Undergraduate /
During my junior year in high school, I volunteered at an orphanage to teach English to the children [3]
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?During my junior year in high school, I volunteered at an orphanage to teach English to the children and assist the organization in its day-to-day operation. I loved the job and also the children. Even the smallest of affection I showed them replaced the heart sinking frown they had on their faces with a wide and spiritually fulfilling smile. However, my experience at the orphanage was not all rosy, as I also had the opportunity to observe first-hand the orphanage's flawed practices.
The story begins when I decided to donate some of my possessions to the children after volunteering for a few weeks at the orphanage. I brought clean cloths, bag packs, books, and my childhood's most beloved possession - my keyboard piano. As I entered the Administration Office to give my donations, I noticed a pile of old clothes and toys lying at the left side of the room and a large cupboard filled with relatively newer items on the right. I handed my donations to the social worker at the office, who took a quick but absorbed look at the items before putting them in the cupboard. When I asked if I could give my donations to the children right away, he replied, "Do not worry. We will give it to them later. For now, why don't you grab some stuff from that pile and take it to the children?"
I returned to the organization the next day excited to teach the children how to play the piano. To my surprise, however, I found out that the children did not receive any of the items I had donated. Bewildered and confused, I went to the Administration Office to speak with the social worker. I noticed that the piano was still in the cupboard, but almost half of the other items that were in the cupboard the previous day, including the clothes I had donated, were missing. I waited until the social worker returned and asked him what they normally keep in the cupboard. He told me that they keep some of the newer and better quality donations in the cupboard while others are kept in the pile on the other side of the room. At that point, I suspiciously asked, "The cupboard looks emptier than yesterday. Where did all the stuff go?" With a bit of discomfort and hesitation, the social worker mentioned that one of his coworkers took some of the donations home because she wanted some toys for her son's birthday party.
As soon as I understood that the employees were taking the donations that were of good quality, I told the social worker that the practice was morally wrong and that it amounts to stealing from the children. In an attempt to justify the practice, the social worker expressed his belief that good quality donations would only cause jealousy and fights among the kids. After my futile attempts to convince the social worker, I realized that I needed to report this matter, and I filed a complaint to the management. However, no one responded to me, and whenever I tried to bring up the issue, I would get a simple "later" response.
Sadly, I had to accept the fact that what was immoral to me was apparently business as usual at the organization. I also had to accept the truth that someone at my level, a volunteer, does not have the power to create a change at an organizational level. Despite the fact that I felt powerless and defeated at the end, I do not regret my actions and I would still make the same decision again. After all, I believe it is our responsibility to act if we see unjust or unfair practices in our society, and I hope to equip myself with education to better challenge such unfair practices in the future.
