Another day that i chose to challenge myself
On the day of 3 Gen Gaigai, I was very nervous due to two things mainly:
I would be unable to communicate with the elderly
I would face difficulties while navigating the wheelchair
Truth be told, I started panicking when I was paired with an elderly who was only Chinese speaking. However, the other volunteers who were present and the event I/Cs were really considerate and made sure to check in on how I was doing and helped me translate what the elderly was trying to communicate with me. They reassured me that they were there to help me. This really helped me to feel at ease as I was able to build rapport with the elderly and attend to his needs! Furthermore, his nurse was always around to check in on me to see if I had any trouble navigating the wheelchair. Thus, on the whole, I had a great time volunteering with my friends there and had no regrets!
This event was definitely different from my previous ones as they had a volunteer briefing to teach the volunteers how to operate a wheelchair! This was really useful as I have never operated a wheelchair before and it really helped me to be at ease when I was wheeling the elderly on the actual day. Furthermore, the event I/Cs made sure all the volunteers were okay with the arrangements made and made sure all of our questions were answered before moving on. Thus, they provided us with a sense of security which allowed me to feel comfortable. I would definitely consider the event to be well planned as the event I/Cs were also prepared for the possible challenges we might face on the actual day, for example, rain.
I am definitely looking forward to volunteer at more of BWS’s events as the staff and committee members were very welcoming and nurturing! It was heartwarming to serve with many like-minded people: to serve with a heart. Thus, I am really grateful to have been given a spot to volunteer at 3 Gen Gaigai. Thank you.
Submitted by Priya
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