Text Shen Chao-chan

Translated by Kathy Jiang

The 3-Day Medical Service Trip of the Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps started on June 26th, 2009. Despite exhaustion, I found the experience extremely fulfilling. Though my contribution as a kitchen helper was trivial, the medical service trip was indeed an eye-opening experience. I didn’t know there was such an organization that has been doing so much to serve those in need. Also, I was amazed at the number of people willing to sacrifice their leisure time in order to serve the indigenous tribes—all the volunteer drivers, medical teams, kitchen helpers that worked together to make this trip possible.

To be honest, I wasn’t really that much of a help on this trip. Without any medical or culinary expertise, I was worried that I would even cause trouble for others. But knowing that my help in the kitchen actually served the volunteer drivers who brought us all the way up the mountain, as well as the medical workers who were working on the front line, turned out to be extremely gratifying. These medical trips often received many volunteer sign-ups and as a result, not all volunteers get to participate. I didn’t participate in such meaningful activities very often because of limited sign-up quotas and personal reasons, which is a pity. But it’s great to know that so many kind and giving people exist in the world.

What impressed me most in the Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps is that every participant is very appreciative of one another. A driver once said to the chef Amei and kitchen helpers: “Thank you so much! Cooking for so many people isn’t easy work!” Amei replied with a gentle smile: “You are the ones to be thanked. You have driven us up the winding roads to this mountain village. Without your help, we wouldn’t even be here cooking. We should thank you instead. Please eat as much as you can after we finish cooking.” Such dialogue led me to truly believe that all participants here are grateful to one another and that everyone came here to serve without asking for anything in return. This spirit, in my mind, is essential for volunteer work.

I’ve been wondering why indigenous people in mountain areas can’t enjoy the conveniences of big cities. I guess all industries including the medical industry are subject to cost and operational pressures. That is why there are so few resources in the mountain areas. The help offered by Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps or similar groups may be limited, yet I believe the point is to try to relieve as much pain as possible. If we can prevent a disease or pain from worsening, it’s already more than worth it. It occurs to me that I, not the residents, was the one who benefited most from the medical service trip. The trip gave me the opportunity to step back from daily routines of city life and to learn how to give. The sheer happiness of giving is beyond description. Only by experiencing it can one truly feel it.

I’m grateful to Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps for its admirable persistence in holding free medical service trips. This is the first time I participated in their trips. I have promised myself to continue volunteering and hopefully more experience will help me become truly capable of serving and helping others.