Stories from our volunteer

Since I was a freshmen student, I, together with other XLC students, have gained experience of volunteering myself teaching children in the IDP (Internally Displaced People) centre in Karen state, Myanmar. I did it every year during semester break. Since the Thailand and Myanmar border have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not been able to visit them and help them.

Our voluntary works in the IDP camp have taught me a lot about life. I learnt many stories from the IDP people. From their stories, I learned about how to survive, to persevere, to solve problems, to care for other people, and hope for better future. I also learnt about human rights, our societal inequality, conflict resolution, and peace building. Their stories were heartbreaking yet inspiring.

Despite the close of the border, we continue to follow their stories on social media and keep in touch with them. We learn that they need more basic needs in their lives such as food, in addition to the need to get education for the children and young people there. They have to buy rice and other food supplies. They cannot grow or plant in their areas because there are landmines around their camp.

My teammates and I have been working on how to help them. We are grateful to all the people with good will and kind hearts for their support. Provided with a piece of land by a local and in collaboration with a local non-profit organization, we are planning to establish an agriculture learning centre. One of the activities in the centre is to plant rice and other agricultural products that are needed by the people in the camp, and to send our crops to the camp.

There are still a lot to do to accomplish this dream; and given this pandemic, it is becoming more complicated. But we do not stop dreaming. We have hope. The experiences we got in the camp have formed us to become men and women with and for others. We hope that you will join us so here in XLC, of course, when time allows us, and together we serve others.

In the meantime, we hope there will be more connects and discussions among students from AJCU-AP networks organized by the AJCU-AP office to share inspirational stories, to brainstorm ideas on collaborative works, or to strengthen ourselves in facing this uncertain time. We hope that there will be more student programs that foster holistic formation and nurture Jesuit values through all possible means, virtual and/or face-to-face. Thank you.