Volunteer Teacher — Malaysia

I volunteered with Global Youth Ambassador's Volunaction program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from August 26 to 29, 2025. I taught English at Rumah Amal Asnaf Al Barakh, and the kids were between seven and twelve years old.

The kids were eager to learn, but none of them spoke English yet. My part was teaching them proper toothbrushing. I tried to explain it in English and the little Malay I knew, but I could not get the steps across very well on my own. I was fortunate to have teammates who could translate and demonstrate what I was saying, so the kids still understood.

The classroom was simple. The kids shared chairs, and the walls were covered in posters the teachers made by hand.

I was named the program's Most Disciplined Volunteer, which came from showing up fully every single day.

What stayed with me from that trip is how much a child gives back once you get on their level and pay attention. You do not need a shared language to know when something finally clicks. You can see it on their face.