The story of the Hero Satchel: The experience of international volunteers in Malaysia 2019

Shun-ping Zhong, Department of Health Management

In the flag presentation ceremony for the 2019 summer vacation, Professor Wen-Ko Chiou, Secretary General of Chang Gung University, introduced the story of the Hero Satchel to the teachers and students who were about to depart for rural areas, mountainous areas and Malaysia during the summer vacation.  He said, "The Hero Satchel carries the life story of the student who designs the bag, and it symbolizes the heroic journey each student is about to embark on.  The journey will surely shape students to be a better version of themselves.  It will also provide an opportunity for students to tap into a deeper and broader life experience.  Students may gain valuable insight and wisdom after tackling all sorts of challenges and making tough decisions during the trip.”

It is a great honor to have this opportunity to bring the Hero Satchel, a bag full of meaningful messages and spirits of service, to Han Chiang Primary School in Malaysia, so as to pass this love to many people.  Associate Prof. Jin-Long He presented this gift on behalf of Chang Gung University to the local teachers of Han Chiang Primary School. Through this gift, both sides took this opportunity to explore various teaching methods to help students develop their talents as well as to help them learn better. Every student is a unique individual and needs teachers to guide them on the path of learning.  This is the principle of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, which reflects the educational idea behind the Hero Satchel.

On the last night in Han Chiang Primary School, we gave the Hero Satchels to the local children as a token of best wishes, hoping that we could plant the seed of service and enthusiasm in the heart of these innocent, lovely, intelligent and outstanding children. Hopefully they can keep developing talent, use it to help more people in need, and pass on this love in the future. When the children received the Hero Satchel, their bright smile on their faces and eyes reverberated in my mind. Every time I think of it, I feel really happy and lucky to experience all these wonderful things.

In addition to passing the Hero Satchel along with its creator's idea to the teachers and students of Han Chiang Primary School, we also shared some meaningful messages with the volunteers.  We hoped that the volunteers will not forget the initial intention of setting foot on this heroic journey, and we hope they will always be enthusiastic, positive, and grateful to face all kinds of challenges in life and believe that they can continue to grow, reinvent themselves, and become a true hero in their life journey eventually.