(Begging the shopkeeper to pay them for handmade paper bags)

It has been a long day of volunteering and experiencing poverty in Crossroad Foundation, Tuen Mun.

I would not say I had fun today although those activities organised by Crossroad were amazing, especially experiencing the poverty (a simulation game).

The morning session at Crossroad, for me, just like an introduction of poverty. Speaker tried to inspire us through his powerful speech. Each stories he told, indeed, touched my heart. As most of the words I heard from him is basically his own experience. Those people he met actually need help, just like I heard it form the poor directly.

During the simulation game, each of us "play" very hard to act like a poor, to make the maximum profit out of selling paper bags. Although we end up selling our phones to exchange for staying at "slum", we have sent one of our groupmates to go to school. I am satisfied with this result even I would need to play hard for a place to live. As long as one of my group members could go to school, I could spend all of my money.

This really reminded me that how important education is!

(Wrapping and moving the furnitures)

At the afternoon session, some of the redbirds had been volunteering for different departments inside Crossroad Foundation. I am one of the volunteers who had been assigned to Resources department. We helped to use plastic wrap to wrap the furnitures and put them together for shipping to other countries and help the poor.

I was amazed by the manager "Kwan" who said that those furniture we prepared were ready to send to Africa. Those would help the poor in Africa to have at least a bad to sleep, a table to eat or a chair to seat.

At the same time, I was glad that I had actually done something meaningful and helped the poor who I have not met although. This has been my goal of joining the volunteering service today. And I am glad to be at Crossroad Foundation and gained much more exposure to poverty issue.