They were beaming with smiles and eager to talk to us and play with us. That was when it hit me that my presence means so much to these kids. There are so many people out there who don’t have much, who are struggling, especially children and every small thing that we can do for them just by volunteering our time has such a huge impact on their lives. Each and every interaction I have had with through the volunteering initiatives, be it children, individuals and groups from marginalised communities made me appreciate the smallest things in life and reminded me to live in the moment.I remember the first time I joined a RYTHM led volunteering activity at a local orphanage. It was a humbling experience. Given their unfortunate circumstances, they don’t have any visitors and they were thrilled to see so many of us come over to spend time with them.
My most memorable experience was when we brought 70 children between the ages of 7 and 17 to a mall in Malaysia to help them shop for new clothes for Eid. For many of them, it was the first time they had been to a mall and they were so excited to have the opportunity to pick their new outfits, shoes and matching accessories. What was truly amazing is that despite knowing they could go on a shopping spree, they only picked the bare minimum, whatever they needed the most. This unselfish gesture from such young children taught us adults a lesson of a lifetime. This is why I will continue to participate in these volunteering projects with QI and also on my own, with my family. To me, being able to reach out and offer a helping hand to those who are less privileged has given me a new purpose in life. I am blessed because I am not just another headcount here at QI, but also part of a greater cause in a unique organisation with a heart!Loh Sai Mun from QI Group’s IT department has contributed 20 hours volunteering in various volunteering projects this year!” #RYTHM #gratitude #volunteering #SocialImpact #CorporateFoundation
