MY VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE IN MONGOLIA
by markolakwatsero
Morning Excercise
Some houses are built with bricks and metal roofings but some were also tattered and close to wearing.
As I walk towards the dining hall students greeted me and ask me where I have been. I told them, I have a different flight and arrived after midnight. We all shared a bountiful breakfast composed of bread with butter of strawberry jam spread, poguri (half noodles eaten on its plastic packaging), coffee, milk and egg.
Aiiyou
For the next 6 days our focus will be how to construct a decent house for Aiiyou. She was a 27 year old unmarried woman with three kids (ages 2, 4 and 7) and is taking care of his blind and ailing father. They currently have a small ger but looking at it, their living condition was really hard especially during the winter season. Most Mongolians uses firewood to keep their houses warm during the harsh winter months and so, CUK planned to build a house that can uplift the morale or Aiiyou so that she can nurture her children to become good Mongolian citizens.
We celebrate the Eucharist at this Chapel of Our Lady of Banneux everyday.
Our normal routine is as follows: Our wake-up call is 7AM which is immediately followed by a short exercise outside the dormitory. We also have a Mass to prepare us for a hard day’s work. Right after the Eucharistic celebration is our hearty breakfast prepared by a group of students assigned for that day. Then we change our clothes and set off to work.
Taking a break after lunch, with Kwon Woo and Dong Hwan
With the Mongolian kids
Having fun with Hana and Su Yun
Jee Hee trying to communicate with these kids.
Say "Kimchi"!
Jae Yeon telling some stories to this sweet girl.
At the construction site
Our work includes, gathering of gravel and sand, mixing cement, laying the bricks, cutting the construction lumber and so many others.
Hak Ro eating dosirak (lunch set)
During the break-time we teach the children how to play Samulnori and recorders, some also facilitate paper folding and balloon decor classes.
We ate lunch around 12NN or 1PM and work resumes at 2 o’clock. Before we have our lights off at 1 AM, we have some sharing time and short recreation to wipe off our weariness. Men works until nine or ten in the evening while the ladies ends their work at six in the evening. The hardest part of this volunteer work for me is not really the construction part but the evening ice cold shower…It was so cold but I have no other choice but to overcome that freezing water of Mongolia.
Working for me is not that hard especially when you are with your friends. At work we never forget to have fun through singing, dancing and of course through conversations. We sometimes talk about our family, friends, love life and of course our academic loads. I am fortunate enough to meet these wonderful students as they revived my College days in the Philippines.
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