Arif
Don’t Knock It Until You’ve Tried It.
Honestly, joining a volunteering programme was never a priority for me. I was too busy cracking my head for my studies, stressing about my upcoming exams and figuring out what type of coffee is the most effective for my all-nighters. Also, the fact that I am sort of an introvert prevented me from being too involved in social activities. But then I stumbled upon the Twitter post for Project Penyu and I told myself why not. Turns out, it was an eye opener for me.
Participating in Project Penyu was a very rewarding experience that I will cherish forever. The feeling of actually being a part of turtle conservation efforts gave me a satisfaction that could never be achieved by reposting articles on social media on how plastic straws can be stuck in the turtle’s nose. I truly enjoyed all the activities and I really felt that I’m doing something that will benefit the environment, albeit just collecting empty egg shells. This was also my first time seeing a live sea turtle in front of my eyes and witnessing how much trouble they go through just to keep their species alive; it made me angry with the greedy people who take advantage of them.
Another thing that made it such a delightful time were the people that participated. I really enjoyed their company as we are from different walks of life so our interactions were always eventful. From the banter and jokes we would throw around to having late night conversations by the beach, I genuinely felt a strong bond being created amongst us. Not to mention with the absence of phone coverage, they were literally the only ones that stopped me from feeling lonely on the island. Personally, for me, the way I feel towards something is greatly affected by the people around me, so with the presence of these amazing human beings it made the programme a thousand times better.
All in all, Project Penyu has made me step out of my comfort zone and I realised that I should give myself a break and try out more things that I have never thought of doing before.
Written by,
Arif
