MY GLOBAL COMMUNITY JOURNEY

The contributions that I am most proud of are my community service efforts throughout
the world, including those in my native country of Indonesia on the island of Sumatra, in
Jakarta the capital city of Indonesia, in neighboring Vietnam, across the world in Belize,
and in Bradenton, Florida where I attend high school now.  My commitment to service
makes me well integrated into the global community.  Much of my efforts have been
focused on relief: in Sumatra I contributed to the preservation of the Sumatran tiger; in
Jakarta I taught English as a second language at an orphanage; in Vietnam I mentored
children who suffered from Agent Orange exposure from the Vietnam War; in Belize I
cleaned up an island on the Gulf of Mexico coastline and mentored orphaned children;
and finally in Bradenton, Florida I actively participated in a community outreach program
called "Walk the Walk”.

During the last two summers, I devoted my time to two different service projects in Asia.
The first was in my native country of Indonesia on the island of Sumatra, one of the most
pristine jungle habitats in the world. Indonesians have worked diligently to preserve the
island in its natural form, and one of the world's great cats, the Sumatran tiger, is found
only there. I have always been fascinated with nature and its preservation, and so I set
out on an individual service project to help an organization that preserves the dwindling
population of tigers.  The wildlife conservation is located in a remote area of Lampung
province, on the southern tip of Sumatra island. The conservatory functions primarily to
help tigers that are captured or injured, rehabilitate, and release them back into the wild.  I
helped set camera traps that have motion sensors in order to collect data on the tigers'
movements and populations. I also helped restore some of the indigenous plants that had
been removed or destroyed on the island, which will allow the tigers to roam over greater
territories. It was a fantastic experience because I not only had the opportunity to help
preserve one of the most majestic creatures but also save my homeland.

However, my efforts in Asia were not limited to natural preservation and humanitarian
efforts in my native country, I also went to a neighboring country of Vietnam, where
people are still suffering from the damaging effects of the Agent Orange chemical used
during the Vietnam War.  While in Vietnam, I mentored children who were deformed or
mentally retarded.  The experience made me realize how fortunate I was, how much help
these young people need, and how devastating the effects of war may be even years
after the fighting has ceased.  I had no idea that the harmful chemicals used in Vietnam
over 40 years ago still impact people's lives today. I was taken aback by the mental
disabilities and developmental deficiencies that those exposed to Agent Orange
displayed. Prior to witnessing their suffering myself, I was ignorant to the hardships many
people face every day as a result of the combat missions in Vietnam in the 1960s and
‘70s. My perspective and life's passion immediately began to include social awareness.

Aldwin Fadlurrahman (CAID 14840009) - p1/2

Across the world along the Gulf of Mexico coastline, as I transferred to a high school in
the United States, I continued my commitment to community service by volunteering to
clean up an island in Belize and mentored orphaned children as well as volunteer in
Bradenton, Florida for my school community outreach program called "Walk the Walk,”
which focuses on improving the lives of the needy communities such as disable children
by engaging them in group entertainment and team building, assisting in special
olympics, and conducting food drives for hunger everywhere.  

All these experiences have shaped who I am and have made me more appreciative and
more altruistic in my worldview. These service opportunities also changed my
perspective on life. Now I can clearly see myself as part of a larger global community. I
believe that even if a community is located far from my homeland or populated by
complete strangers, all people have a humanitarian responsibility to help those in need in
order to make the world a better place. If we all work together, we can have an indelible
impact on people's lives. Therefore, I plan on continuing my commitment to community
service while at Boston University through the myriad service opportunities on campus.

Aldwin Fadlurrahman (CAID 14840009) - p2/2