Malaysian Interns’ Journal at Kitakama No.05

2016年06月17日(金)

　Last weekend, Kimberly sensei and I volunteered as camp helpers for an international English camp that was held in Chiba Prefecture Youth Outdoor Center. Both of us woke up early to catch the 6.30 am train to Sakuragicho Station on Saturday morning. Then, we assembled outside the station with the other volunteers and a briefing took place before we officially began our two days one night camp with the elementary school children. While guiding the children to their respective groups, I was really surprised to learn that most foreign volunteers are able to speak fluent Japanese!

　The journey to Chiba was a lot of fun with the energetic children and volunteers from different parts of the world. Laughter filled the air and everyone seemed very excited to start off their weekend with something special. Throughout the day, there were some games and activities conducted at the field and volunteers got to join in the fun with the children.

　My favourite activity of all activities was the campfire night. As the sky grew darker and it got colder, all of us made a circle and danced around the campfire. The atmosphere around the campfire was really memorable, as we had fun playing with the children and dancing in a large group. We then played with sparklers (hanabi). It was funny and entertaining to watch how the children twirled their sparklers as if they were dancing with the lights. Those smiles children had filled my heart with joy and satisfaction.

　Besides that, being a part of the camp as a volunteer allowed me to widen my global perspective in terms of learning and gaining more knowledge and understanding of others’ cultures, customs, and beliefs. It is one of my favourite experiences in Japan and I believe that it was a fulfilling and memorable weekend for the both of us. I am looking forward to participating in more meaningful volunteering events in the near future!

 

(Zara)