A bottle of soda is something too common to raise an eyebrow in Hong Kong. If you had asked Year 1 medical student Sharon Tsang before, she might have told you professionally that the consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas was associated with obesity. But after taking part in a social service trip to Uganda in July, she now associates sodas with a special meaning—sharing. One day during the trip, she was having a meal with a Ugandan orphan. With a bottle of soda in his hand, the kid looked at her and noticed that she did not have one. He looked around and saw that no more were left. Then he gave his own to Sharon. ‘At that moment, I felt so warm inside,’ said Sharon.
This year, 15 students of S.H. Ho College have experienced a summer like no other. They have gone on a trip co-organized by the College and the Watoto Child Care Ministries. Led by Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, CUHK Vice-Chancellor, and Prof. Wong Kam-bo, Dean of Students of the College, the team went to Uganda from 6 to 19 July for voluntary service, offering medical services to orphaned children and vulnerable women, sponsoring and assisting in building a student dormitory, and paying visits to various children’s villages, babies’ homes and women centres.
Meeting Future Football Star and President
Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. After years of civil conflict, the country is in desperate need of economic development and reconstruction. About two million of its population of some 30 million are orphans. Every year, more than 64,000 people die of AIDS. Other aspects of people’s lives are beyond description. The visit to this land plagued by famines and diseases has prompted these young volunteers to reflect on the meaning of life and university education.
Ngai Yee-shan, student of pharmacy, paid a visit to her sponsored ‘son’ during the trip. The nine-year-old is a primary two pupil, who gave a warm reception to his ‘mom’ from Hong Kong and invited her to play football with him. He dreamed of being a football player and put up a drawing of himself playing the game on the door of his room. Yee-shan said, ‘He has a clear goal in life despite his young age.’ Reflecting on her own life, she felt so ashamed. ‘Even a child has a dream. Why do we forget the dreams we once had? We work hard for better scores or better salaries. But what are our dreams? What are our goals in life?’
Lau Chak-lui, a student of nursing, was saddened by the scarcity of basic creature comforts and the lack of education in Uganda for its children. But he was impressed by their aspirations. He knew a child who told him that he wanted to be the president of Uganda. The unpretentious manner of the child prompted him to think about the relationship between the world and himself. He believes that we all can help the unfortunate, as long as we take the first step.
Doctors • Bricklayers • Beauticians
Led by Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, five medical students offered free physical checkups for the villagers. Sharon Tsang said that this clinical experience was invaluable, but what was more inspiring was the caring attitude of Professor Sung towards the women and children at Watoto. ‘What makes a good physician and a good leader? It’s the ability to care for and serve those in need.’
Besides making diagnosis, Professor Sung and the students doubled up as bricklayers to build a dormitory funded by S.H. Ho College for a Watoto children’s village. Under the scorching sun, they built walls with bricks and mortar. To speed up the work, they often took off their gloves and paid no attention to the fact that their nails were rimmed with dirt. ‘We held hands, sang and prayed together before and after work. We worked for a common goal, regardless of our nationalities or social status. I was deeply touched,’ said Shen Jun, a student from the mainland.
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