Today we have Choon Sam a warm and dedicated educator! He did his share of volunteering when he was a pastor. He extended help to individuals of the same faith. However, he realizes that doing good should not be limited to such boundaries after reading the parable of the Good Samaritan and other Bible stories. Delving deeper into the stories, he reflects that our common humanity is the only ingredient we need to do good.
1. What’s your story?
My story started when I began listening to the stories of migrant workers. The lifestyle they led left little to be desired. Stories of their journey from their home country to Singapore and the life that they led here is full of poignant plight. Currently, their condition has become better and more progressive. However, stories such as these made you realize that there is a real hidden side of the clean and progressive society we are in now. There is a need for justice for them but there is currently not enough out there to help bridge this gap.
2. What was the event that led you to volunteer?
After empathizing with their situation, I felt like there should be more that I can do to help lessen their current plight. I was a previous teacher who has taught both English and General Paper (GP). Hence, I decided to use my skillset at a volunteering center that offers English classes for migrant workers. I like the idea of giving them English conversation skills that they can use to converse in their work as well as gain a takeaway skill from their working stint here.
3. Was there any experience that impacted you?
Listening to their stories is powerful, it made me decide to make their plight less daunting. They have put up with a lot of unfairness and mistreatment during work. However, they still come to my English class with a smile on their face regardless of what they went through that day. I would say that they have this quiet resilience about them that I admire.
4. Are there any changes you see in yourself?
I am a typical Singaporean in a way, we see ourselves as socially mobile people. Everything we do is about progress. However, after being around individuals of different backgrounds and social status, I found myself seeing things from different perspectives. I believe, we can learn a lot from lessons like these. When we get to our 60-80s almost everyone becomes the everyday person but not many people know how to get back to that pace of life. After hustling through most of their life, most do not have the chance to just sit down and relax. We should take a chance, expose ourselves to understand a different way of life.
5. Use a word/phrase to describe your social good journey?
I would say that it has been a very educational journey.
At this point, Choon Sam’s wife intervenes the interview to inform us about his commitment.
“I should inform you of how committed he is towards his role as a teacher volunteer. He just came back from Myanmar for an education trip and it was a Tuesday. That is the day that he will always go to the center to teach. Without much thought, he went to prepare for his teaching class without even complaining about being tired.”
Choon Sam continued to emphasize that “I love going to class to teach because it is a refreshing difference from my usual everyday cycle, I actually look forward to every Tuesday.”
6. What do you think is your superpower?
I don’t think this is my superpower but rather something that I would love to have more of which is to just see people as people. Have faith and take chances with people, you will be amazed at what you can learn from them. There is this line from William Blake’s poem, “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower." It thought me how to be visionary and to see beauty and potential that is not visible. Hence, seeing beauty in the everyday things is a superpower that I would like to have more of.
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