An interview with Linn, our Goducate worker among the depressed communities in East Malaysia.
Linn is a Filipina who now lives in Malaysia, with her husband and her three children. Her husband is working with poor migrants in Kuala Lumpur.
PC: What experiences did you have organizing “communities”?
Linn: As a young adult, I would gather teens bring them to such areas and inspire them to help and build relationships.
In the university, it was different. It was not just mobilizing students It was more on planning and implementing how to paralyze the system – all our campaigns and protests in the univ were 100% very successful.
It was there that I have learned to spot leaders and recruit them. I realized also the big responsibility of being the leader – people follow you-to where? they embrace your dream.
It was here where I really thrive on building and bridging relationships both for poor and rich students. i would listen to friends as they pour out their stories and dillemmas even when i should be doing something for myself. It was always, other people first. Must have gotten it from my mom and dad.
Later it was organizing women in the community – when I started having babies, I bonded with women with the same needs; then it was older women in the community; then the wives of my husband’s colleagues – these were all regular times of getting together, ask-share-learn times-where to get help, what to do; came up with directory-connected them with others to enhance relationships and skills; organized events to enhance “community needs” like seminars, trainings, conferences.
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Interview with Linn – Part 1