It’s officially the end of 2023 (which came so much faster than expected), and since it’s a new year and a new semester, I thought what better way to start the year than with a service update and a service reflection?
Service update:
If you have read my previous service post you would know that I am in the “Hope For Kids” service, and our service is dedicated to helping the cancer community of Sri Lanka, we organize many different fundraising events to contribute to this cause. I am proud to say that we have accomplished a lot since we started service, and there is much more to come in the new year!
So what have we really done? We partnered with “Suwa Arana”, an organization founded by the Indira Cancer Trust that provides shelter, food, and other necessities for cancer patients from various parts of Sri Lanka. It is the first palliative care in Sri Lanka, and we are honored to work with them. “Suwa Arana”, which means “a place for healing”, is a 5-story facility that offers cancer patients various amenities such as personal rooms, a kitchen for food, and much more. Additionally, they provide personalized wigs to the patients, which plays a vital role in their healing process. The wigs make them look more attractive, which helps in the increase of their platelets. There are various ways to get involved with this organization, such as raising funds to sponsor a child or sponsor people’s treatments.
I had a very enlightening experience visiting Suwa Arana. It showed me that palliative care plays a significant role in a cancer patient’s life and that medical treatments alone are not enough for cancer care. Mental healthcare is also crucial for a cancer patient’s journey. After visiting Suwa Arana, we came up with various ways to help, such as donating, spreading awareness, and volunteering. To spread awareness, we conducted a small presentation to different year groups about “Suwa Arana” what they do, and what we can do to help. After the presentation, we had a conversation and asked each grade level about the different things we can do to contribute to this organization. Some ideas we gathered from this conversation were hosting fundraising events, donating toys, and volunteering.
In October, we celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month by organizing a day towards the end of the month. We aimed to encourage the entire school community to wear pink to spread awareness about breast cancer. During one of our service sessions, we primarily focussed on preparing for the “On Wednesdays We Wear Pink” program introduced by the Indira Cancer Trust. To ensure that everyone felt included, we also prepared pink ribbons to give out to people who didn’t wear pink or had no pink clothing. I am pleased to say that the day was a success, and we reached the whole OSC community, which had a big impact on everyone.
Reflection:
Looking back at the past year, I am proud of what our service has achieved. We have collaborated with new organizations and raised awareness about the different types of cancer. Currently, we are working on our annual “Hope For Kids” charity cricket match (CAS post coming soon). It is a fundraising event that we organize every year to help children with cancer in Sri Lanka. I am excited about this event as it gives us the opportunity to raise more money for the cause. Overall, I believe we achieved most of our service goals that we had set for the previous year, which is impressive. However, there are a few things that we could improve this year, such as sending fundraising event emails on time and volunteering more. We were unable to volunteer more last year, so it is an area where we could do better.