Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Now that most of the citizens of Malaysia are fully vaccinated and life is slowly returning to normal, not only do we have the frontliners to thank, we also need to express our gratitude to the people behind the scenes who worked equally hard to make sure we are safe and protected.
These people are the volunteers in PPVs around the country.
Affi was a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering from UTM when he started volunteering at PPV UTM Skudai Johor at the end of July, something that his parents are very proud of.
He decided to do this to fill up his spare time since he was unable to attend his lab sessions because of government and university restrictions.
There are SOPs in place to protect the volunteers. Because of the nature of their work, here’s what they need to do:
- They have to be vaccinated first
- They would need to assess their own health status every day before starting.
- Whenever they are at work, they are required to wear all the necessary PPEs, including masks, face shields, and gloves.
- They are also reminded to sanitize their hands regularly.
Every day, Affi and the other volunteers arrive at the PPV early in the morning to set up the registration area. As soon as the vaccines are prepared, they begin the registration process for those coming in for their shot.
Volunteering means long hours of work as vaccinations are open until 8PM every day, even on public holidays. At the end of the day, the volunteers need to clean up and sanitize all stationery and equipment.
Affi described the vibes in the PPV as very chill throughout the day, but it could get busy too. Sometimes there would be more people arriving during peak hours, such as lunchtime, but it was nothing the volunteers could not handle.
Affi said that the doctors and nurses in his PPV are very friendly too, and they would goof around in their spare time. However, everyone would go into ‘work mode’ when it was time for business.
“Everyone knows everyone in the PPV. Since volunteers are university staff and students, everyone gets along very well,” he told me.
According to Affi, the volunteers come from all over the country and they are mostly university students, so it is easier for them to get along and make friends since they are all in the same age group.
The volunteers also play a huge role in allaying fears about the vaccines.
To the people who are scared of the vaccine or are planning to not get vaccinated, he would tell them there is nothing to be afraid of since the vaccines are all tested and verified by the WHO.
“If there are people who don’t want to get vaccinated, we have no right to force them to, but I will explain the consequences of having Covid to them and also the long-term effect Covid has on their body.
“Plus, you will get restricted from entering a lot of places around the country if you’re not vaccinated. You can’t even cross state borders to visit your family if you don’t live in the same state!”
The most memorable thing as a volunteer, according to Affi, was receiving gifts and compliments for their excellent service from the people who came for their shots. The recognition really motivates them to do their best.
After volunteering in the PPVs, Affi learnt that each and everyone who came to the centre has different personality traits.
“The volunteers need to have good soft skills and the ability to react fast in case anything happens,” he said. Fortunately, in his time volunteering, he had not seen any major negative incidents.
Other than that, good communication skills are very important as well in order to keep the daily operation running smoothly.
When asked if he would do it again, Affi said yes without hesitation. “I love making friends wherever I go. Besides, this opportunity taught me how to be a better person as a whole.”
He also said that this was the most fun he had while leading a program and he would definitely do it again if he had to.
This conversation I had with Affi really enlightened me to the work the volunteers do. They don’t just greet us and direct us towards the right stations, but are a large part of what makes the vaccination process efficient and less intimidating for us. They also work long hours, as they are present from before the opening of the PPV till after it closes for the night.
I feel that more appreciation should be directed towards these volunteers, as they expose themselves to risks doing their work for the safety of all. Many of them are average Malaysians with the time to spare, and who welcome the allowance given for volunteering.
The speedy vaccination of so many in our country could not have been done without these volunteers, and we must acknowledge the time and effort that they’ve spent doing a job well done.
For more stories like this, read: I’m a Malaysian Frontliner with a Nigerian Spouse, And My Country Separated Us for 180 Days and 5 Malaysians Share The Little Joys They Found Amid A Pandemic.
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