GOOD SHEPHERD MISSION

Working with Good Shepherd Services (GSS) has been a rollercoaster experience for me so far. Full of surprises and, most importantly, the exciting mysteries I will be experiencing tomorrow. It has yet to be my first anniversary with GSS, and some may think that it’s still too early for me to say this – but I can confidently write and say that working with GSS will definitely be one of the many great memories I will reminisce about when I am unable to sleep, in my late 70s.
During my third week with the organisation, I was given the opportunity to join my team on my first field trip to Kg. Masaum, Tongod. Never had I thought of going to Tongod, as I never really had any reason to travel that far before. The day of the field trip arrived, I was genuinely excited and felt ecstatic! Throughout the six-hour journey, I fell asleep a few times, woke up a few times, and we still have not reached our destination yet! I even got carsick during that trip. Honestly, I did think to myself, “Even the journey of going to the project site is already this challenging. How am I to face tomorrow – when I have to meet with the project participants? Will I be able to hold on, working with this organisation …?” With an aching lower back, and a dizzy head, we finally arrived at the accommodation we were renting for the night, and I went straight to bed after cleaning myself up, totally knocked out.
Located deep inside Tongod and surrounded by palm oil estates, Kg. Masaum is a village that still has no electricity supplies , nor access to clean water. We travelled as early as 6.00am, and it was the first time I met the project participants. Since I was still new, my team members delivered the session, and I was tasked with entertaining the children of the participants. During the session, I had the chance to make small talk with their kids. Honestly speaking, I realised how privileged I had been all this time. The sharing of the children about their daily lives was eye-opening. The things that I had been taking for granted were an opportunity they could only dream about and would never give away. That very moment, during that particular trip was the exact time when I realised that the work done in GSS is not a work that everyone is willing to do voluntarily.
The project we did with Kg. Masaum, Tongod focuses on producing green products through green energies – Solar. The idea of green practices was still new to them, yet they are familiar with it. With the emerging sale of solar-powered appliances, the villagers in Kg. Masaum had installed solar lights and solar fans in their own houses, reducing their dependency on fuel-powered generators. However, in terms of other green practices, such as a minimal or zero-waste lifestyle and upcycling, these concepts are foreign to them, as well as to me! Through this project, we were able to advocate and learn with the women in Kg. Masaum, on how to lead a life conscious of green practices.
Aside from that, I also realised how my skills improved over time. From being the shy girl with a trembling voice when talking to a crowd, to being someone who can confidently speak with a clear voice to strangers.
All in all, I believe that there is a lot more to learn, from the communities we serve, the families we met, and of course from my comrades that I met in GSS and the organisation’s partners. Through this write-up, I hope that I have managed to bring you on a short adventure – on what it feels like to be working with the community in rural areas. Now, it has been months since I started working with GSS, and yet with each passing day, I still feel like I am walking into a new perspective, with different things to learn every day.