By Adrianne Favianne Alex, Volunteer, Good Shepherd Services, Malaysia

Working with Good Shepherd Services (GSS) in Malaysia has been a roller-coaster experience for me, thus far. Full of surprises and, most importantly, the exciting mysteries I will be experiencing tomorrow. It has yet to be my first anniversary with GSS, and some may think that it’s still too early for me to say this – but I can confidently write and say that working with GSS will definitely be one of the many great memories I will reminisce about when I am unable to sleep, in my late 70s!

In my third week of joining the organization, I was given the opportunity to join my team for my first field trip to Kg. Masaum, Tongod (in the far east of Malaysia). I had never considered visiting Tongod as I had never had any reason to travel that far before. Honestly, I did think to myself, “Even the journey of going to the project site is already very challenging. How am I to face tomorrow – when meeting with the project participants? Will I be able to hold on, working with this organization …?” With an aching lower back and a dizzy head, we finally arrived at the accommodation we were renting for the night, and I went straight to bed after cleaning myself up, totally knocked out.

Located deep inside Tongod and surrounded by palm oil estates, Kg. Masaum is a village that still has no electricity supplies or access to clean water. We travelled as early as 6am and it was the first time I met the project participants. As I was still new, my team members led the session, while I was responsible for entertaining the children of the participants. During the session, I had the chance to make small talk with the children. Truthfully speaking, I realized how privileged I had been this whole time. The insights the children shared about their daily lives were eye-opening. The things I had taken for granted were an opportunity they could only dream about and would never give away. At that very moment, I realized that the work done in GSS is not something everyone is willing to do voluntarily.

The project we did with Kg. Masaum, Tongod focuses on producing green products through green energies – solar. The idea of green practices was still new to them, but they are familiar with it. With the emerging usage of solar-powered appliances, the villagers in Kg. Masaum had installed mostly solar lights and solar fans in their own houses, reducing their dependency on fuel-powered generators. However, in terms of other green practices such as minimal or zero waste lifestyle and upcycling, these concepts are foreign to them, and even to me! Through this project, we were able to advocate and learn together with the women in Kg. Masaum, on how to lead a life conducting green practices.

Aside from that, I also realized how my personal skills improved over time. From being the shy girl with a shaky voice when talking to a crowd, to being someone who can confidently speak with a clear voice to strangers.

All in all, I believe that there are tons more to learn, from the communities we serve, the families we meet, and of course from my colleagues that I meet in GSS and the organization’s partners.

I hope that I have managed to bring you on a short adventure – on what it feels like to be a Good Shepherd partner-in-mission working with the community in rural areas. Now it has been months for me working with GSS, and with each day passing by, it still feels like I am walking into a new perspective, with different things to learn every day.

Learn more about the Good Sheperd Services in Malaysia aquí.