Prior to this service learning experience, I may have been aware of the nobility of the many humanitarian organizations out there, but opportunities for me to get a first-hand experience in executing such righteous acts have been few and far between. I am pleased to say that this service learning experience has not only been categorized under one of these exceptional cases, at least in my opinion, that is, but also one of the most fruitful and memorable ones.
Given my understanding that self-sacrifice is a virtue, this service learning experience may not have changed my thinking, attitudes and actions towards others, myself and the community, but without a doubt, it has reinforced my belief in humanity. This is not necessarily a bad thing for I am ever more certain that it is the right thing to give back to the society.
With regard to giving back to the society, that is basically the essence of the service learning experience. Anyway, our class had adopted the idea of setting up a miniature bazaar in the vicinity of the canteen where we held a sale of 'Fun Packs' with a rather steep price of S$2.50 for the calculated cost price was approximately S$0.40. A 'Fun Pack' was essentially a 'goodie bag' that consisted of 'Mamee Monster' noodle snacks, 'Oreo' biscuits, assorted multi-flavored 'Jell-O', amongst other tidbits.
Similar to numerous movie productions, our class was divided into two groups; the 'backstage crew' and the 'main stars', while some students, including myself, joined both teams. I was mainly a member of the former crew. Behind the scenes, we were all 'lined up for the picking'; this has a figurative meaning since we were doing the picking, not getting picked ourselves. Each member had to neatly insert his assigned item into a 'Fun Pack' and pass it down to the next person in line.
Being the first in the production line and having to pack about three hundred 'Fun Packs' in total, I was rather unfortunate and pressurized. On top of popping in my designated item, I had to first carefully draw the 'goodie bags' out of a relatively thick pile of plastic sheets, then painstakingly loosen the rigid carriers, before I could slot my item in and pass them down for further production.
That was the worst thing that happened to me in my service learning experience due to its high level of trouble which made it an outright irritating chore. Yet, if I were to view this issue in a different perspective, this challenge enhances my fortitude and in the long run, made me a more resilient person. Therefore, I had absolutely no reason to whine. On the contrary, I should have been thankful to be blessed with this vital test of patience. In any case, "Better late than never"; so since my enlightenment, I have treasured the experience and will continue to do so for the rest of time.
As for the crew in charge of sales, there was a diverse job scope. Some students guarded the bazaar by keeping track of the total number of sales, others looked for change while collecting payment; there were salesmen who roamed the canteen while carrying redundant signboards which stated "1 for S$2.50, 3 for S$7.50" while recommending others to visit our bazaar and finally, everyone else supplied new stock from the boxes that stored our 'Fun Packs' when the 'goods display table' started to deplete. I helped out with the latter job which admittedly, was a very simple one. However, I did observe the other crew members and the salesmen in particular, had a very tricky time convincing some tightfisted folks who refused to purchase our 'Fun Packs', simply because they were overpriced.
The misconception of the necessity to give a huge donation to any charitable trust is widespread. As the common saying goes, "It is the thought that counts." Nevertheless, we should by no means use this proverb as an excuse to be miserly in our donations. Hence, the amount we contribute should be based on affordability and not to mention, sincerity.
That was the idea the salesmen used to convince those stingy people in the form of the phrase, "You cannot compromise on charity"; but alas, it had limited success. Fortunately, I am very gratified that there were plenty of generous individuals who were willing to sacrifice their pocket money to contribute to this fund which will eventually be bestowed on the various welfare organizations that require its assistance in order to survive.
On a more personal note, my co-curricular activity is the Red Cross which is an international humanitarian federation that consists of seven basic principles. Two of them are 'Humanity' and 'Voluntary Service'. Please do not get the wrong idea that I am bragging but they are unquestionably relevant to the service learning experience.
Inadvertently, joining the Red Cross has greatly instilled these two principles into me, even to the extent where I adopt them as some of my own. Thus, it is clear that even during my college and adult years, I will ceaselessly walk down my current path of being a compassionate person who voluntarily serves any community members in need. Otherwise, my conscience will never forgive me for being utmost unscrupulous. Psychological torment is more powerful than brute force, so it is likely that an individual who frequently gets haunted by his guilty conscience would rather receive daily physical abuse.
Last but not least, regarding the influential mind, our aid recipients are particularly sensitive to whether the acts of humanity that we perform for them are sincere or reluctant, not to mention that they are often spot-on. Therefore, to summarize, in order for our service learning experience to be a fruitful and memorable one, it is paramount that our service comes right from the bottom of our hearts.
