In Exchange I Believe
“What organization are you in? I want to get into it and be like you. I want to be a volunteer.”
There it was. The moment a student approached and said that to me has become the moment I realized that I might have finally done a little impact through my 6 weeks exchange experience here in Kuching, Sarawak. I was working together in a team of nine exchange participants (EPs) coming from different countries: The Netherlands, Ireland, Slovakia, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and my country Indonesia. We were recruited by an international student organization named AIESEC under Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) local committee to work on a project named ASEAN Project.
In this project we are responsible to organize summer camps for the upper secondary students from both urban and rural school around Sarawak. The main activity of the camp is facilitating 3 days of workshops about ASEAN engaged with leadership skill, career development, local to global environmental issues, and useful soft skills for youth. We conducted two summer camps for two schools each: SMK Siburan and SMK Green Road for the first camp, and the second camp with SMK Wyra Penrissen and SMK St. Theresa.
It might seem pretty simple, organizing summer camps for high-school students, but apparently it’s not anymore when it comes to working on the project and working on all the differences among the EPs at the same time. We may get along so well, play and have so much fun together, but sitting on discussions and brainstorms for the project is another story.
There were times we found it’s difficult to understand each other. We had those little tensions and arguments. During those times, I wish I can just use my language to explain all my thoughts and make it as clear as crystal, nevertheless it’s not possible.
However, there were also times I felt so glad and amused being around them. We could easily have much fun just by playing any silly games. We are open to each other, accepting how so Asian or European we sometimes could be. I really tried to embrace everything I have that time which I knew I would have to let go soon. That enabled me to appreciate every little simple things happened there. It also helped me to survive out of my comfort zone with people I barely know in a place I just recently be.
And after all, I ended up in a moment of realization that perhaps this is all we, or at least myself, need for once in a lifetime, to be totally on our own. Not all may agree, but sometimes we need that unfamiliarity in certain aspects of our lives. To be confused, unable to speak out everything in our mind like we would easily do with our usual friends or partners, annoyed by some strange behaviors happening around us, or get pissed off by situations we might never expected to happen before. To feel the discomfort and anxiety of being away from our habitude.
In the end, I would say it’s all worth the leap of faith I took for this exchange. When the students felt excited and satisfied about exploring themselves during our summer camp project. When both rural and urban students could work together and be friends afterwards. When we read all their feedbacks, saying how inspired they are and how unforgettable this summer camp experience for them. We were reminded again of the purpose of being in an exchange as a volunteer.
Also for me personally, those amazing people I met along the journey were all much more than I ever asked for. They have played roles in a way only Universe understand to work the best out of this exchange experience of mine. They convinced me more to believe that there is always goodness within every person. I hope they know that every time I remember each one of them, I always smile. I thank them for being my endorphins’ trigger.
And well, it is also said that there is no concrete criterion of a successful exchange. It all depends on our ability to reflect on everything we’ve been through. We may not feel all the impact right after we exchanged but at some time in the future we will eventually realize that exchange did change us, if we believe.
Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
13 Agustus 2015
