Day 1- Cleaning up the Peace Embassy on 15 July 2016

This was the first day we started off our community project in cooperation with a non-governmental organisation namely World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (W-Carp) Malaysia. W-CARP is an NGO which actives in various community services for instance, free tuition for indigent students, family project, leadership project and cultural exchange with members from Korea and Japan.

We arrived at the headquarter of the organisation known as Peace Embassy located at Jalan Utara, Section 52, Petaling Jaya at around 9.00 am. Once we had arrived, we were greeted by Winnie (we called her sister Winnie), the person-in-charge, with a warm welcoming smile. Soon after, we had an interaction session with sister Winnie to get to know more about each other and the purpose of our project. From the interaction, we have obtained numerous inputs and insights from sister Winnie. She had shared with us about her working experiences and impressions when she joined the projects in the organisation. We learned and know a lot via the vision and mission of the organisation that we should always try contribute to the community as long as we are capable we here we should inherit the heart of living for the sake of others. Besides, she also gave a briefing to us about the projects that held by the organisation in Selangor area, including the free tuition program, leadership project, community services and culture exchange program and encouraged us to join them whenever we were free.

Interaction session with sister Winnie

Before starting the cleaning work, sister Winnie had brought us around the Peace Embassy and briefed us about the works that we need to complete at each area. The works instructed to us covers a lot of the areas in and outside the building. Even though we were given with a pile of works, we were determined to do our best and show that we have high spirit as University of Malaya's students. Sister Winnie distributed the job scope to us where we were divided into three groups where some of us were assigned to wipe the windows and doors, some sweep the floor, some clean and arrange the shoe racks and etc.

Afterwards, we started off our cleaning works at the Peace Embassy. Therefore we moved to our respective areas separately in different small groups to start our works. For the cleaning works, the necessary cleaning tools were all provided and prepared by sister Winnie. During the cleaning session, we were joined by an international volunteer from Japan, his name is Toshihito. He was a volunteer from Japan who came to Malaysia for several months of training. We were glad to have an international volunteer to assist us during the cleaning works and besides could get to know more about him during the process.     

Briefing before cleaning works commenced

Ching Yee and Hui Jin were assigned to clean the shoe racks

Mung Xuen was sweeping the floor in one of the rooms

Wei Sheng meticulously wiped the glass window

Yong Wee and Li Hao wiped the glass door with full diligent

Hew Chen tirelessly wiped all the windows from the outside

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Zhi Da was cleaning the toilet with a joyful heart

Kok Kwang was wiping the glass panel railing undisturbed

We went for our lunch during the lunchtime and came back to the Peace Embassy again to resume our unfinished works after we enjoyed our lunch. After hours of cleaning, we have finally finished our works at our respective areas. We were very satisfied to see the end products of our long hours of hard works. After we completed our job, sister Winnie had gathered all of us at the living for a quick chat. She had one special task for us, she requested us to wipe the floor in the living hall but not the ordinary way. She wanted us to wipe the floor using Korean traditional style. She explained to us that this was one of the way to experience the way of living of people in Korea. Then, she instructed us to move the furniture in the living hall to clear up the space. It was our first time to wipe the floor using Korean style therefore we were not used to the way of cleaning the floor. When we knelled down and started the work, some of us fell down several times when we try to move the cloth forward as the floor was slippery after wiping. The process was funny and interesting =).  This was a good and fun experience for us!!!!!

Winnie gave us briefing for the special task

"Wipe The Floor" Contest XD XD XD

(Zhi Da was the winner!)

After the fun time we had from the Korean style of wiping the floor, we went for the final work for the day. we went outside of the building to pull the unwanted vegetation around the yard together. We were lucky that we could proceed to the final task because it was quite a heavy rain before that. It didn't take too much of our time before we finally completed our agenda for the day!

After we finished all works, sister Winnie prepared us with some teas and cookies as a treat of appreciation. Then, we had a sharing session for the very first community services for this university course. We all felt contented as we had paid hard works to do something meaningful in assisting the NGO therefore providing a comfortable training center to the members there. We were delighted that we were able to accomplish our agenda for the day which was to serve W-CARP as an appreciation for their contribution to the society all these while. We managed to fulfill our agenda by providing helping hands in order to provide a clean and comfortable environment to the volunteers.

Say cheese =) =)

Yet another selfie taken by Ching Yee who likes to take selfies!

We played jokes and chit-chatting during the tea time as we forgot about tiredness that we had before that. We were truly grateful for such a fruitful day at the Peace Embassy and truly appreciate for the treat by sister Winnie. We ended our first day of community service with endless selfies. After the tea time, we cleaned up the table and bid farewell to sister Winnie, the Japanese volunteer and the little girl that we had just met on that day. We thanked sister Winnie for the opportunity to serve them and for helping us throughout the cleaning session. Hence, we declared that our first mission for the community service completed with success! Yeah!