DiLeMma...

At last there was a committed soul who's willing to spend her 5 weeks in KBC! Have been sharing with several friends and colleagues about CRP and briefly the life of the inmates. Mavis told me she was interested to volunteer and 'see' the place, so I thought she'll be 1 suitable drama queen to be placed there. She's somewhat to me a quite a 'garang' person, someome who knows how to detach and won't take such activites to heart.

After the 3rd week, things started to change a little. The boys were more warmed up with the volunteers and more interactions within the group. Mavis did her first presentation on Choice Theory with CP, as a first timer quite impressively done. She shared her overseas experience and a little on things that are happening in her life now. CP was rather nervous, she had difficulty in delivering the presention, messages were not flowing in her head and etc. At the end of the session, CP tears started rolling down her cheeks she felt that she didn't put in her best. It not an easy for 2 unexperienced people to conduct such a chim topic, I salute them for their hard/heartwork put in.

Last week, Joanne had a segment to encourage the boys to fold paper cranes to raise bowls/packs of rice for the poor and we managed to garner 292 cranes in total. Was quite a satisfying number for all. Mavis received a paper crane from one of her boys, specially made for her. Touched by his little gesture, her eyes were a little red. At that moment, I thought I've opened someone's eyes to a brand new experience of another beneficiary group. Till last week, I started to have a different opinion of the situation. I realised that Mavis was getting a little too emotionally attached to they boys (which is not a good sign). CRP was our only lunch topic during the last 3 days, her replies and comments were pretty much emotional and subjective. The emotional baggage is gradually creeping into her mind, she eagerly wants to do something for the boys, unfortunately I feel that she's not prepared for the real thing yet. Gave her some friendly advise to prep her for the worst (if there's any). Told her that the greatest challenge in every volunteer is getting too emotionally attached to the beneficiary. Once they immerse in such a state of mind, their remarks tend to be more intuitive.

Really wonder if I've done the appropriate thing to ask Mavis into this voluntary work...