It’s not what you get out, it’s what you put in…
Imagine this – arriving in a developing country for the first time, being thrown straight into the exciting challenge of working for a charity that deals with the suffering of some of the poorest members of the local community. How would you feel, being faced with death and hardship as well as the challenges of navigating a big, dirty city? Sounds like an incredible leap…
This summer, Rachel House was thrilled to welcome four interns to complement our existing team in Jakarta. From the USA to The Netherlands to Singapore, our new interns offered interesting global perspectives and integrated seamlessly into our Rachel House family. Warmly welcomed, the team were able to help with creating new media videos to showcase the work of Rachel House, as well as helping to codify primary Rachel House processes.
“We sometimes think about volunteering in terms of I – how have I benefitted from the experience, what have I learned, how have I grown?” said one intern when she was asked what she learnt while helping at Rachel House. “The experience becomes centred on the self, and not on the people we are there to help and serve. My advice for new volunteers would be to keep an open heart, and in everything you do to think of the children.”
Through home visits to Rachel House patients in some of the poorest areas of Jakarta, the interns were able to keep in mind the underlying reasons for their day-to-day work. It gave them a first-hand view of poverty, as well as showing them the sense of community and love the family members had for each other. One volunteer explained her feelings on a home visit:
“Our route wound around tiny houses and narrow roads, past scraggly emaciated cats, around mosques and provision shops, past rooms of children watching TV together and playing on the streets. I was touched by the tidiness of the houses and the hospitality of the people: regardless of their poverty they pride themselves on their living spaces, and regardless of how little they have they are generous about giving back.”
Watching the nurses treat patients with such care and talk to caregivers with such compassion really underlined how important the work they were doing was, and gave them new respect for the nurses. “I always admire all the energy and love the nurses have to get them through everything they do in a day,” said another intern. “It’s a blessing just being able to witness and be part of their work.”
The interns also enjoyed being a part of our close-knit Rachel House community. They spoke of enjoying the weekly meetings, office yoga (!), and the joyful way in which the team conducts their work. “I’ve become part of the Rachel House family here,” a volunteer said. “The general attitude in the office is amazing. Everyone is always working hard, but is always interested and in for a little joke too!”
Rachel House is always looking for volunteers to help with many different areas of our work. If you have any skills that you would like to share, we’d love to hear from you. If you are too far away or unable to travel, you can donate to help our nurses continue their home visits and educate members of the local community about palliative care. Please visit the GET INVOLVED page or more details, or DONATE here.