Gia Bac that captured our hearts

OCIP Trip to Gia Bac, Vietnam

Arriving at Ho Chi Minh Airport, full of smiles (:

The OCIP trip to Vietnam was a very meaningful and eye-opening experience for me. This has been said time and time again by all of us and I think that only goes to show the extent of its impact. This trip marks the second time I’ve been overseas for community work and I’m happy to say that both trips were great and in their own different ways. The Vietnam trip has definitely helped in forging closer bonds in the CCA, expanding our horizons and awareness for issues surrounding the world and most importantly, motivated us to do more for the less privileged.

A beautiful Gia Bac sunrise

Opening the fence to welcome in another new day!

Piglets :D

            It is quite the common sentiment that the most memorable days would have to be the days we spent in Gia Bac. It took us two days to reach the village because it was situated really far away so I think we were all really excited and pumped up to be finally at the village. I still remember the journey in the bus- we were all sleeping and the bus was just completely silent and going up the very rocky and (dangerously) steep road, surrounded by clouds and mountains. I woke up and was pretty startled to be suddenly up in the mountainous areas but the view was really a sight to behold. There were also small families of wild boars on the way and it was the first time in the trip that I saw boars there so I was quite happy since they looked adorable. 

Just arrived at Gia Bac, Mr Harry briefing us

            I also remember the villagers that were idling and just sitting on their wooden stools, wondering what a bus filled with strangers and boxes could be doing in Gia Bac. The villagers were all really friendly and welcoming, albeit a bit wary and cautious of us. When we waved at them from the windows of the bus, most of them returned the gesture while some probably thought we were intimidating and resorted to hiding behind their doors or houses. It is really nice to compare how they were like before and after our stay and it does warm my heart to know that we have touched the lives of such different people, no matter how slightly. 

The house of a family of five or six

The adorably shy kids (:

            On the first day at Gia Bac, I was involved in the Publicity work and we had a tour with Mr. Harry around the village (the village orientation) and it was a slow walk, focusing on many little details that shaped life in the village for both the teachers of the school and the villagers themselves. We went into the house of a 15 year old boy (if I recall correctly) to understand the life of a high schooler in Gia Bac and also the conditions the villagers live in. The house was made with many pieces of wood nailed together and it consisted of a very humble and simple room with a small kitchen at the back. The boy and his siblings were present (the boy was the only brave soul who dared to talk to the strangers and Mr. Harry) but their mother was out in the fields. 


            One thing that caught my eye was their care for nature. On a wooden ledge there sat a little green bird and I didn’t realise it was there until Mr. Harry pointed it out and tried to pick it up. The bird was really small and fluffy but it was injured and couldn’t really move about so I think they brought the bird in to care for it. This is a really small gesture but considering how they don’t have enough for themselves and yet still have the heart to care for a bird really touched me. Besides going into the boy’s house, we also went around to see many things like the houses the teachers lived in, the disparity that is present even in the village (the different building structures) and the local clinic, to name a few.

The Gia Bac clinic

The only primary school there

            Since I did not get the chance to teach the children, I can’t say that I have been deeply impacted by them. I spent most of the time doing construction work and we were tasked to build a water tank and a drainage system of sorts for the toilet and the tank. On the first day, the construction progress was slow because we didn’t really know what to do and I think we weren’t feeling the rush yet as well. We also started late and did not finish a lot of things, but it was a good start and prepared us mentally for what was to expect the next two days. 

Clearing soil and uprooting plants

            Construction work was of course, very taxing and for us to do it under the sweltering heat for hours continuously was draining. I had to clear the soil (it was more of a mixture but I don’t know what it’s called...) from the drain and transport it elsewhere, which meant that I had to continuously bend down and go back up for hours. My back ached for two days after the end of the construction. There were also lots of interesting things that happened during construction- while digging the drain for the toilet, we dug into a maggot nest and we could see all the little maggots crawling from the hole in the ground. There were also lots of earthworms and exotic insects. As much as they frightened and disgusted us we had to continue working to complete the work. The construction work was tedious and very labour-intensive but it has taught me a few things: to persevere, never give up, and endure the pain and weariness and to also face my fears. It was also good that I could now understand what life is like for the construction workers in Singapore and by working together with so many other people in the CCA, it is inevitable that we grow closer and cooperate better.

Laying bricks and cement

The wheelbarrow became a good friend

           Although I never had the chance to interact with the children (I didn’t interact with them much in the other village as well), from the stories my friends tell, the children are really precious and loving. Some of the children plucked flowers from the bushes and gave them to my peers while others often dropped by the library we stayed in just to say a Hello to their teachers in school. They are really thoughtful and I can understand why my friends didn’t want to part with them and cherished every moment they shared together. In the other village (ahhh, forgot its name sorry ><), one of the little girls plucked a fruit from the tree and put it in my palm. We were prohibited from eating anything the children gave so I felt quite bad for returning the gift but it was nice of them to give me something. When we were leaving in our vans, the children also ran after it just so they could catch a final glimpse of us and say their goodbyes another time. They always ran and found shortcuts to the road, and I thought it was extremely sweet of them to do that and it showed that we did bring about happiness to them, at the very least. 

Teddy bear as teaching material

Playing games with children in Phuong Thinh village

            To end off, the experience was really enriching. The exposure to poverty to not just a term we see being used in textbooks and books really opened our eyes. I’m sure everyone learnt to cherish everything that we have back home in Singapore but more importantly, to help make lives better for anyone in any way we can. Knowing that there are such nice and warm-hearted people out there who live in such conditions motivate us to do more for them and more for ourselves. Mr. Harry, Quang and everyone else in Vietnam who volunteered are also great sources of inspiration for all of us. They have selflessly sacrificed so many things and all for the good of others while never failing to remain humble and friendly so I believe that we can too. This trip has changed many of us for the better and I think the 3rd Saints Advocate is ready to bring the CCA to greater heights.


-Esther Soh, 12A06, 3rd Saints Advocates.

And we grow stronger as Advocates (:

World Play Day 2012

World Play Day is an international event celebrated by 25 countries across the globe. Its purpose is to encourage family bonding through play. This year MYMCA hosted this event for the 5th year at the Kallang Leisure Park.

World Play Day Taskforce

Upon knowing our role of organizing the performances for World Play Day, we immediately started contacting various performing arts groups and CCAs from our school and other Junior Colleges and Polytechnics. However, we met with a quagmire of difficulties. These ranged from the serious problem of being rejected by every performing arts CCA in our school, as it was in the heat of the performing arts season, to the simple difficulty of deciding on a date to meet our event organization. There came a point in this month of preparation when we feared to believe we would not even come close to our target of number of performances we had set ourselves at the start. With only one 3 minute performance for a period of 3 hours, we took this apparent failure into our stride and poured in even more effort. Such perseverance found us many performances in the end! With the day drawing close, everyone was really excited and it warmed my heart just thinking about how far we’ve come.

Till the very last day before the event, the task force was still working hard to tie up loose ends, to ensure the smooth run of the event. On the day itself, things largely worked out as planned, but many impromptu changes had to be made and I was impressed again with our members’ adaptability and efficiency when improvising to unforeseen situations.

Performances on stage

Throughout the day, we were most delighted to see the audience enjoying the performances and the event. World Play Day 2012 allowed all of us to leave everything aside and to wholeheartedly have a good time, even if it was just for one day. Even though the entire planning was hectic and frenzied, from the turnout of the event, I believe it really ended a success!

The Finale!

Watoto Children's Choir 2012

On the 7th of April, our Saints Advocates, in conjunction with World Vision Singapore, organised a concert performed by the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda, right here in our College's very own Cultural Centre.

We would like to thank World Vision Singapore for providing the Saints Advocates and SAJC this precious opportunity to organise and host the concert, and inviting us to their Thanksgiving Tea, where we shared the joy of the success of World Vision and the Watoto Children's Choir. Such an experience has certainly left an impact in our lives.



We have Natdanai, the I/C of the Watoto task force, and Efrata, the Vice-President of the 2nd Saints Advocates, to share their thoughts and feelings for their 6-month journey leading up to the concert, and their time at the Thanksgiving Tea.

     

What did this “concert of hope” mean to me?

    
Imagine you yourself being able to bring about a lasting impact in the lives of others. As part of Saints Advocates, I am a servant leader. Before embarking on this 5-month long journey, I never knew what it meant to make a commitment. However, as I went through this event, I began to feel my entire life pledged to a commitment, a commitment to change others’ lives for the better. To me, the Watoto Children’s Choir was not merely another concert. Instead, it was life-changing.
   

 
As the IC, I bore a great responsibility in ensuring that the objectives of the concert were met. Working on this project, I acquired many skills, both expectedly and unexpectedly. I would never imagine myself capable of creating an acceptable piece of artwork, designing the poster and concert tickets, which were quite well received. In addition, not only have I learnt to be more responsible and work better as a group, I have also become more appreciative of the true value of life and I am very thankful for that.
    

    
Furthermore, as our motto states, “Saints Advocate: Advocating Changes, Inspiring Lives”. I wanted us Advocates to discover the value of empathy. I wanted to encourage, bring hope and remind the children from Uganda that they are not forgotten. I wanted the unhappy to cheer up and the abandoned to feel cared for. Ultimately, I wanted every single one of the audience to return home with big smiles on their faces and even bigger ones in their hearts. Therefore, to achieve this success was a must!
      





The journey was certainly not smooth and was filled with ups and downs. On our first day of ticket sales we barely sold 10 tickets! At the end of the day, I was heartened to realize that our 1000 tickets could not keep up with growing number of kind-hearted souls, with some unable to acquire tickets for the concert.
     

       Faced with the various difficulties throughout the course of the project, I was not deterred. Instead, I learnt to work under pressure and became more determined. Above all, I wholeheartedly believe that as I worked with the Watoto children in glorifying God, He would never abandon us.

Of course, organizing a concert was no easy feat, but this quote always encouraged me to strive for the best: “Tiredness is just temporary but pride and a peace of mind last forever.”
      

     
Lastly, I am convinced that we would not have achieved this level of success without any of the Saints Advocate members, without the support from our Saints and the public but most importantly without the hope and joy that the Watoto children brought with them.

-Gamee Natdanai Jungpairoj

~Our Saints Advocates~

Efrata's reflections:

24^th April 2012

I am writing this note one hour after the tea-party session with the Watoto children and the other stakeholders in World Vision’s new office. There are many thoughts going through my mind and mixed feelings in my heart and it is really hard for me to explain what and why, but I will try my best.

At the start of the reception, I felt really 'small'. The others who were invited were all important people; they are pastors from many churches in Singapore, the World Vision Singapore's president, the leader of Watoto Asia Tour from Hong Kong, and Natdanai and I, two young SAJC students wearing our school uniform, carrying backpacks.

I had a good chat with many people from different churches, sharing how we hosted the Watoto choir. Many of them were really impressed that in SAJC, the concert was arranged by the students. They could not believe it, so they started asking us about our CCA, Saints Advocate.

I also talked to one of the adults from the Watoto choir, Nicholas Byamukama (he asked me to add him on facebook haha). He remembered our school! He said "Saint Andrews right?" I was so excited that they actually remembered our school! So he started asking me who am I, why did I arrange the concert, what CCA I am in (he didn't understand the term CCA before that I explained to him) I had a good time telling him about Saints Advocate. He was shocked when I told him that we call all the students in our school 'saints'. I told him about my CCA, what we do, serving people, helping the poor, initiating projects, and raising awareness. He was very impressed by my story. He went on to say "your school is really sweet. I remember the gifts you gave us at the end. That was really really sweet. There are so many gifts that you gave us; the books, the bottles, and many more!" I smiled. A lady who was standing next to me suddenly said "you guys gave them gifts?" She was really surprised that we actually went an extra mile to show our appreciation to the children. She commended our efforts!

Another story was when I spoke to one of the girls. Her name is Lyan, 13 years old. She said she loves the food in Singapore. She said she loves our school, SAJC. She also mentioned that her favourite songs were Mumba Sawa and I'm not forgotten. She was smiling all the time even though I was asking her a lot of questions. She patiently and politely answered my questions one by one. (I really wouldn’t mind bringing her back to my hostel to be my sister, seriously!) She told me that they have to practice 5 months before they could go for the tour. When I asked her what will she do after the tour ended, she said "I wanna come home to Uganda". She said it with a big wide smile on her face. So I asked "you look really happy that you're going back to Uganda soon." And she replied, "Yes, I miss my family." And I felt a pang inside my heart, I miss my family in Indonesia too; I think I know how she feels.

Another adult from Watoto, Michael told me that SAJC is the best school. He actually said it three times and it was awkward because I kept on saying thank you, thank you, and thank you. I was touched. I do not know whether he said it from his heart or just want to make me happy, but I am glad, and really delighted that they remembered SAJC. Although they performed in so many places in Singapore, they did not forget SAJC. I believe that it was our all-out efforts that had made an impression in their hearts and made them remember our college.

I had fun. I had lots and lots and lots of fun. Just talking to them for few minutes have encouraged me so much to persevere in pursuing my dream to serve the community. This feeling of satisfaction, knowing that whatever we have done did not go in vain, knowing that we have touched their hearts in one way or another, knowing that people actually appreciate what we have done, reaffirms me on my future path that I want to pursue. I want to serve the community till forever. It does not matter if your dream is to be engineer, businessman, teacher, pilot, or whatever, you can always use the talents you have to initiate changes. The bottom line is to never stop serving the society, the poor, the needy, and you will never stop touching hearts and transforming lives.

"I heard SAJC had done a great job! The next time Watoto comes to Singapore, SAJC should be given the priority to choose their date!" said the president of World Vision Singapore. I'm contented.

Efrata,

Vice President

 2^nd Saints Advocates

      

Trip to St Andrew’s Autism Centre

On the 11th of April 2012, our JC1 Saints Advocates together with their teachers went down to St Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC) to spend a meaningful afternoon learning and understanding more about autism, as well as to interact with the children with autism that SAAC schools. We also managed to interview Ms Michelle, who works at the SAAC, about her work there and the challenges and needs of SAAC.



Reflections of our Advocates:

Upon our visit to their school hall, where all the children gather for their CCAs, I could see that the children there are all very active. They would run around and do their own unique actions without noticing the people around them. This sight really helped me understand what a child with autism is like, and what it means to be living in their own world without interacting much with others.

The teachers there also shared with us the story of a child with autism who was bullied in a main stream school and had to transfer to the centre. The child was not able to speak to others for a whole year and a half. This short story really touched me, and showed me how discrimination against a child or person with autism can be a more detrimentally affect their lives than the autism itself. We have to give them our support to encourage them to live a fulfilling life just like any of us.

I feel really sympathetic for the children with autism. They are just like us, but because they lack the basic skills to communicate they do not have the ability to live a normal life. I sincerely hope that more people would love them and accept them, that they can lead a happy and meaningful life. When we build them up, with our hearts and love, they will transform us as well.

-Yu Jun

Today we had our learning journey to Saint Andrews Autism centre and we had the chance to see what a school for autistic children was like and I’m sure it was an enriching experience for every single one of us. Even though these children and adults are autistic, live in their own world and have problems with social interactions, they are still human beings like you and I and we have to learn how to understand them more and be more accepting towards them.  At first I was a bit apprehensive because I didn’t know what to expect from this trip, and even when we first saw the children, I was taken aback by some of their bizarre behaviours. It was new and strange to me, but I realised that those actions were their ways to express themselves where words could not.

We did not interact with the children much because they would be overwhelmed by seeing such a big group of us. The tour around the school made it clear that much effort and design was put into constructing the buildings and rooms, which are very different from mainstream schools and are all tailored to meet the needs of the children and adults with autism. It was very interesting and eye-opening. Hearing from the teachers and staff, managing the children’s behaviour is one of the greatest challenges they face. Each child is very unique and has their own routines and habits, and emotional meltdowns of the children occur on a daily basis. Communication is the key to understanding these children.

Overall I felt that I now better understand what autism is about and the difficulties that people with autism face in their lives. “Understanding before Advocating” is very important and we should seek to understand them, to see the person first and autism second, before we can be their voice in advocating their cause. The people at the centre inspire me to try to reach out to more people in the community with their patience, tolerance, love and care towards the children and adults. I definitely hope that we can go back and get to interact more with the children! :D

-Rosabel

Interviewee: Ms Michelle, External coordinator of St. Andrew’s Autism Centre

Challenges you face:

I think much more than the challenges we face here is the challenge parents face concerning their child’s life issues. Some major concerns like what would happen to their child with autism when they grow old? The parents may ask: do I leave everything to my child? My child may not be able to use the money, who’s going to take care of my child? If my child is not an only child, should I load the responsibility on my other child? I have heard stories from parents of how their daughter or son is very careful in considering a partner for life, because they are keenly aware that they have to support his/her sibling with autism for life. So he/ she may not be willing to start a family. These are very real issues although they may not talk about it.

That’s why there are also sibling care and parent networks to support them and help them in these areas of need, because as non-profit charities, we are here to serve the community where they are in need.

Needs for St Andrew’s autism centre?

One of the needs now is fund raising. The school is pretty well supported, with support from MOE and NCSS, but the adult services have very little government funding, and we sometimes have to write to foundations to get funding. The cost to support each adult client in the centre is about S$2004, very high. They all pay according to the means testing fees, the lower paying ones under the FAS paying around $25, and generally S$100-S$1500 for the regular clients. The adult services really need more help. We need to raise about 1million to support them.

Do you have any needs for volunteers?

For major events we always need volunteers. For camps especially, even though it is mainly the staff that coordinate the activities, we need a lot of volunteers to help in planning the camp, organizing events, as well as managing the logistics like catering. It would really help take the load off the teachers as it is very tedious for one teacher to support one child and also be running the camp. The Boys Brigade came over to put up a performance for Children’s Day and the teachers could at least rest. So we welcome any creative ideas to help the centre.

How can we Saints Advocates help?

Learn more about autism and accept the people with it. You have to know and understand them before you can advocate for their cause. If you are really passionate about helping people with autism, those who are interested to work closely with SAAC can contact either Michelle or Jesse and we will tell you further on how you can help. On an individual level, you can spread awareness of autism to your friends. If you see anyone who is autistic, protect them, don’t join in the bullying. You can also come together with your friends from other CCAs, like dance for example, and put up a performance or organize an event to raise awareness and funds.

MYMCA CIP: First project undertaken by 3rd Saints Advocates

31st March 2012

On the 31st of March 2012, the 3rd Saints Advocate helped organise and participated in a Community Involvement Project (CIP) with Metropolitan YMCA (MYMCA), in which the students visited various houses under the MYMCA’s food aid to gather the beneficiaries’ latest information for the updating of their profiles with the MYMCA.

This trip to MYMCA was our first CIP trip as a 3rd Saints Advocate, our first exposure to the community outside of school grounds and one that marks the beginning of our journey as servant leaders. In our two years to come as a Saints Advocate, there will be numerous CIP projects that we will embark on. However, our projects might not always be successful. The first time we carried out this CIP project earlier in March, it fell far short of MYMCA, our teachers’ and our expectations. Unclear about what we had to do, we left many crucial holes in our data collection that made it useless to MYMCA. After realising our mistakes, we contacted and apologised to Tracy, who had coordinated the project for us, and offered to redo the project. She kindly allowed us a second chance.

We didn’t want to disappoint Tracy and our teachers again, and most importantly, the many beneficiaries whom we were responsible for. I made a little promise to myself then that we were going to do this with our utmost effort - and indeed, we all did, and we were able to see the reward of our efforts.

The experience of the home visits was a very impactful and inspiring one. Seeing the poor living conditions of these less fortunate people, it really saddened me to think of all the things we have
taken for granted in our lives. Going to their houses and going through our required list of information, scanning and making copies of their identifications, bills and bankbooks, it felt almost like they were laying their lives before our scrutiny, and although receiving help should not be a thing to be ashamed of, then it certainly felt without dignity. I wanted so much to able to do something to help, that none of them would have to live in such desperate holdings. Hearing stories from Tracy about hostile beneficiaries, it was rather hard to imagine. However, even with the more “forceful” beneficiaries removed by Tracy from all our visiting homes, my group did visit one elderly man that reacted quite violently toward us. He lived in a comparatively well furnished house, and when we stated our purpose, he hotly remarked that MYMCA cannot do much to help him and that we were wasting his time. It angered me slightly that he was so ungrateful of the aid he was receiving, when many others may need it more than him. However it is not for me to judge his case, so I just noted down my observations for MYMCA to review. Overall this CIP gave me some insight to what service work may be like. Engaging in helping others, we will be touched and inspired many times along the way, but good intent does not promise being appreciated, yet every setback can remind us and direct us back to our simple desire to love.

Lastly, I also want to share that the eagerness of the Advocates to do the CIP right the second time really surprised me. Freeing a Saturday morning and gathering punctually at the early hour of eight before heading out to all their respective houses, the compassion of every Saints advocate was evident, and their desire to serve the community unmistakable. Though in this CIP, we did not really do much to help the beneficiaries or MYMCA, but it is with this same passion and determination that we will strive make a difference in the lives of others, and for those we do touch, it is one more life inspired. I hope that we will keep this passion burning strong inside us throughout our journey as one Saints Advocate. Up and on!

-Pang Hui Jun