when I saw an old woman, probably in her seventies

那時我看到一位年邁的女士，大約七十來歲

going through the feathers of a slaughtered chicken.

正在處理肉雞的毛

She took out the intestines, and other parts that we do not eat

她把內臟和其他我們不會食用的部分取出

put them in a plastic bag

並放入塑膠袋中

got up slowly and left.

然後緩慢地起身後離開了

And that is when it hit me that she was looking for food to cook and take for her family.

這件事情對我相當震撼，因為她是為了家人在張羅食材

I thought about that woman for days

這位女士的事情讓我思考了好幾天

and questions like, who does she cook it for?,

像是，她是要煮給誰吃的？

does she even have basic ingredients like salt?

她有像鹽之類基本食材嗎？

maybe she cooked it for her grandchildren, kept going through my head.

又或許是要煮給她的孫子吃的，這類問題不斷圍繞著我

What I had witnessed made me angry and sad at the same time.

我對我所見的一切感到既憤怒又難過

Moreover it made me realize my greatest fear

而且這讓我了解到我最害怕的事情

which I will share with you after taking you all through two scenarios.

以下我會用兩種情境來與你們分享

Scenario one:

情境一：

You go grocery shopping and when you come back home

你在雜貨店買完東西後回到家中

you tell your family that you bought everything for Rs. 8000

然後告訴你的家人說你總共買了8,000盧比 (註：印度法定貨幣)

Now your help, whose salary is a mere Rs. 9000

現在想像一下你的工作薪資只有9,000盧比

overhears you and thinks

當你聽到的時候你這麼想著

"My family of 6 people spend the entire month in the amount that they bought their groceries with?"

「這個金額我們全家六個人可以用整整一個月，而對他們來說僅僅只是去雜貨店的花費？」

Scenario two:

情境二：

You go to buy clothes for yourself

你買了一些衣服

and on your way back home you call your friend in front of the driver

在回家的路上你在司機面前打給朋友

and tell her very excitedly, "You should go to ABCD store

並且很興奮的告訴她「妳應該去ABCD服飾店

They have an amazing sale, everything is so cheap.

他們正在大特價，東西都超便宜的

I just bought a shirt for Rs. 12000

我買一件襯衫才12,000盧比而已」

Now your driver, who is listening

現在想像你是那位司機，正聽著上述對話

thinks to himself

你心裡想著

"I can't afford to buy my son a book worth a few hundred rupees

「我甚至難以負擔幫我兒子買本僅僅幾盧比的書

and she went and bought a shirt for Rs 12000 and is calling that cheap?"

而她卻去買一件12,000盧比的襯衫，還說這很便宜？」

As lame as it might sound, what goes on in the minds of the underprivileged

我最害怕的事情是，當弱勢階級的人們看這些特權階級的人們時

when they look at those from privileged backgrounds is my greatest fear.

在心中產生的不好的東西

Hopefully during this presentation you will feel that fear with me

我誠摯地希望透過這場演說能讓你們了解我所害怕的事情

The satisfaction that I get from my way of overcoming it

我自己克服這些的方式

which is through volunteering

就是去做志工

One of my first projects as a volunteer was with a Cameroonian non-profit

我的第一個志工計畫是參與喀麥隆的非營利組織

I worked for them as a grant writer and a fund raiser.

在那邊我的工作是創業、研究補助企畫寫作與善款募捐

They asked my entire team to raise $100 each at a time when inflation was at its peak.

他們要我們整個團隊募到100盧比，而那時通膨已經接近頂點了

It was really difficult for me

要募到這個數目

to raise the amount, the money

是十分困難的

and eventually in six months I was able to raise

在六個月工作結束的時候我只募到了

$225

$225盧比

With this money they plan on sending ten orphans to school.

他們計畫用這筆錢來幫助十名孤兒上學

$225 is a really small amount

$225是相當微小的數目

but what it did to the lives of ten orphans is immeasurable

但是對這十名孩童的幫助是無法估量的

They were able to buy books, stationery and most importantly were able to go to school.

他們可以買書、文具等等，更重要的是他們能夠去上學

Back in 2010 I worked in an international project with the British Council

回到2010年，那時我正參與一項英國文化協會舉辦的國際計畫

in which I taught English to children from under-privileged backgrounds.

工作項目是教導弱勢族群的孩童英文

One day in class I asked everyone to tell me what they wanted to be when they grew up.

有一天在課堂上時，我請大家告訴我他們長大後想當什麼樣的人

One of the students raised her hand and told me that she wanted to join the police force and become an inspector.

其中一名學生舉起她的手並告訴我她想當警探

This is a twelve-year-old girl who goes to a public school

她是一名就讀公立學校的12歲女孩

Her father is a milkman in a dairy farm

她的父親是牧場的一名擠牛奶工人

but her dream is like that of any other child.

但是她的夢想就如同其他小孩一樣

I only taught her English for six months and played a really small and short role in her life

我教她英文的時間只有六個月，這在她的人生中只占相當小的部分

but it makes me really happy that I did.

但我對於我所做的事情相當開心

Currently I'm working on my favorite project by the name of "Ilm-Possible"

現在我正參與我最愛的一項計畫，稱作「Ilm-Possible」

It is an action project which aims to create awareness about article 25A of the Pakistani constitution.

這項計畫旨在使人們關注巴基斯坦憲法中的第25A條款

Now this article says that education is free and compulsory for every single child

現在這項條款規定這個國家裡的每個孩童都能夠

in this country.

也必須參與義務教育

And the fun part which also happens to be my favorite part is

而這其中最有趣也是我最喜歡的部分是

that if even a single child is out of school, the government can be held responsible.

即使任一孩童休學了，政府也能夠負起責任

Since I stand for education

正因為我相當關注教育

I'm really excited to be a part of this project.

所以我對於我能夠參與這項計畫感到相當地興奮

My journey as a volunteer has been wonderful, it's fun and adventuresome.

我的志工之路非常美妙，充滿著樂趣和冒險的元素

And along the way I've met

而這一路上我遇見了

some great volunteers doing fantastic work to end poverty

一些相當棒的志工，他們對於改善貧窮做出了相當大的努力

like living on one pound for 5 days

像是只用一英鎊過五天

to experience how it is to live below the poverty line.

用這種方式去感受貧困線以下人們的生活

Or teaching children from poor backgrounds before going to work themselves.

或是在貧苦人家的孩子們被迫工作養活自己之前教育他們

Moreover volunteering has helped me go beyond borders and form international linkages

參與志工活動也幫助我跨越國家的藩籬並與國際接軌

by meeting amazing young people from all over the world, engaging in dialogues with them and breaking stereotypes.

認識世界上許多了不起的年輕一代，與他們對話並打破成見

A couple of years ago I was working as a volunteer councillor for a non-profit

幾年前我擔任一個非營利組織的志工

I got to counsel this teenager

在這裡我必須跟一位青少年商議事情

who was angry and frustrated at the state of the world

她對這個世界的戰爭、貧窮、和愈趨惡化的經濟

with the wars, poverty and the bad economy

感到憤怒跟困惑

She reminded me of myself as a teenager, who wanted to make the world a better place.

她提醒了我也是一名青少年，並希望讓這個世界變得更美好

and had no idea how to except by arguing about the crisis that were close to me

但卻不曉得該怎麼做，只能透過不斷地抱怨這種結果

It was not making any positive difference in the world

而這對世界並不會產生正面的影響

and neither was it changing anybody else's perspectives.

也無法改變任何人的觀點

To feel what I feel about volunteerism I would like you all

為了感受一下我對志工服務的感覺，我希望你們所有人

to close your eyes and imagine with me

閉上眼睛並跟我一起想像一下

that this hall is the world and if everyone in here starts volunteering

這個大廳就是世界，如果這裡的所有人開始參與基層的志工服務

at the grassroots level, we will be able to create an unimaginable impact

我們將能夠對全世界產生無法想像的影響力

all over the world and my greatest fear would be conquered for once and for all.

而我最懼怕的事情將能夠一勞永逸地被解決，且所有人也將受惠

Thank you.

謝謝大家