Social Responsibility Programme Reflection – Jeremy

Cordina
For my Social Responsibility Programme (SRP) placement, I decided to volunteer at an
elderly home called the Little Sisters of the Poor (LSP) in Hamrun. This was not necessarily a
new experience for me, as I have been volunteering there frequently for the last 6 years, but
that does not mean that it was not a very fruitful experience which greatly helped me out in
my current journey to become a truly altruistic person.
At LSP I would mostly help out with cleaning tasks, mostly helping out in the laundry
room and washing the windows, hence helping to reduce the workload of the greatly
overworked staff. This unfortunately meant that I did not have many interactions with the
residents of the home, however, I did spend a lot of time with the elderly nuns and a few
residents who would come down to help in the laundry room. I spent most of the time
helping Sister Marianna, and spent a lot of time discussing about service, leading to me
appreciating it even more, and the hasty modern life that many people live, which helped
me reflect upon my life, and whether I ever rush in my life. I truly admire the many years
that Sister Marianna has spent working incredibly hard and meticulously, and devoting her
life to the elderly and God. Seeing all of this greatly strengthened my faith in a good God and
encouraged me to devote my life to others and to God. Whenever Sister Marianna or any of
the elderly saw me, their faces would light up with pleasure to see me; this fulfilled me and
assured myself that I was providing a good service. However, when I would not be able to
help or solve a problem out of my reach, or would be struggling to communicate with
others, I felt disappointed and drained.
As aforementioned, this experience was not necessarily a new one, but it still refreshed
me about the many struggles that elderly people face. Unfortunately, being a home for
those who cannot take care of themselves, there were many sick and weak residents.
Through my few interactions with some of the elderly, it became abundantly clear to me just
how difficult it can be for them to communicate with others, leaving them often to dwell in
their own silence. A couple of residents expressed this frustration felt when they cannot
communicate easily, and told me how it can make them feel isolated. Unfortunately this
issue is often overlooked compared to some of the other difficulties that they face. With this
all being said, the struggle that these elderly people face which disgusts me the most is how
they are left for the most part, alone. Many of them are left there by their families when
they can no longer (or no longer be bothered to) care for them, and seldom visit, leaving the
elderly to wait out the rest of their life alone. Elderly people should not just be people who
we set aside and wait for them to die, they should be listened to and cherished. They tell me
that I remind them of their family when I speak to them, which is perhaps why their faces
light up when they saw me, because I was filling a void left when their families left them
alone. Why is it that as a society that as soon as people reach a certain age, and can no
longer provide as much for the economy or provide as many services, many people just set
them aside and leave them on their own? This is an incredibly selfish and overly-capitalistic
view of society which completely goes against my altruistic dream for the world, of
regardless of who someone is, putting their wellbeing above one’s own. All of these
struggles that the elderly regularly face seriously challenged my faith, for how can there be a
perfect God, and yet so many people are suffering? Could God have not created a world
without suffering? Why is it that once we reach a certain age, our bodies weaken? Why can’t
we die completely able and healthy?
Throughout this experience I also personally faced a number of challenges. Some of
them where small and logistical such it taking a long time to get from my home to LSP and at
times struggling with the intensity of the work. Others where larger and I still find myself
reflecting on them today. The first of which is that I often found some difficulties
communicating with some of the elderly residents and nuns. Unfortunately due to mental
conditions such as dementia and them not being able to speak or hear as well as they could
in the past, despite wanting to talk to and learn from the elderly, I wouldn’t be able to do so.
A prime example of this is when I was talking to resident Mary Booker who found it difficult
to speak or when I would try to talk to Sister Gabriella, but due to her dementia, she would
often respond in French. This often left me frustrated and anxious that I would not having
provided the best service possible to the elderly. Finally, I found it difficult to see so many
people suffering and since I often wasn’t able to help, I felt disappointed in myself and
incomplete due to not being able to do so. However, seeing all the difficulties that the
elderly were facing also inspired me to continue trying to serve and to help, and filled me
with pride that I was at least trying to do something to help reduce their struggle. All the
challenges that I faced pale in comparison to the challenges that the elderly faced, and don’t
matter as much. I also learnt an important lesson in patience, and how if I just take it slowly,
carefully, and cautiously, and try my best to be understanding, no matter how difficult the
task, I can surpass it. Finally, seeing the struggles, and trying to help fight against them
strengthened my altruistic spirit and taught me how to be resilient whilst I am being
altruistic.
In conclusion, this was a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience which helped me
explore and develop my altruism and learn that greater satisfaction comes from helping
others find joy, than seeking joy for myself. I also learnt how unlike my normal desire to lead
projects that I partake in, I sometimes enjoy being a small cog in a big machine. However,
perhaps most importantly, I learnt about the importance of patience to in altruism and how
it helps build a more resilient altruism.