Volunteering for a charity can be a hit or miss affair as some of us have discovered but a group of UM students who recently volunteered at Reading Station have found the experience both enlightening and unforgettable.

Nur Ashikin Abdullah Sani said that the experience she gained from participating in the volunteer process was "indescribable". "It was eye opening for me to see the hope and happiness shining through the children's eyes when they saw us, that was truly beautiful. It made me realize how fortunate I am to be raised in an environment where my families supported me and there was no barriers between me and my dreams." She added that RS' program helps poor children understand that it's okay to be children, it's okay to have fun and discover the beautiful world of knowledge. I hope that this program will attract more support and volunteers to help out these children and families in need. PWP initiated it, it's up to us to see it through."

Aneesa Aldous Mohamed found the experience at Reading Station, USJ 1 on the 8th of May 2016 a truly rewarding one. Nervous at first, she expected the children to be playful and might not be able to focus on the activities planned. "Surprisingly, they exceeded my expectations, they were cooperative and very eager to participate in the activities planned. I feel RS is a great opportunity for them to gain more knowledge as well as train them to become active in a community." It was a great opportunity for me to help inspire them to read and learn English.

I am thankful for this experience as it made me realise different people with different backgrounds have less opportunities to study and although I grew up in Subang Jaya, I never knew there were really poor people in this area. I was shocked that the children had to live in such conditions.

I'm amazed with PWP and it's social coordinator Ms. Jaya determination to educate the children and encourage them to attend classes. I also realize the importance and responsibilities of the community to step out to help educate and guide these children by volunteering. I hope that the activities we did had an impact and would help the children in the long run," she added.

Anyone keen to help out at Reading Station do contact Jaya at 019 - 233 1730 (9am - 5pm) for inquiries .