Session 3 At Gracehaven Home and Final Thoughts

After a month, it was our last workshop at Gracehaven Home on the 2nd of November. Before the session, I was reflecting on what I've learnt in the past two sessions. The experience I have had with the youth at the home provided me a very different insight as to my prior impression of them. I used to think of such youth, especially when I recall my days at my primary school, as rebellious and as troublemakers who just could not sit still. Regrettably, I wondered why these kids had to constantly cause trouble to school and the other students. Working with the youth at Gracehaven Home and hearing their stories as well as a brief about their backgrounds, I had come to understand better that it was often the environment in which they grew up in, that has enabled them to act in such 'rash' ways and be classified as 'hard to manage'. Working with the youth directly, even if it was for a few hours, I have gotten to know them more personally and I find that many of them are incredibly talented in what they do; some can speak very well, some can play sports well and some are artistically inclined. Often on face value, we sometimes tend to judge people for what we see them as in social settings and I, rather, find myself not giving thought to why people act out the way they do. Many of these youths have lacked a stable setting growing up and have lacked proper guidance, unlike many of us who have been privileged to have grown up with supportive parents. Without the imperative guidance from a young age, many of these youths have taken paths that have landed them in some trouble, which they are now in the home for. With more understanding about the backgrounds some of these youths come from, I was able to put my initial prejudices aside and focus on connecting with the youth and imparting knowledge to them.

For the last session, we started out playing a game of 'Human Knot' with the youth. For the boys' round, I was not involved in the game and hence, I could observe what was happening. It was interesting to note that it was one of the younger boys who were giving the group instructions on what to do next so that everyone could untie themselves from the knot. He was directing the group and was incredibly forward thinking, which made re-think how I saw youth-at-risk and how I saw these kids who are often seen as troublemakers in the school setting. It also made me reflect about how we can create a safer and more supportive environment for such youth to find their talents and to unleash their strengths. It is then, if we continue to support these youths, will they be empowered to break away from often a vicious cycle and to pave a better lives for themselves in the future.

As it was our last session with the youths, we gave each youth a note from the main team members who they were attached to as well as some snacks. It was very heartwarming and shocking to see both the boys and the girls request that all of us write on their card and not just the main team members they were attached to. Curious, I asked one boy why he wanted all of us to write on his card, to which he replied, "I want to know what you all think of me". I was surprised, to say the least, that a 10 year old boy was concerned how he appeared to us, student volunteers. I could see that both the boys and the girls appreciated our workshop and our presence, which made me feel like I was contributing to my society on some end. No matter how small, I felt that it was worth helping such youth in the ways we can contribute. It also made me reflect on how it requires a society to bring up a village, in a sense where we can all grow and progress together if we make it a point to help one another. No child or no individual is ever born 'bad', in my opinion, and if anything, my experience at Gracehaven solidified that understanding of mine. It is often the circumstances that one has gone through and their defence mechanisms that have made them who they are today. If we look beyond that and see the potential in every individual and believe that everyone is able to contribute to society, I feel like we would be able tp progress as society together for the greater good of all.