"How can I make a difference?" Was a question I always asked myself after my mother told me my purpose on this Earth was to serve, to give back to the universe as it was always giving to us. The help started out with small feats; helping clean up the beach, cleaning up around the school, and giving money to the needy. But that isn't what I think of when I think of what I've done for my community. When I gave out the first bag of hope is when I knew what difference I wanted to make.

Before moving to America, I lived in a town that I won't be naming for privacy reasons. In this town, I had a non-profit organization called "Journey of Hope." I will admit, I had a selfish cause for the organization, but that selfishness was quickly replaced with generosity. The purpose of "Journey of Hope" is to let cancer surviving patients know that there's someone out there rooting for them and that there's someone who cares for them. I am able to do this by putting together a hope bag which consists of a shirt, socks, hat, shirt pin, pen, tumbler, tea cup, and a wash cloth all with the "Journey of Hope" logo on it, body wash, soothing tea, soothing lotion, crossword book to keep the mind going, and a book of positive affirmations. I also explain why I'm giving them the gift bag and a few words of encouragement.

"Well, how is that selfish?" Is what you may be asking yourself. "How can it be selfish if you're helping people?" It's selfish because I started the organization for my own personal gain. It was the summer of 2020, and I was in the fifth grade. I was preparing for the sixth grade when I would graduate from primary school and migrate to high school. In my country, we "graduate" from primary school (grades 1-6), and then we graduate from high school (grades 7-12). There was this acknowledgment at all the schools called "student of the year." This title was given to the most decorated and well-rounded student of the graduating year. I wanted that title so bad because I believed that if I had this title, colleges and schools would be more inclined to want me at their school and give me a scholarship.

The librarian at the school I was attending had been working with me from pre-k, preparing me, molding me for this title. If it wasn't for her, "Journey of Hope" may have never existed. She was the one who made the first gift bag and took me to the cancer surviving patient so I could present the gift bag to them. She was able to help me reach out to the cancer surviving patients throughout my community because she is a part of the cancer association in my country.

I hadn't fully accepted it as giving back to my community. Not until I presented the gift bag, said my speech, and the woman who I was presenting to broke down in tears. It brought me to tears as well. To know that it was actually touching these people and that I was actually making a difference.

Even to this day, as I'm writing this, I'm wondering, "Is this considered giving back to my community if it started off with a selfish cause?"

The only thing I can think of is yes. If I had continued with that selfish cause of just doing it for my own selfish gain and not putting emotion into it, then it would be selfish. However, I didn't continue it with that selfish reason.

I want to let cancer surviving patients know there IS someone out there rooting for them, even if they don't believe it. That they have someone on their side, and that someone is ME. I want to give them a reason to live another day, to give them a reason to not give up.

I believe I accomplished that to a certain extent, and I want to continue that. Spreading love, joy, and hope around the world, one hope bag at a time.