CAS Challenge Week

22-29 November, 2014

 

Care Corner Orphanage, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Rachel Tang 11D

 

The trip to Care Corner Orphanage in Thailand was definitely a life changing experience. We stayed at the home of the orphanage’s founder, so we were able to interact often with the children, mostly during the evening when they returned from school and after dinner. During the trip, we also had the opportunity to travel around Chiangmai for city tours to better understand Thai culture, such as experiencing the elephant show, night safari and crowded bazaars downtown.

 

Wall painting and drawing were some of the main highlights of our service at the orphanage. Our mission was to design and paint a wall inside the children’s room. We designed a wall based on undersea life since Chiangmai is an inland city and they do not often have the chance to see these seascapes.

 

We also helped with some labour work including cementing walls, soil transferal and farming. It was a splendid and unique experience that most of us enjoyed for the first time in our lives.

 

In the seven days that we spent there, seeing the smiles on the children’s faces made every effort worthwhile. Some of the children in the orphanage are HIV positive; some are abandoned without family, yet they are still remarkably cheerful and passionate about life. Their enthusiasm towards life reminds us that even through tough times, we should all be capable of staying strong, when these children are able to do so while living in such difficult circumstances.

 

From the children who were closer to me, I became aware of the issue of emotional attachment. Our visit might be a further disruption to their lives that could damage their trust in people when we left. Although this kept me thinking whether our visit would make a positive impact on them, I have come to the conclusion that after all, the most crucial thing is that we have created a week of gratifying memories, having played a short but unforgettable part in their lives.

 

It was a really tough departure with the close relationships we had built throughout the week. I truly hope we have made a little constructive difference for the orphans and I am thankful for what I have learnt from them, a special kind of insight that simply cannot be found in books. Hope I’ll get to see them again next year or some time soon!

 

 

 

保護動物權益 (Animal Welfare)

 

    在這次保護動物權益的挑戰週中，我們有幸可以和HKDR(香港流浪狗救助機構) 以及香港動物基金組織合作， 一起籌備整個挑戰週的活動。雖然只是短短的一個星期，我們卻獲益良多。除了幫忙HKDR一些日常的物資整理，讓我們明白到照顧流浪狗的必須準備外，親身照顧流浪狗也帶給我們難得的寶貴體驗。在與流浪狗的親密接觸中，我們不斷加深了對它們的瞭解，感受到它們的善良友愛，也更加明白保護動物權益的重要。當然，我們也清楚認識到，給狗做絕育手術是目前最有效的根治流浪狗的措施。狗是人類忠誠的朋友，讓我們一起用心保護它們。