Joi Lin

One of the best decisions I've made was choosing to join Project Luminaire 13. I knew I wanted to participate in an OCSP, and my friend told me to join Project Luminaire. After reading about what Project Luminaire does — building lights for the community, cooking for the kids, and teaching them — I knew I 100% wanted to be part of this!

With little expectations, I went there with an open mind, ready to volunteer and meet the faces of the community. Meeting the community in Zambales and the kids at Alao Elementary School taught me so much.

My biggest takeaway was my day-to-day experiences at Alao Elementary School — from teaching the kids to learning how to cook and prepare meals for everyone. Despite the language barrier between us and the kids, it was such a joy teaching them, and so fulfilling to see them participate and grasp what we were teaching by the end of each lesson. I could see the kids trying to understand what we were saying and joining in on our activities. It may not have been a lot, but learning and communication progress were definitely made! Outside of lessons, the kids loved playing with us, asking about our favourite colours and sharing theirs. All these little moments made me enjoy the trip even more, and made it all the more fulfilling.

A favourite memory of mine was working with my team members to build the street lamps for the community. Despite being under the hot sun for a long period, everyone built the street lamps with smiles on their faces. Working with them was such a breeze and a joy, and seeing our effort come to fruition was more satisfying than ever. The cherry on top was seeing the villagers' smiles as they gained a new light source in their homes.