A group of students organized a cultural event to teach people about Indian culture. As part of this event, they visited an urban homeless shelter to lead activities for the children and an old age home to meet the elderly who had been abandoned by their families. The author volunteered to spend time with the old people, and this experience made them realize how much we take our relationships for granted. Seeing how the elderly yearned for companionship and care reminded the author of their own grandparents, and they felt guilty for not spending more time with them. After this experience, the author vowed to visit these places more often in the future.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

My ability to empathise with others is one of my greatest assets. With my experience in an old age home, this talent was a huge assistance. I was able to feel their suffering and hear their stories. They explained to us that they lack family members who can visit them and that they were really moved by the fact that I took the time to pay attention to their woes. They felt wanted and significant because of my ability to empathise with them, which encouraged them to continue living.

LO2: Demonstrate the challenges that have been undertaken, developing new skills in process

Although I was able to interact and converse with the majority of the people there, not everyone was as easy to talk to. There were times when it was difficult for them to explain their situation and made them very emotional. Nevertheless, I persisted in trying to convince them that it was a safe environment for them to express how they truly felt and that it was okay to rely on us. It was challenging for me as well to maintain my composure and support them. As time went on, they became accustomed to us all and blessed us all.

LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

Some of us were unable to maintain our composure for the folks during this difficult ordeal. The stories of each person were so terrible to hear that some of us even started crying. We all looked out for one another and made sure to help each other out if any of our members felt too overwhelmed or needed assistance with the conservations. We can claim that even when one person felt weak, there were five others who would stand up for them. If it weren’t for the incredible team we had, this event would not have been a success.

LO6:Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

As we took care of these elderly folks and made sure to fulfil their needs, we were able to demonstrate the SDG target of good health and well-being. We looked out for their welfare and gave them the affection and care they deserved. We help to lessen inequality by offering care and assistance to senior individuals who have little access to resources and services throughout their lives. We helped create partnerships and contribute towards reaching the goal by cooperating with the staff and other volunteers at the nursing home.

LO7: Recognizing and considering the ethics of choices and action.

We had to work extra hard to ensure that our actions and events did not in any way offend anyone’s sentiments or views because we were aware that the aforementioned subject was extremely sensitive. Being aware that we individually do not know everything about someone’s personal story makes it incredibly upsetting to be offended by these things. We must think about the morality of what we share on social media, what actions can be regarded as, and, finally, whether it might negatively influence someone.

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