With the ongoing effort to support the national COVID-19 immunisation programme, over 50 Sunway University and Sunway College students has stepped up to volunteer at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre (SPCC) Pusat Pemberian Vaksin (PPV), to support the nation in achieving herd immunity.
The student volunteers will work to ensure that everyone has a smooth experience while taking their shots at the PPV. They will carry out non-medical duties including registration and updating the details for vaccinees, issuing vaccination cards to those who have already been vaccinated, conduct briefings on post-vaccine care while at the same time managing the crowd.
Student volunteer Nur Alysa Binti Mohd Salisham signed up to volunteer as soon as she saw the recruitment notice by the Sunway College Student Council. She said that it was a meaningful way to spend her semester break from her Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (ACCA) classes.
“It is a great opportunity for me to meet new people and friends. I am blessed and the positive vibes we receive from the elderly who has praised us for our hard work motivates us to keep volunteering.”
Alysa has been volunteering for three weeks and is planning to continue even when her semester starts. “The volunteering schedule is flexible; we can choose our preferred day and time slot based on our availability to volunteer.”
Being a volunteer was not an easy decision for Mazen Emad Mohamed Wardany, a BSc (Hons) Biomedicine student from Egypt, as he had to convince his family to allow him to do it. “I had to assure my family that I’ll be safe throughout my volunteering commitment for the immunisation programme.”
For Mazen, it is an honour to be serving and helping those who are in need at the vaccination centre. “It is my upbringing and my values that has taught me to reach out to those in need. I am more than happy to contribute to this community that we live in. The volunteering experience allows me to work and learn from the pharmacists, doctors, and students from all around the world.”
Approached by Professor Abhi Veerakumarasivam, Dean of the School of Medical and Life Sciences for the volunteering opportunity, Shahd Abbas Hussein Oman, a BSc (Hons) Medical Biotechnology international student from Sudan, took on the opportunity immediately.
“Serving the people is the most fulfilling experience for me, it is something I enjoy and interacting with people keeps me motivated. Volunteering benefits both the volunteer and the organisation, and in my case, meeting and working with new people daily has taught me valuable lessons which has improved many of my skills, such as time management and multitasking,” shared Shahd Abbas.
Taking it as a precious opportunity to gain hands-on experience, Diploma in Nursing student Lim Zhi Xin, also signed up to be a volunteer. “As a nursing student, we can learn and improve on our soft skills such as handling various responses from the public as we might face similar scenarios while we carry out our duties as a nurse.”
The Sunway Education Group (SEG) is committed to helping the nation in its journey towards a post-COVID-19 future and appreciate the volunteers’ contribution and effort in serving the nation during these trying times.
