สว˚สด"คระทุกคน! My name is Clarisse, but in Klong Toey, people know me as ย,-มหวาน, a Thai nickname, meaning sweet smile. I am from France, where I'm studying to become a teacher. Last year, I decided to take a gap year to open myself up to the world, to discover something new. I heard about the Xaverian missionaries from a friend's family member and we both decided to get into that adventure together, which led me to come to Thailand in August 2022, and stay there for 4 months. These days spent in the community were the most enriching of my life, so I couldn’t resist returning for one month in July. And I haven’t regretted my decision: these new days at Klong Toey have been as exceptional as the first ones. I would definitely advise anyone who has the possibility to come to help in Klong Toey to do so! Every day spent in the community consists of visiting the elderly and sick people in different slum areas of Klong Toey. I clearly remember my first visits and what stroke me the most: although I wasn't understanding a single word being said, I felt a bond with the people I met in the slums from the first visits. I was always greeted with lots of smiles and happiness by the elderly. They wanted to exchange with me despite the language barrier, and they were always finding a way to do so, thanks to the Thai volunteer or using gestures. What also surprised me a lot was the generosity of these people. Despite their poverty, it happened several times that the elderly or sick people we visited offered us to drink or to eat. The first time a grandmother offered me food, I insisted on refusing. I was feeling like abusing their generosity, me who had so much more than them. But then I understood how important it was for them, to still be able to greet us like they wish to do, to share something with us, eventhough it was small. At the end of each day, I've often questioned myself: who brought more happiness to the other one, us the volunteers, or the elderly and the sick people we visited? Because there's nothing compared to the gratitude I felt in every evening. The gratitude to have met such heart warming people, to have spent time with them, to have learned to get to know them. Of course,sometimes, it is not that easy. The people we visit often feel alone or sad, some of them are very sick or are hurt. In these kinds of moments, we try our best to help them feel better, at least for the short time of our visit. We listen to them if they need to talk,and we bring them as much joy as possible. The best visits for me have been the ones like that, when we entered a house surrounded by sadness and we left it with smiles and happy faces. Other visits, whose memory I will cherish all my life, are the ones with people who became special to me. While writing these words, I particularly think about three people: a teenager, who has to stay home because he cannot walk, a man, who has lost his legs, and a grandmother with lots of religious pendants. I created a strong relationship with every one of them so much so that I visited them several times without any Thai volunteer, in order to see them more frequently. I will especially always remember the moment when, during my last week in Thailand, I came all by myself to visit the grandmother I just talked about. I stayed there for a whole hour, talking with her and her daughter. And when I was about to leave, I realized that, when I was with this lady, from a country far away from my own, who didn't even speak my language, I felt as if I was with my own grandmother. I could write so much more about my experience, but I will conclude by telling you that I learned so much from the people I encountered in Klong Toey. I learned that despite all the obstacles given by life, we can choose to be happy, under every circumstance. I learned that giving to others can bring us more than what we give if we do it with our hearts. I learned that no matter social origins, cultural backgrounds, or languages spoken, people can help one another and share deep connections. And I also learned a thousand other things that I couldn't describe but that changed me forever. Thanks again to the amazing community of Klong Toey, but most of all, thanks to all these people I met in the slums. เจอกน เรวๆ6 น!
