bucket list’ for a personal statement or ‘pleasing your interviewers’. I genuinely hope that isn’t for you, because you would have missed out so much. I have always believed that working with people from different backgrounds is the best way to grow. It’s tough sometimes, but it’s often worth so much and it feels like you are brought to a completely new horizon.
Personal lessons from volunteering
Here are some highlights of my diary when I first volunteered at a special needs school in England.
‘Confused, chaotic is my first introduction to a class of 6-year-olds with 5 children.’
It was way harder than I had expected. I could not play with 2 kids at a time as they were so young that they didn’t understand the concept of sharing and would want all your love and attention. You have to know when they keep chucking pizza dough on the ground, they are sensitive to that gluey texture which makes them feel uneasy. You also have to identify from the almost identical scream to determine whether the kid is excited, unhappy, frustrated or angry.’ It is surely not a skill that you could build up within days but when you put in time and care, you will gradually build that special bond with the children. It’s so simple and connected like no other. During our last session, I gave them a good lift when they tried to place the ‘roof’ on their ‘house’ in soft play and they gave me a good laugh when the tower fell over. Their smiles were so genuine and mean so much, both to me and to the teacher.
Another inspirational service took place last summer in Nepal where we taught primary school kids personal hygiene and gave them toothbrushes, something that’s not widely accessible for every family. After the earthquake in 2015, countless buildings, including schools have toppled over so NGOs started working with volunteers to rebuild classrooms. We were fortunate enough to be painting and decorating classrooms. The heat in midday Kathmandu is unbearable, especially with long pants and some of us almost had heatstroke. Yet, it was so rewarding to see them finally having proper classrooms and some of my friends even teared up.
This photo shows me volunteering in a local primary school in Kathmandu, Nepal :)
Why you should give volunteering a go
Some volunteering work might sound horrendous at first sight, because of the commitment and strength involved. Nevertheless, as long as you are devoted with time and effort, you will ultimately discover what you TAKE is always way more than what you GIVE. It might seem inconceivable but you will understand this soon after when you get engaged in some volunteering services.
Furthermore, it is essential to equip yourself with effective communication skills like in your medical career. It’s also vital to be compassionate and loving in order to understand and treat patients better. So look up for volunteering jobs in your local community now! Online work is also available amidst the pandemic!
P.S. by ‘work experiences’, it isn’t confined to solely clinical work, but any work that involves human interaction (and potentially with the vulnerable groups in our community so you would understand them more)! Please don’t forget that one tiny step that you take could always mean the world to some people so please do not underestimate your words and care!