AUK's Hope Club Hold 'Service is My Joy' Program

The American University of Kuwait's Hope Club organized its second major event on February 6-10, 2011. The four day volunteering program "Service is My Joy" involved helping out various hospitals and handicapped centers across Kuwait. The program was organized in association with Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LOYAC), it aimed at serving, entertaining, and socializing with children and handicapped members of our society. 

"Service is My Joy" gave 15 AUK students the opportunity to visit four hospitals; Ibn-seena, Al-Razi, Al-Sabah NBK Pediatrics, Ameeri Hospital, as well as the Handicapped Center. This program was created to offer students the opportunity to volunteer and experience the joy of working with others. The students spent three hours each day with different less-fortuned members of our society. They assisted a wide range of people from children to 30 year olds. 

AUK students who participated include Ossamah Farah, Razan Farhat, Rana Abdelhamid, Mohammad Nedal, Halimah El-Husari, Mohammad Abu Mazzen, Nour Jaber, Rand Dannan, Lamiya Baz, Dana Bandar, El-Hussain Berchan, Sara Qadura and Sarah Raji. The Program was organized under the supervision of the Office of Student Life's Student Engagement Officer Ayman Shouman, who is also the Club Advisor. 

LOYAC offered two programs; one program with Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH) - which dealt with young children who suffered from various illnesses, the other program with the Kuwait Handicapped Center. 

These programs aimed at helping establish a bond between AUK members, and people in need. AUK student El-Hussain Berchan said of the experience, "Being with special people like them, made us realize that giving can be in tiny things and that even a smile was enough to make them happy and this was what the volunteering experience was all about." 

On February 11th, the Hope Club organized a "Fun Day" as a concluding ceremonial of the program hosted at the Kuwait Handicapped Center. Hope Club members, handicapped residents and staff enjoyed a day of leisure activities and fun games in a joyful atmosphere. All individuals joined to celebrate and enjoy the wonderful event, and the true meaning of volunteering was experienced by AUK students.
 

Hope Club members organized a fun day at Kuwait Handicapped Center
 

Group photo of Hope Club members, Kuwait Handicapped Center residents and staff