Principal’s Global Volunteering Award

“Over the summer, I managed to volunteer at several different places to build my portfolio after being advised to do so during my admissions process.

In the first half of my summer holiday, I volunteered at the Pure Pearl Foundation, an NGO based in Mombasa, Kenya—an organisation founded with the objective of transforming the lives of vulnerable women and children in Africa through relief and sustainable development projects. It focuses on three main areas: education, environment, and empowerment, to enable women and girls to achieve their dreams. While I was there, I gave speeches about female empowerment and helped plan events, such as distributing menstrual products to young vulnerable girls in rural areas who would usually go to extreme lengths to obtain pads.

Through Pure Pearl, I learned to appreciate the opportunities and privileges I’ve been given. Just 500 kilometres away, girls my age face unimaginable hardships. Even closer—less than 5 kilometres away—girls my age are still fighting to convince their families that their education is just as valuable as that of their brothers or other male counterparts. Volunteering for such an organisation made me feel as though I was making a real difference, as if my voice and words directed at the girls could possibly change the entire trajectory of their lives for the better.

From June 2024 to August 2024, I also had the privilege of volunteering at Swahilipot Hub Foundation, a non-profit organisation in Mombasa dedicated to empowering youth to realise their full potential. My time there was both enriching and rewarding, as I engaged with various departments and contributed to meaningful projects. In the technology department, I gained valuable insights into coding and digital skills. While I worked with user-friendly applications that simplified the process, I was able to assist in training sessions, helping to bridge the technology gap for others who weren’t familiar with coding or, in some cases, using a laptop! Outside the tech-focused work, I also participated in beach clean-ups, working alongside the community to promote environmental sustainability. This experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the role of technology in creating opportunities and empowering communities.

I was also actively involved in the case management project, participating in grassroots outreach initiatives. This included mentoring opportunity youth—individuals not currently engaged in formal education, training, or employment, as some had been forced to drop out of school due to an inability to pay fees. Supporting these mentorship programmes was particularly fulfilling, as it allowed me to contribute to fostering hope and providing guidance to young people navigating challenging circumstances. Within the outreach initiatives, I assisted a segment of the media team working on ideas for a podcast dedicated to youth empowerment, sharing suggestions I believed would keep people my age entertained throughout the episodes. This was especially rewarding, as some members later informed me that my suggestions significantly boosted their views!

Lastly, throughout the final weeks of my summer holiday, I had the chance to volunteer with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), a well-known organisation in Kenya that provides essential humanitarian services. My main role was working as a receptionist, where I helped organise and update volunteer records on Excel. This included keeping track of who was assigned to which segment and exactly what tasks they were doing. It was a behind-the-scenes role, but it felt great knowing my work helped things run more smoothly. I also contributed to hands-on tasks, such as ensuring ambulance kits were fully stocked and sanitising areas to maintain hygiene standards. These small but important duties ensured that everything was ready for emergencies. Through this experience, I got to see how crucial every little task is in making a big difference. Whether organising records or helping with supplies, I felt proud to contribute to the Red Cross’s mission of supporting the community when they needed it most.”

“Throughout this summer, my family and I mostly spent time volunteering and donating around villages since many have been facing such crucial situations back in Myanmar. Over the summer holiday, I spent 2 weeks with my family contributing towards these local communities which are in need of serious help.

After all these experiences, I, as a person, think I’ve grown in many areas as a result. These acts of kindness deepened my inner feeling of understanding and obligation towards society, enabling me to connect with people from different backgrounds and experience the significance of altruistic services. One had given without any expectation, even a small bit helps to bring change in someone’s life and that has also become my learning. In addition, collaborating with other people has given me a deeper appreciation of team work and joint forces for working towards a common goal have refined my case development and leading work abilities. More broadly, all of these experiences have underscored the impact that community can have, and how one person can make a difference. Not only by volunteering and helping me feel happy and honored, it also makes one’s heart fulfilled and joyful as well.

My family and I went to donate at a small village called Nam Kyant. It took us 8 hours to get to the top of the mountain (it was really steep) to get to this location. We got the chance to donate food, blankets, and clothings to the villagers. We also had meals prepared for 500 villagers. It was such a pleasure to see such bright, genuine smiles from them. From us donating the necessities at one of the villages, it helps them survive through winter which is a big deal back in Shan State because up on the mountain, the weather sometimes hits 1 degree Celsius. Not only that, by spreading knowledge about personal hygiene and health also have a huge impact on the people and their community.

I felt joy when I finally got to see a smile on a little boy’s face after he received clothing and shoes from us. My friends and I also got the chance to provide one of the Burmese local schools in Myanmar with the necessities they need for school. We also gave them free fun activities to make them happy.

During my internship at a local hospital, I contributed by volunteering my time to check on the patients and by donating money as much as I could in order for the patients to finish their processes. I donated because most patients couldn’t afford to wash their kidneys with the advanced kidney filtering machines which will then later on have a huge effect on their bodies. I also attended a World Blood Donor’s day event at a hospital where I got the chance to contribute to their blood drive where people donate blood to those in need.