Besides providing a place to stay for the “transitional” youth, the staff and supervisor here also lend their ears to them. They listen to voices of the youth carefully and let them express their feelings.
An honest reveal of youth Zeta (alias):
Short-lived Happiness
It was unfortunate to move into a children’s home when having a family that was absent, not even for the basic support. I admit that I was less motivated to pursue my dreams as compared to others. There was no trusted person around me to instill correct values. Receiving care from Youth Home staff and supervisor was already very happy. However, this happiness is short-lived as they are not my family members.
After 18, I was transitioning to independence. To be honest, I was surviving to live. I did not expect to have my own space and dream. Youth Home was my first temporary residence, followed by theYouth Community Co-living Service I received from the 2nd Chance in Life – Transitional Youth Sponsorship Program. It was a great help that gave me peace of mind to finish my university course.
I felt grateful to be admitted to a university. However, I also worked as part time during my school days. Coping with study and exams, there seemed to be no spare time and no classmates. Comparing to other classmates, they could have extracurricular activities, leisure time, exchanges, study tours, etc. Nevertheless, I was fortunate enough to have a 7-day study tour in Mainland China, which was a dream come true.
A Fresh Start
Now that I step into society, I accept the limitations of my monotonous past which repeated itself every day. When I wanted to talk to someone, I would chit chat with my roommates. When I wanted to be alone, no one would disturb me. To me, the days of living in the Youth Home was not a negative thing or a misfortune. Indeed, it was the greatest fortune. I learnt to kick-start and be independent earlier than others, and I am not a complainant of my origin.
I hope there will be no more panic in the future and I will face uncertainty with courage. Now having a full-time job, I will find my scattered roommates and meet up on weekends to have a bowl of Vietnamese noddle in soup with chili. This is my trust, my friendship and the blue sky and white clouds above me.
A footnote post editing: thanks to Zeta’s sincere sharing. We understand that it was not easy for him along the way. Reading between the lines, we can feel the bitterness and helplessness within him. Grateful that he can still find a bit of sweetness in life. Seeing young people learning to be self-reliant bit by bit, I cannot help but be moved to say, “Keep it up and don’t give up!”
