Overseas Orphanage Opens Up a New Outlook by Victor

Overseas Orphanage Opens Up a New Outlook by Victor - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

While living overseas for 17 years, I was fortunate to be able to teach English, music and martial arts at international schools after university. During that time, I learned about compassion, culture, art, music and the generosity of people from all over the world. One of my most vivid memories abroad was a volunteer experience at an orphanage while I was in Indonesia. However, I did not truly comprehend the valuable lesson and experience until I returned back to the U.S.

The humbling experience occurred while I was teaching at a private Christian International school in Sentul, Indonesia. The breathtaking scenery at the grounds is the most lush learning institution I have ever witnessed. Given the proximity to the equator, the school is landscaped within a tropical jungle environment, so you are encompassed by an abundance of vegetation, trees, and an interactive ecosystem year round. I adored taking my students outside to learn on a daily basis.

During my stay with the school, there were two homeroom teachers placed inside of every classroom in the school from kindergarten to grade 6. My teaching partner’s name was Monica and she was Indonesian. We were both grade 6 homeroom teachers.

My teaching partner lived in Bogor, which was about half an hour from the school. Through her contacts at her church, she helped and volunteered at an orphanage. As we became better acquainted, I learned of her volunteer experience and became inquisitive about the orphanage. So we agreed that I should go to the orphanage and, if interested, volunteer my time to assist.

Thus, after attending church one Sunday in Bogor, we visited the orphanage which is called Candranaya (pronounced Chan-dra-na-ya). It was an all boys orphanage. But occasionally girls were also welcomed. They would have their own private area given the necessity of a situation that would arise.

Candranaya Orphanage was led by an man called Mas Agus. It was composed of about 30-40 boys. Assisting the boys, were two women who assisted with cooking meals and some cleaning. The orphanage is situated about a 10 minute walk form the city’s main attraction, Bogor Botanical Gardens. The orphanage is a two-story housing complex with a large parking lot in front for the boys to play soccer, hula hoop and other recreational activities. Plants, paintings, poetry and books engulfed any free spaces within the vicinity.

After visiting the orphanage a few times with my teaching partner, I ventured to the establishment multiple times on my own. Several times, I spent the night during the weekends to help out around the facility. Running an orphanage takes many hands to make it work. I discovered they had a martial arts instructor, tutors and others who gave of their time to work with them. Also, I learned what additional activities the boys did besides attend school which was their main focus.

Since Bogor possess an massive amount of rain, rainstorms appeared often on clear, sunny days which would catch many without umbrellas. As a result, the boys would carry umbrellas out into the city and assist women and anyone who was caught in the rain. The would do so for two reasons. The first reason was primarily due to monetary issues since funding was extremely limited. Since they did not receive government assistance, the majority of funding came from donations. The second was to instill an attitude of helpfulness and empathy for their neighbors and people on the street.

During my interaction with them, I found them to be incredibly polite, respectful and possessed a perennial, positive attitude . The director Mas Agus, was once a prominent business leader in the community, but by choice, decided to financially give up everything and focus all his attention to the orphanage.

Admittedly, at first I was mesmerized and baffled by his gesture. It was not until many years later that I began to truly comprehend the measure of his bold gesture. In fact, it was not until I returned back to the states recently, being forced to live back home with my parents, searching for a full time job for over a year and watching my dwindling bank account, that I truly comprehended his bold gesture. To be without financial security and the comforts of life made me realize what is genuinely valuable in life.

I realized I led an extremely opulent life style while living overseas. While in Indonesia, I had a live-in maid, was a member of a country club, and scuba dived regularly to near-by islands regularly without monetary concern. Unfortunately, that luxurious lifestyle led to ungrateful and pampered attitude.

Returning back to the states helped me realize what valuable lessons Mas Agus was teaching the boys and ultimately me. One lesson was why Mas Agus gave everything away to lead a different lifestyle. I learned that money really can’t buy everything such as happiness or meaningful relationships.

Thus, now I am incorporating a more frugal and positive lifestyle with everyone I meet on a daily basis. While doing so, I wish to provide purposeful interactions with polite manners. It really does make a difference to those around you.

Although, I did not immediately change, the volunteer experience helped me invigorate a positive lifestyle and outlook on life. I am learning to stumble forward positively with a new mindset founded by the principles I learned at Candranaya Orphanage.