Nazihah had no intention of becoming a social worker! She stressed that possibilities brought her here, and that it’s never as simple as people think. Many people, according to Nazihah, confuse social work and social service. But their objectives are the same, to SERVE people!

I got great exposure as a social worker at Great Vision Charity Association, sister NGO of Great Heart Charity Association. I was able to serve the B40 community, listen to their stories, delve into their life patterns and made me called to be the cause they are able to change lives for the better. I learned a lot about real-life trends throughout my year and a half here.

I still remember a “story” of extending assistance to an elderly mother who had just lost her child due to some complications. She was very grateful for the assistance provided, but it wasn’t the monetary aid that made her happy; it was the compassion shown that made her feel that they as a family still had a place in society. Her gloomy face piqued my interest in learning more about their lives.

During a discussion, the mother shared that she had only two children, and that the deceased was her youngest daughter. According to the father, for the rest of his daughter’s life, when she was ill, he would daily bathe his daughter, lead her by hand, and feed food tirelessly.

The routine has changed, if before this they took care of the child physically, but now when the child has left them, visiting the grave of the child has become their routine. A year has passed, during a recent meeting, I found that the routine still continues to this day. Here I can see the love of parents for their children that is poured out without ceasing.

If people ask why social work. It is this story of their lives that taught me to “to give more than take” in this short life.

-Nazihah Maiddin, Social Worker