Shayne Koo completed a three-month internship and participated in volunteer activities before continuing to work as an Account Assistant for nearly two years now. Take a read on her inspiring story below!

In my first home assessment, my colleague and I were assigned to a low-cost apartment. The lift was flooded with garbage water, and the staircase had a strong urine smell. However, it surprised me to see children there playing happily at the playground without bothering the environment.

As we were doing the home assessment, the disabled single parent who is working as a garbage collector is raising a disabled child while helping other injured animals. It was really touching to see people trying to help others despite the hardships they were facing.

Another unforgettable experience that taught me resilience and perseverance was when a beneficiary with a degree attempted to recover from a stroke without the use of physiotherapy. He would walk around his neighborhood every day, selling his homemade products.

Our conversation was going well until we asked him about his pay slip. With a big smile, he took out an old and tattered wallet to look for his most recent payslip. It was heartbreaking to see how someone so unfortunate maintained a positive attitude while struggling to make ends meet.

All in all, I’ve learned to look at the bright side of things after working with GHCA. It is a platform for us to lift up people’s lives when they hit rock bottom

– Shayne Koo, Account Assistant