Spread the Love Program

     On the 18^th of October 2015, Sakura College organized a community service which had been dubbed as the “Spread the Love” program. This program took place at the Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching. The aim of this program was to instil the sense of selflessness within the participants as well as to provide cheer and encouragement to the sick or injured children in the pediatric ward.

     At 7.30 a.m, the participants gathered at the FSTS bus stop and they departed for the hospital at 8.00 a.m. The whole journey took about half an hour and by 8.30 a.m, the participants were already at the hospital lobby, ready to be briefed on the program.

     The participants are divided into certain groups, in which certain groups entered certain parts of the paediatric ward. They spend a couple of hours entertaining the sick or injured children inside the ward. Some spent time colouring with the children, some did story-telling. Some participants talked to the children’s parents, eventually prompting the children, who were initially shy, to talk to the participants as well.

     Meanwhile, some members of the Sakura Editorial Board did their part in the community program by painting a mural of underwater creatures outside the pediatric ward, in hopes to create a more cheerful and fun atmosphere to the ward, which would hopefully bring up the mood of the patients inside it. The end result was a beautiful picture of a cartoon whale and dolphins jumping out of waves, all of which were painted in different shades of blue.

     After spending time with the children, the participants then showed off their talents in origami by creating a few paper creations like cranes, hearts and animal faces before proceeding to write encouraging messages on the origami creations. They then went around the hospital area, giving out their origami creations to random people whom they thought needed a bit of cheer in their lives. Some handed theirs to tired nurses walking in the hallways, which managed to bring a small smile to their faces. Some even handed lollipops to random children in the hospital, who accepted them very gratefully.

     Around noon, the participants had their lunch and Muslims were given time to carry out their daily prayer before all of the participants departed for UNIMAS at 2.30 pm, thus marking the end of the “Spread the Love” program. Overall, the program was considered as ‘eye-opening’ to the participants after they witnessed the courage and resilience displayed by the children despite their hardships.

Prepared by,

Imelia Kyra binti Mohamad Iskandar