Volunteer in Johor

I joined the IIUM Relief Team to help the flood victims in Johore on 20-21 January in Panchor, Muar, Johor. So what it's all about? Here's a bit of the naked truth about being volunteer for 2 days.

UIA had sent volunteers for 3 times on every weekend starting from 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21 of January. However, more to come during this week 22-26 because its mid-semester break . That day, we have 2 buses around 38 brothers and 38 sisters as well as some officers.

First Day
I only slept for 1 hour in order not to missed the bus at 5am. Two buses departed at 545 and arrived at Seremban RnR at 630 for subuh prayer and breakfast. We continue our journey and arrived Panchor around 930am. We were divided into 4 sections and my group need to work at Masjid Jame' Kg Panchor. We cleaned up dirt on furnitures in the stores and the praying mats (sejadah). In the evening we rearrange newly ordered cabinets and put Quran and Yasin on the shelves. We have Ta'aruf session among us that night and we slept at the SK Panchor. Boys in the Musolla and girls in the classroom.

Second Day
Still in the same group of students, we were divided to clean up houses. The first house, we just rearrange rotten furnitures, put things in one place to be burnt and clean her landscape around her house. The next house.. the same job. Put stuff in black plastic bag and gather unwanted stuff on the roadside so that the garbage truck can collect them. After lunch and prayers, we return back to UIA and arrived at 630pm.

Rewards?
That's all about the activities I've did for 2 days briefly. Other's who attended 'Batang Buruk factory' got themselves pack of the delicacy, those at the t-shirt bundle shop got 1 shirt per person and usually, the villagers will treat us with lunch and some refreshment as their token of appreciation. Besides that, the food provided for the lunch and dinner is delicious.

UKM Students
I've saw 6 busses of UKM students passing through the main road in Panchor. We only waved our hands as a sign of 'all the best to you' and 'goodbye'. I've return home and I've read what their Vice-Chancellor wrote in one of the columns. They worked at Pagoh and it seems that Mr. VC is very proud of their students unity among races. By the way, UIA also has few international students that joined the brigade too.

Limelight?
It seems that my group doesn't have the coverage from the mass media such as Utusan and TV3. Its not that important. The important thing is that we have contributed our efforts to relief the victims and we have to do it sincerely. I think its enough for UIA had been given coverage for past few weeks because we're among the earliest to help them, even before the Disaster Brigade was established in other IPT. Besides that, the villagers also had approved that UIA had come up with very efficient volunteers compared to others. I heard that there was one NGO whose only came to shake hand with the victim and then return without any help. What's that for?

P/S - let's contribute to the society!