On the Pitch, Off the Street

The Educational Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF) organised the EWRF Football Carnival 2016 which was held in University Malaya for three consecutive days, 29th, 30th and 31st January 2016. It was such a wonderful experience that one could ever get. Handling almost 400 students with only 11 volunteers is definitely not a joke. When I went there as a volunteer, I thought many would be coming but it was really shocking to see only a small number of volunteers turn up for such big event.

Well, coming back o the story of my experience being a volunteer for this big event. So, my friend and I left Tanjung Malim on the 29th January 2016 with a group of students whom were the participants for the football carnival from EWRF Tanjung Malim branch. When we reached University Malaya, it was exactly 6 in the evening. Tired of travelling from Tanjung Malim to Kuala Lumpur, we really felt that we need a break but looking at the crowd we, as a volunteer decided start our work in helping other volunteers and staffs.

By 9pm, all the Centre representatives and participants arrived to the location and a short briefing session was conducted. My both friend who came as volunteers for the very first time, were totally worn out by tiredness.

Once all the group segregation were done, we were amazed with the idea of EWRF of having a football carnival just like the EPL matches where all the famous Football clubs names were given to each team. Being a football fanatic, I am a great fan and follower of Liverpool Football Club and my support was obviously for the Liverpool team in this carnival as well. Hahax, might sound a little bit funny but that is the way to built up the spirits of the students to engage themselves in the football match. All the three days was amazing and interesting for the students, participants as well as volunteers. Yes, volunteers had a great time dealing with students from different backgrounds where we got to know many of them with many different stories that they felt happy to share with us.

On the last day of the football carnival, we had so much fun as many new volunteers came to give us a helping hand with the students. The closing ceremony was simple yet amazing and fun as the students were all given with medals and certificates to appreciate their effort to participate in this Football Carnival. Besides that, personally as a volunteer, I found this as one of the best volunteering experience that I could ever get in my life. Not only that, my two friends who came to this event as volunteers for the first time told me that this was such an unforgettable moment and experience in their life and they thanked me for introducing them to volunteering life. In a nutshell, it was a totally new and wonderful experience for me.