Gapper Video Profile: Maggie, Magic Hospital – Beijing

On our visit with Magic Hospital in Beijing, China, GiveYourGap was able to sit down with Maggie, a part-time volunteer form South Carolina, to talk with her about her volunteering abroad experience.

Full interview transcript

GYG: So first, can you introduce yourself for us?
Maggie:Hi my name is Maggie Hicks. I’m from Colombia, South Carolina, I’m 25 years old, and I’m currently living in Beijing China volunteering for Magic Hospital.
GYG: What is Magic Hospital? What do they do?
Maggie: Magic Hospital is a quality of life organization. So we work in partnership with hospitals, migrant schools, and orphanages around Beijing to help improve the programs that they already have in place. So we bring in volunteers who can help with art or music or just to bring a new level of engagement to organizations that work with children. We also do different individual programs like outdoorsy days or gift-giving where we go into these organizations and do a special type of event.
GYG: What do you do specifically for Magic Hospital? What are some of your daily tasks?
Maggie: I’m the volunteer communications coordinator. I have a full-time job, but I also work as a volunteer with Magic Hospital to do the website, work with local publications, spread the word about different fundraising events that we’re having, basically just get the word out about what Magic Hospital does. So daily stuff that I do is I post pictures of our most recent events, I edit our website, or I’ll answer questions that a local publication might have about what we do and our volunteer opportunities.
GYG: How did you find Magic Hospital?
Maggie: I originally moved to Beijing to teach, and then have since found another job. I found Magic Hospital just through searching. I wanted to do something that would supplement the skills that I already had and was learning through work and where I could help an organization grow and use the skills that I was learning through my professional job. So I found Magic Hospital just through Google and through word of mouth. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of different people from everywhere around the world in Beijing.
GYG: What can other people do volunteering at Magic Hospital?
Maggie: We have two different ways to volunteer at Magic Hospital. One is the core team that does more the administrative work. We help coordinate the different programs and do fundraising, communications. We also have volunteers who work within the specific programs in our partner institution. So they go into the migrant schools or the hospitals and actually play out the programs that we help coordinate and work with children and teach them, or do art with them, or play with them.
GYG: How do you like living in Beijing? What’s the experience like to volunteer here?
Maggie: Living in Beijing has been a great experience. It’s been three years and I get to meet people from everywhere who are doing really really interesting things. As everyone knows, China is growing, and there are amazing opportunities if you do choose to come here. There is someone who is working on everything, so no matter what your interested in, someone is here who is doing something innovative in that space. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed the most.
GYG: Why should people come to volunteer at Magic Hospital?
Maggie: I think the real reason people would want to come to volunteer for Magic Hospital is because you really do get to see the difference you get to make. We are a small organization but we have strong partnerships with the groups that we work with. When you go into these schools, the little bit that we are able to do has a big impact. I think that you’re not going to get lost in the scope of Magic Hospital. You’re really going to get to see what your skills and your energy can do to make a positive change.

Thanks Maggie!! It was so great to see someone dedicating their little free time volunteering, even while working abroad. Best of luck! Check out our full feature on Magic Hospital.

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in Give Your Gap / Stories  by 05 Dec 2012 1 comments

PT Foundation – Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

The city of Kuala Lumpur is a modern, vibrant, and exciting place. While it is easy to get caught-up in the glamour and fun of the metropolis, as we did during our first few days there, our visit to the PT Foundation gave a us a glimpse of the real life of the city. Not everyone can enjoy the luxuries of the city and the dedicated staff at the PT Foundation work tirelessly to provide the services that marginalized communities need and deserve.

GiveYourGap got to sit down with the coordinator of the Positive Living Programme, a center for people living with HIV.

The PT Foundation is an organization dedicated to helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and enhancing the lives of those living with the disease. They offer free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing along have different programs that help address the needs of the five at-risk groups: those living with HIV, drug-users, sex-workers, transgenders, and MSMs. We were lucky enough to be able to visit their offices, where they offer counseling and support groups for MSM individuals, and the Sex Worker resource center.

The PT Foundation organized a campaign of international celebrities to bring awareness to the needs of the AIDS-affected community.

As soon as we entered in to the PT Foundation offices, located in a low-income area of Kuala Lumpur, we were immediately welcomed and could feel the supportive environment of the office. They have a small but hard-working staff that comes from all walks of life. All of them offer their individual skills to help the foundation. Their offices are filled with inspirational posters, pamphlets and resources offering advice, and comfortable counseling rooms. Besides the staff there were a number of volunteers, both local and international, who give their time to keep the programs running.

A short distance away from the office centers is the Sex Worker resource center. Here they run a drop-in center offering many programs to help sex workers in the area. The center serves as a safe shelter for these women to stay away from the streets during the day. They also provide them with condoms, sexual health education, HIV/AIDS prevention training and resources. The shelter also provides a safe place for the children of these workers. While the PT Foundation does not promote sex work, they understand that ignoring the needs of the workers will not make it stop… it will merely become more and more unsafe for the women working. In addition to providing a safe environment and health tips, the program also offers support to women wishing to leave sex work and be trained to enter another profession. They also work hard to reduce the stigma that sex workers face so that they might be treated better by society.

The PT Foundation gave us a tour of the safe shelter they provide for sex-workers.

The women we met at the center were all strong and hard-working; a diverse group of mothers and transgender people all benefiting from the resources PT was offering. Those who were active sex workers were able to get off the street during the day to enjoy some rest and clean conditions. Others had transitioned into working for the center instead of on the streets. Both employees and clients benefited immensely from the center.

Volunteers played a big part in helping out in most of the centers. At the office there is always extra work that the volunteers can help with, especially if they come in with ideas about what skills they can contribute. In the other programs they can have more time working with people helping out in the centers. We met a wide range of volunteers coming from many different backgrounds and countries. All of them were passionate and inspired by the work both they and the PT Foundation were doing.

A volunteer at the Positive Living Programme arranging handouts.

We left the PT Foundation feeling excited about the work they were doing and hopeful for the future of the communities they served. Our time in Malaysia was much more enjoyable knowing there were people out there as dedicated and driven as those of the PT Foundation.

To see more, check out our Gapper Video Profile with PT volunteer Asma.

in Give Your Gap / Stories  by 24 Apr 2012 1 comments

Erica, New York

During the summer after my freshman year of college, I biked 4,000 miles from Jacksonville, Florida to San Francisco, with the non-profit organization Bike & Build.  Our mission was to raise money and spread awareness for the affordable housing crisis in America and to help build homes in several communities along the way.

Early one August morning, we rode up to an old, dilapidated house in Farmington, New Mexico to find a defeated woman watching Little Miss Sunshine from her wheelchair.  Five years had passed since she filed a request to have her front porch reconstructed.  The deteriorating mess of soggy cardboard, rusted nails, and rotting wood that was to serve as her sole access to the street was neither structurally sound, nor ADA-approved.  By the end of just one day, we reconstructed her entire porch, and let this woman know that she mattered – that she was not forgotten.  This success kept me feeling invigorated as I rode from one town to the next, making small dents in our national affordable housing crisis.

But no experience is perfect, and there were moments when the southern hospitality was deeply entangled with layers of prejudice.  Several times, openly gay members of my group were verbally assaulted.  It did not matter that they had raised thousands of dollars and devoted their time to improve the communities where these individuals lived – they were “an abomination in the eyes of God.” My liberal upbringing in diverse, cosmopolitan Manhattan did not prepare me for this raw prejudice.  I was heartbroken and I began to second-guess our role.  I realized that a community might not always welcome my assistance: while the work itself might be appreciated, cultural barriers may undermine the value of the work done by individuals of conflicting backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs.

Only a select few of our experiences can really be transformative.  Bike & Build stands out for demonstrating the complexity of truly helping others.  Whether we are building homes or helping in some other way, we must be careful in our approach.  Hammering nails into wood beams builds a house, but not a home.  While it is important to have an agenda, having an open mind trumps all. There is a wide spectrum of beliefs, attitudes, perspectives within a country, and within a community – making generalizations and assumptions about how an individual will respond to “help” can be detrimental.  The best we can do is to communicate our needs, ideas, feelings, and opinions with each other.

Biking across the country gave me a small taste of the types of experiences, internal struggle, and interpersonal conflicts I might encounter in my career.  While most days I was eager to arrive at a new destination, there were days where I felt like giving up and going home.  I learned a lot about my stamina and perseverance when I kept peddling in spite of 30mph winds, a hurtful remark by a churchgoer reprimanding me for my non-religiousness, or when it felt as though I was using every ounce of energy I had and still going nowhere.  On a larger level, I gained faith in the ability of non-profit organizations to be effective agents of change in this country, yet realized that we have a long way to go in building a country in which people feel truly safe “at home,” regardless of how many affordable houses we build.  Perhaps most importantly, though, I became more optimistic about what the passion, strength, and perseverance of a group of individuals has the potential to do.


in Stories  by 24 Mar 2012 0 comments

Sarah, Hagerstown

When I was in college I became a part of a group called Best Buddies, an international organization started by Anthony Kennedy Shriver. The goal of Best Buddies is to promoted friendship between students and members of the community who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.

I met Karen in my freshman year of college at the first Best Buddies party of the year.  After she destroyed me in checkers (and five years later, I still can’t beat her), I knew we were going to be good friends.  Over my four years of college, Karen and I spent a lot of time together.  I would go to her Special Olympic swimming events, and she would come to my tennis matches. We made a point to see each other every week.
As I moved through college, I faced some personal struggles that left me feeling like a shell of myself. One day in particular, I hit rock bottom; emotionally and physically. I didn’t know what to do.  I felt like couldn’t call home because I didn’t want to worry my parents, and I didn’t have the energy to face my friends with my problems.  At that moment, when I felt utterly alone, the only person I wanted to talk to was Karen.
Karen only saw my good.  She loves the simple things. Making a phone call to just say “hey” and talk about her day means the world to her. When I was with her,  I never worried about anything else. Our friendship was about being present, enjoying each other, and the time we would spend together.

I ended up going to Karen’s house on that night I hit rock bottom.  She was there to remind me that I mattered and that I was worthwhile.  I joined Best Buddies thinking it would be a nice thing to do, that it would make someone else feel good.  I didn’t expect that it would be the thing I would turn to when nothing else seemed right.  I joke now that it wasn’t my time being volunteered, but that it was Karen who was doing the good deed.  She helped me to see the good in my life, and for that I will always be grateful.

Photo credit:http://2010.washcoll.edu/sarahmacht/

in Stories  by 24 Mar 2012 0 comments

Nikole, San Diego

We All Have Stories to Tell

Americorps VISTA. Shakti Rising

We all have stories to tell, stories that could fill pages and create great novels. I could tell you many stories, but instead I’ll focus on one.

An equal mixture of excitement and fear surged through my veins as I stepped off the plane on the San Diego concourse and began my year long quest of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA. I traveled from the opposite end of the continental U.S. carrying along my personal baggage; darkness the biggest piece of luggage, hope a small carry-on. I was departing from a life lacking purpose. Finally emerging from the abyss of my lost self and delving into the unknown, I had the intense desire to be of service.

Everything in my life completely changed when Shakti Rising found me. While working in the Transformation through Service program, I began experiencing personal shifts that connected me with my heart and spirit again. On almost a daily basis, I was able to help others discover their passions through volunteering. I soon began working on a storytelling project that ignited a fire inside of me and fueled inspiration. I soon found myself co-piloting a committee that would provide outlets where everyone’s story could be shared and heard – through art, film, writing and social media, I was able to help share the individual and collective stories of apprentices, staff, volunteers, and community members involved with Shakti Rising. Shortly thereafter, this committee created a new and improved version of the Flutter-by e-newsletter, and it has been amazing to witness the stories of transformation unfold!

Shakti Rising came to me when I needed it most. It wasn’t the organization or the charming old house that I had been searching for, but rather the true vision of transformation behind it. It was the community of strong women standing together in their leadership, service and authenticity that was the force of gravity pulling me in. My service at Shakti Rising has not only allowed me to discover my passion for telling stories through writing and marketing, but it has also shown me that I have had wisdom and serenity within me all along. My passion did not need to be searched for because it was already intuitively known. I answered a call to the AmeriCorps VISTA program because I wanted to be of service, I answered the call to Shakti Rising because I wanted to create transformation and be a leader.

* also published in Shakti Rising’s July 2010 newsletter

in Stories  by 24 Mar 2012 0 comments

Brad, Washington DC

How service projects ruined my life:

Picture for a moment the ideal of the American dream: a high paying job, a house, family, good health, plenty of food. You go to work in an office, maybe taking the train into the city. Life is comfortable, stable. Sounds perfect! Which is why it’s the American dream. So why is it that while I have most of these things, all I want is to go somewhere that is dirty, poor, dangerous, and unpredictable? One word: Service. That stupid word ruined what was otherwise a very linear track to a very clear goal.
I think it started when I got involved in residence life. It gave me the confidence to try new things, to venture from the stable into the unfamiliar, and do it with some semblance of grace. What I mean by this, is that I did not completely trip and fall, but managed to awkwardly fumble along with the idea that I was doing so intentionally. Through residence life I got a taste for building communities, and giving back to those communities. Feeling pride for what I had built, and a real connection and understanding of the people around me (complete with their beautiful imperfections) made me hunger for more. So, I looked around for more ways to do this, and found Engineers Without Borders.
The EWB group brought passionate, eager engineers together with the idea that they could do something positive for others. What could be more valuable than that? The comfort and stability which a normal career might offer pales in comparison to the rewards of dedicating your work to the betterment of life. Through this group, I found a community of like minded individuals and a way to explore how engineering and service could work as a couple. The two fields weren’t married yet in my mind, but they were definitely flirting with one another. Being an engineer, I always thought of service as part of my life, but not a career. Things were changing in my mind though, and I was getting a dangerous taste for what my future could be.
Because of my experience with EWB, and a little more good luck, I got a job for the summer working in Tanzania doing some work on technology for developing communities. Specifically, an electronic device which teaches visually impaired children how to write braille. This was my first hands-on service work that was ‘in the field’. The experience was thrilling. It caused me to see the world in such different ways. Specifically, the patience and strength of Tanzanians, facing much harder obstacles than I had ever experienced gave me a new found sense of humility and perspective on my own problems. I came back to the states feeling light – happy, grown, and with a sense of perspective about what did and did not matter. Older and wiser, but not tarnished and pessimistic.
The final nail in the coffin, so to speak, was at the end of my college experience. I spent two weeks in the Philippines with other engineering students building houses and teaching kids about engineering. I worked with and led my peers, who inspired me and made me proud to do the word. It was grueling, awful work. We dug holes in garbage and dirt mixed together, with broken tools, in blazing heat, for an entire day. We were all exhausted, dehydrated, disgustingly dirty, and I had never been happier. I came back from the trip with a bad case of pneumonia, caused by a mix of 3 days of constant travel, exhaustion, and breathing in diesel exhaust for a 6 hour drive. As I was lying in the car with my mom driving me to the hospital, I was very much delirious. But I remember one thing: telling her that getting sick would not stop me from going back. I remain determined to go back, and continue working.
So my path was as follows: trying out some service as part of a school job, helping grow a service focused organization on campus, doing a service related job for a summer abroad, and finally going on a 2 week service trip. That path led me here: to my ruined life.
I currently have everything anyone could ask for: job, apartment, health care, food, friends, holidays off. But – I’m miserable, and the reason is that service is no longer a part of my life. I’m an addict, and I need my fix. And just volunteering on the side is not enough. I know I’m ruined for good. I want my work and my purpose to be completely married.
So here I sit, with my dreams simultaneously achieved and ruined. And I couldn’t be happier about it.
in Stories  by 24 Mar 2012 0 comments