I forgot about this event. It was last year; we were still eleventh graders, and I still had that pixie cut. We were new to this subject at school called "character building" which taught us morals and well, builds our character. Our first project was social impact. It could be in any form, whether it be just a raise of awareness or a raise of funds. Other teams sold pins for charity and did the then famous ALS ice bucket challenge, but my group mates decided to do the classic: Feeding the hungry.
Nasi Padang is delicious and everyone deserves to eat it. With so much Indonesian culture wrapped into small paper packages, one bag would be enough to fill your belly. Really, it may seem like a bit in the picture, but I personally can only eat half. In it theres a whole lot of rice, with mashed potato cakes called "Perkedel", a boiled egg with some sort of curry sauce, fried chicken along with cassava leaves as the fibre source. We got about 30 bags and left off.
It wasn't hard finding people who needed it; Indonesia is filled with poverty. We targeted poor people with hard jobs, and mostly those of older age who still have to work. This was when we realised that we take things for granted; we're lucky that we can provide a nice retirement for our elderly family members, and that they won't have to pick up and sell trash just to gain a living. We're lucky that we can go to school unlike the children of these people in which their parents are unable to support their health, what more their education. We're lucky that we can still live with the ones we love most, as some of these people are separated with their loved ones as they would each need to find a source of finance in different areas of Indonesia.
Most of the people we gave the food to were thankful and nice people. There was an old lady who was also oh so kind to share with us her life story, and how she was just about to look for food somewhere when we "angels from above" came and filled her hunger. She told us that it's difficult to find food here in the city of Jakarta, as people like her can't afford anything but rice and egg. It was a beautiful coincidence, and we were sure glad to be able to make her smile. There was also a man who ate right after we gave him the food. It was lunch time by then and we were glad that our efforts were appreciated.All the food was gone before midday, and it really speaks about Indonesia's poverty rate. Thirty people, just in the area of Pluit. While we were giving food to the hungry, we noticed a car that seemed to be following us. Watching from the back seat I realised that they too were giving impoverished people bars of chocolate, something for dessert after our meal. That really brought a smile to our faces. Perhaps we didn't only help the needy, perhaps we also inspired others to make a difference.
Learning outcomes checklist:
2. Undertaken new challenges
I suppose I was always a hermit; never did I leave the house, let alone speak to random strangers. This activity made me not only more social but also more aware of other people's issues aside from my own. This was my first time actually helping people directly, and talking to them instead of simply donating money from afar sure made a different impact.
3. Planned and initiated activities
It didn't matter how we did it, we just needed to help people in some way. And though selling goods and making videos would be fun, my and my friends decided that it would be more personal if we did it the classic way. We brainstormed, created the plan, and initiated it all by ourselves.
4. Worked collaboratively with other
It was a team project, and I was glad that it was. I had a hard time talking to strangers, and with the help of my friends, I was able to gather the courage to do so. We also took turn giving the people food.
6. Engaged with issues of global importance
Poverty is a big problem in Indonesia, and some people do not earn enough even to eat. With our help, a few lucky people had good meals for the day, and we were glad to help them even though it was just for a day.
8. Developed new skills
While talking to strangers, I learnt to come out of my shell, after the first few people we visited, I got braver and was eager to help more.
I suppose I was always a hermit; never did I leave the house, let alone speak to random strangers. This activity made me not only more social but also more aware of other people's issues aside from my own. This was my first time actually helping people directly, and talking to them instead of simply donating money from afar sure made a different impact.
3. Planned and initiated activities
It didn't matter how we did it, we just needed to help people in some way. And though selling goods and making videos would be fun, my and my friends decided that it would be more personal if we did it the classic way. We brainstormed, created the plan, and initiated it all by ourselves.
4. Worked collaboratively with other
It was a team project, and I was glad that it was. I had a hard time talking to strangers, and with the help of my friends, I was able to gather the courage to do so. We also took turn giving the people food.
6. Engaged with issues of global importance
Poverty is a big problem in Indonesia, and some people do not earn enough even to eat. With our help, a few lucky people had good meals for the day, and we were glad to help them even though it was just for a day.
8. Developed new skills
While talking to strangers, I learnt to come out of my shell, after the first few people we visited, I got braver and was eager to help more.
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