EVEN THOUGH she was no stranger to volunteer work, Kumuthaa says that the journey to becoming a mentor in Care2Run’s Junior Leaders Programme this year really forced her to step outside her comfort zone

“I had no experience with differently-abled persons before I joined as a volunteer, so I didn’t know what to expect. I’d seen the promo poster image of a mentor holding a mentee’s hand and running, so initially, I thought the programmes were all about just running with differently-abled kids. I felt I could do that. However, when I began the volunteer orientation programme, there were times when I was not sure if I could be a mentor.

“Thankfully, I received a lot of encouragement and I am very grateful for that because I have learned so much by being involved,” the university student tells us, adding that she’s also found much joy in being able to work and interact with her mentee, a 34-year-old differently-abled young man who always radiates positivity.

Here’s Kumuthaa with the rest of her story …

Hey there, Kumuthaa. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became a Care2Run mentor?
Hello! Well, I’m a student at a local private university and am currently pursuing a pharmacy degree. As for becoming a mentor, actually, I decided to get involved with Care2Run after reading a post in a Facebook group I follow. Leena had posted a message in the group, calling for volunteers and what I read made me want to join. It was a chance to give back through sports, and I was excited by that.

That’s fantastic. Had you much volunteer experience before joining us?
I was involved with the National Cancer Council Malaysia (MAKNA) before this, so I did have some prior experience. I helped with conducting workshops, raising funds and home visits. There’re many MAKNA beneficiaries, so the home visits, which are usually conducted once a month, are when we disburse funds and make sure patients have everything they need. Funnily, I got involved with MAKNA the same way I got involved with Care2Run: someone posted something in a Facebook group, I read it, and the next thing I knew, I was volunteering with the organisation. [laughs]

Was it challenging becoming a Care2Run mentor?
The first two weeks, during the volunteer orientation programme, were probably the toughest. The role reversal section where volunteers themselves pretended to be differently-abled mentees was especially challenging for me. The facilitators – Prem, Henry and Greg – told us that the mock sessions were worst-case scenarios, but the sessions definitely made me wonder whether I was equipped to be a mentor. I’d never had first-hand experience with differently-abled young persons before, so I did doubt whether I could do it. But Henry and Greg, especially, were really encouraging and gave me a lot of tips. Also, when I finally did work with the participants it was much less challenging than the practice sessions.

Can you share with us what you like about the one-on-one aspect of the programme, where a mentor works with a mentee over a prolonged period of time?
I actually love that aspect a lot. It allows you to actually form a bond with the mentee and understand their behaviour and traits in order to help them better. With my mentee Albert, for example, after working with him for a number of weeks, I now know what makes him tick and what interests him. I was slightly concerned whether we’d work well together, but I think we do. He’s in his 30s and has the same concerns and complaints about work that most people do, so it was easy to bond. We also talk a lot about pets. He has fish and dogs and we talk about that.

Were you always into sports? Is that what appealed to you about Care2Run?
I am an outdoors-y person, and yes, that’s actually one of the reasons I joined Care2Run. Initially, I thought that the activities were based around running only. But of course, that’s not the case. It’s sports as well as other physical activities. For the Junior Leaders Programme, I really love that the activities are so engaging and get participants to internalise and think about their feelings. That’s another wonderful aspect of the programme, I feel.

What are your aspirations for Care2Run, Kumuthaa?
I would love to see Care2Run become more well known than it currently is. I think more awareness might help because even I didn’t really know what Care2Run was all about until I came here and saw for myself. Other than that, I think we’re doing a great job of trying to build confidence and improve the lives of differently-abled persons.