Local Community Involvement Programme

From 10-12 June 2013, 4^th Advocates had a 3-day local CIP which was filled with meaningful activities including cleaning the school and elderly home as well as serving at Willing Hearts. At first, we were disappointed with the cancellation of our OCIP. However, people usually say that it is really no point if you serve strangers but you have no heart for your own community. With that in mind, the local CIP ended with great joy and fulfillment as we can pay back to the society where we currently live in. 

Serving, no matter where you are, always gives you the same feeling: Peace and love. 

Local CIP was an exhausting yet enriching experience. On the first day, I was given the responsibility to lead the Advocates to clean the school. Honestly, it was quite difficult to estimate how long it would take to clean each venue (CC, LTs, chemistry labs). At first, I thought it would not take so long to clean the area and thought that we might be able to finish our duty ahead of schedule. However, it turned out that cleaning the school was laborious and we did not manage to clean some rooms (AVA and furniture store), partly because many Advocates did not turn up on the day itself. As I cleaned the chemistry labs, I realised there were only 3-4 staffs in charge of cleaning all the chemistry labs. The labs were dirty and there were bits and pieces of broken glasses scattered on the floor. This was because many students irresponsibly swept the glass pieces under the tables when they broke some apparatus instead of throwing them to the proper dustbin. Therefore, from this experience, I have learned to be more responsible and considerate towards the cleaning staffs. I promise myself to pick up litters if I see any in school. When doing experiments in science labs, I would clean the tables/floor properly if I spill any chemicals or break any apparatus. Lastly, I would also greet any of the staffs when I see them as I realised that simple acts of acknowledgement could motivate them and brighten their day.

On the second day, I was really glad that I finally had the opportunity to clean someone’s house and chat with him/her. I was even more glad to know that the auntie whose house my group cleaned could speak English fluently. This allowed me to get to know her, despite some difficulties to keep the conversation going. From the conversation, I came to realise that many elderly here are indeed lonely. It is really a pity to see that they have to live independently at such a fragile age. Coming from a country where ageing population is not a huge threat, I could not imagine myself having to live alone when I grow old. Therefore, I promise to be more enthusiastic in doing the Big Sweep project, despite the exhaustion after long hours in school. I realised my presence could really bring her joy and ease her loneliness, at least for a day. I will also try to think of what questions to ask before visiting the auntie to keep the conversation going.

-Bonaventura Kevin, 4th Saints Advocate

Our 4th Saints Advocate serving and learning together at Willing Hearts

Day three was the walk in Pulau Ubin. It was my first time getting my feet on that little green island and I had no idea what to expect. Minutes into the trip I was greeted by a bite by a mosquito and a fright from a stray dog. It was both tiring yet enchanting to walk 3.3km and admire the wilderness. I was glad that such a place still existed in Singapore amongst our concrete jungles as it enabled me to appreciate nature and bask in the atmosphere of the early Kampong days. It reminded me of the heartwarming Kampong spirit!

Appreciating nature and spending time together as an Advocate family in Pulau Ubin :)

-Lim Yen Theme, 4th Saints Advocate

CCA Recruitment / Open House 2013

On 12^th January 2013, our college held its Open House to welcome prospective students with a display of our vibrant school culture by exhibitions and performances by our numerous CCAs. Later on 20^th February 2013 was the CCA fest for the new students of our school, to help them find the CCA of their interests. On these days, the Saints Advocate took to the crowds, to advocate our cause and to seek out the new Advocates to share our flame.

Publicity items (: the 'Heart Plaster'

Throughout the whole journey of planning and designing our Advocate booth – to best display our purpose as Advocates as well as our one year’s journey in this CCA – I have gained a lot of experience and insight to the importance of time management.

During Open House when we first set up our booth, I felt that the task force was not very ready and that the display boards were too hastily made. Although the boards were extremely creative and informative, there were considerations that we had failed to take into account, such as the small font we used for the introductions on our various projects. The concave set-up of our booth also deterred many from walking forward to examine our boards closely. It was undeniable that many of the Advocates also felt slightly disheartened that most students who came for the Open House were more interested in what subjects the school offers rather than the CCAs available. Being turned down numerous times or simply being consulted on matters of the school’s academic achievements made us feel that the effort we put in to construct our booth was much under-appreciated  Nevertheless, we still gave it our best effort and approached many groups of students and parents who walked past our booth to advocate the cause that we stand for.

Setting up the booth in the morning before Open House (:

Due to time limitations, the booth during Open House did not turn out as effective or appealing as we expected, and that was a great concern for us. Fortunately, we had a second chance to revamp our booth for the CCA Recruitment day. With the new lease of time, better time management and more help, we successfully managed complete all our props by recruitment day.

The banner of Saints Advocate held high

One of the most satisfying props that we completed was an approximately 10m long banner that proudly hails "Saints Advocate". At first, the task force thought that it would be almost impossible for us to complete that banner in time as it stretched longer than a classroom floor and was long and wide, making drawing the alphabets difficult and tedious. Despite having to stay back in school many days to complete the banner, we worked at it with perseverance and managed to finish it three days before the actual day. Through this arduous activity and others, I felt that we had also strengthened our friendships within the task force.

Our Advocates beside the 'sign-post of events'

Furthermore, what I felt we did well in was the creation of a sign-post structure that showcased to the juniors some projects that they can look forward to in joining Saints Advocate. It attracted much attention and I felt that it was the best prop as it applied directly to the JC1s and gave them a rough idea of what to expect as compared to just finding out our past experiences. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to approach some of my potential juniors, helping me to step out of my comfort zone as well.

The CCA Recruitment task force, and the hard work of the entire Saints Advocate

All in all, I feel that the members of the task force have all grown from the experience, greatly unrecognizable from the very first time we came together. Seeing our juniors now, we could truly say that our recruitment efforts have been quite a great success!

-Natalie Keong, 3rd Saints Advocate

Wheelchair Basketball 2012

Being in the Wheelchair Basketball Association (WBA) task force has allowed me to experience a sport I had never known before, experience just how a sport can transform a person’s life. It was a very meaningful experience for me.

Through wheelchair basketball, I learnt that sports are not only an avenue to have fun, but also a way for people to connect with one another. Many physically disabled people are conservative as they are afraid to express themselves. They tend not to interact with the society due to the strong social stigma.  However through wheelchair basketball, they no longer see themselves as simply disabled persons, but as sportsmen, and this helps them to give them confidence and break away from their fear. When they see themselves differently, and open up to people such as our task force, we cannot see them as the same anymore either.

Training session at UWCSEA

This platform allows them to make new friends not only with other disabled, but also with the able-bodied people. The collaboration of the WBA with the Ngee Ann Wheelpower Club, and also with our school Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) is a very good example. We have both attended training sessions at the United World College with the WBA members, and spent time understanding the sport as well as the sportsmen. This interaction allows them to gradually come to terms with their disability and people’s initial awkwardness around them. Acceptance is forging a relationship, and a relationship is a two way connection. However, I have noticed that some disabled people are skeptical about the society’s acceptance of them. What we, as part of society, can do for them is to open our arms and accept them.

Saints facing the wheelchair giants

In our project, a lot of preparation and contacting was required. My group and I did much planning, and at times we were disappointed with the rejection of some of our ideas. We had to make many changes multiple times to suit the beneficiary. Also, it was rather difficult to contact the different stakeholders as they may take a long time to reply. However, all these challenges turned out to be beneficial as it helped to improve my communication and leadership skills. I can better understand what it means to be a leader and the responsibilities I have to take up.

On the competition day itself, many unforeseen problems also cropped up. Having to make swift decisions then, I learnt how to be flexible in my planning skills and not to rigidly follow schedule. I also learnt the value of never giving up. Although the stress was immense, I didn't give up and continued on, putting in my best effort.

Saints feeling the difficulty of the game, but enjoying themselves nonetheless

Moreover, I also learnt the importance of seeking opinions from other people such as teachers and group mates. My own way of handling things might not be the very best. Through help from others, I could have further improved the plan, thus enabling things to run smoother.

-Larry, 3rd Saints Advocate

The end of the event, but the wheels that have been set in motion will keep turning.

Project Acknowledgement 2012

In August 2012, the 3rd Saints Advocate Project Acknowledgement task force initiated their project in school to acknowledge the hard work of the non-teaching staff - janitors, canteen staff, lab technicians and security guards - and to say a big 'Thank You' to them. The task force created heart montages for each group of our Unsung Heroes, from pieces of jigsaw that the students wrote on and designed. Beside expressing our gratitude to the staff who work hard behind the scenes, it was also a warm reminder to be grateful for the people in our lives.

Project acknowledgement was a great learning experience for me as it taught me how important it is to show appreciation for and recognize the hard work of others; every “thank you" that we can easily say would go a long way in touching the life of another.

Words of thanks from the entire student body to our Unsung Heroes

Due to its timing, we had to find a balance between studying for our upcoming exams and managing this project, and it was not always easy. We faced a few setbacks (such as missing puzzle pieces etc.) and many challenges that required time and effort, which we managed to overcome as a team and with the help of other advocates.

In this project I realized that sometimes, we tend to overlook the hard work that others put in to makes our lives more comfortable, as much as we overlook the significance of our response to their work. Whether we look at them, give them a smile, or greet them in the corridor, it shows if we really care. It shows whether we think of them and their work as less than us, less than a teacher or principal that we greet (even this is on the decline).

Poster put up around the school to remind people just to SMILE (:

Hence, I feel that carrying out this project has enlightened me about what it means to show gratitude, and how important and valuable it is to be grateful. The time and effort we invested in this project was well spent, and although I can't say that I enjoyed every minute of it, it was certainly an enriching experience that I would gladly go through again. All in all, I feel that we have succeeded in expressing our gratitude to the janitors, security guards, and non-teaching staff, and in encouraging the student body to do the same.

The security guard "caught" reading the 'Thank You' card

Like Mother Teresa once said, being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. We should always remember to give our thanks and show our concern to the people around us. That would make the lives of others better, as well as our own.

-Si Ling, 3rd Saints Advocate

Simei Care 2012

When we first embarked on this project, I had no idea what we had to do. Firstly, we had didn’t know much about Simei Care Centre and secondly, we were the first batch of Advocates to work with this organisation. In the process, we faced many setbacks and there were times when I felt like giving up, but the encouragement and support of the task force members was really heartening. Knowing that I was not alone really motivated me to persevere through.

An auntie at the centre showing us her handmade bouquet,
which we sold to raise funds for their cause

We spent hours researching on the various mental health conditions and also went down to the centre to find out about their needs. The more I knew about the mental health patients, the more I felt compassionate for them. It was not their choice to have such conditions; it might have been the result of trauma from going through a painful incident, or even passed down by genetics. Yet the society that we live in, which could possibly have helped their conditions by giving them the love and care they desperately need, instead showed a lack of sympathy and understanding that caused them to be stigmatised and shunned. The staff from Simei Care Centre also told us that some of the members do not go home because their family members do not understand them and see them as a burden to the family. After having a better understanding towards mental health conditions and Simei Care Centre, I really believed wholeheartedly in the cause that we were advocating.




Term 3 was really a busy term for me. Almost immediately after Common Test, we were told to start work on our project. There were times when I felt discouraged, especially when our proposals got rejected again and again. As someone who sleeps early, it was the first time I stayed up until 4 o’clock midnight just to make the presentation video. Even then, there were still a lot of amendments that had to be made to the video. However, the immense happiness and sense of satisfaction was indescribable when our video was finally approved and shown in school.

Publicity poster: ACCEPT don't ALIENATE

Being in a task force, teamwork is very important, and I am very grateful to have such cooperative members, providing each other with support whenever we needed it. I could clearly remember the times when we stayed back in school for rehearsals the days before our presentation, the times when we stayed up late to amend our slides and scripts through the internet, and the times when we came to school as early as 6.30 am to familiarise ourselves with the script and the stage while the Cultural Centre was still empty. Although tiring, it was a unique and unforgettable experience that I have gone through with the other task force members.

Boards that share more about common mental illnesses
and the activities of Simei Care Centre

It was not easy for us to cope with the heavy workload, especially with one of the task force members leaving us. In addition, we had to juggle with our academics with Project Work getting busier and MSA2 around the corner. Thankfully, we were given a lot of help from the St. Andrew’s Autism task force.  We even met up on weekends to work on the boards and come up with ideas to make it more appealing so that more people would read it and be aware. The fundraising and exhibition during the mental health awareness week wouldn’t have been possible without their help (and of course not forgetting the help from the other advocates for manning the booth)!

Our Teacher's day sales to raise funds for the Simei Care Centre

This project really taught me a lot. It has been a difficult journey for all of us, but we managed to go through it together, as a task force!

-Hui Koon, 3rd Saints Advocate

JC1 Service Learning (SL) Day 2012

On 8th August 2012, the JC1 cohort participated in a Service Learning project organised by the 3rd Saints Advocates, H2O Hope to Earth. Travelling in their classes, the students arrived at HDB estates in Hougang, Punggol and Potong Pasir to share messages of water conservation, and collect old newspapers and clothes for recycling and donation. Back in the school hall, greeted with a T-shirt montage of the Hope to Earth logo, they concluded the event with an explosion of Saintly chorus, singing National Day songs, and remembering our family, in this nation, in this community, in this school, and in each of our hearts.

Being part of the Service Learning Day task force has certainly been a unique experience for me! Not only was it my first time planning a college wide Community Involvement Project (CIP) project, it was also the school’s first time organising a college wide CIP for an entire cohort of students to go out and do CIP on the same day.

I could feel the pressure that was on my entire task force to plan every single aspect of the event well. I remember sitting down for many discussions with the entire task force and working with the many ideas that we have come up with. However we discovered that coming up with ideas was one thing, carrying out our ideas and making it work was another. Given our busy schedules, we failed to meet some deadlines and in the end could not carry out everything as we had planned. Despite being slightly disappointed, our taskforce was very united in carrying out our assigned tasks and strived to do it well. From the experience, I learnt not to focus too much on the things that we cannot do, but rather divert our attention to the things that we find possible to achieve and do them to the best of our ability.

Service Learning Day for the JC1s was not just an ordinary CIP project. Being on the National Day eve, it reminds us of what we as youths can do to contribute to our society, to do our part in building up the community. It is heart-warming to hear that my peers enjoyed the time spent spreading water conservation messages to HDB residents as well as collecting newspapers and old T-shirts with their classmates. The ultimate success indicator of this project was not the amount of T-shirts and newspapers that everyone has collected (though it certainly was an overwhelming amount) but the joy of going to reach out to the community as well as the learning process of my peers in this Service Learning Project, what they have gained from carrying out this project. Having come a long way to engage our fellow schoolmates in advocacy work, we could really feel the support from the student body for this project through the enthusiasm they showed on the day, and also by the numerous photos and reflections shared on our ‘Saints with a Heart’ Facebook page for community service.

The recce before the event to distribute pamphlets was also extremely fun and tiring! Initially it seemed like a lonely task as only a few people from each class had to go, but we tried to be optimistic about it and found it to be an enjoyable new experience and great bonding time. It reminded me that regardless of what we do, it is our mindset that determines the outcome: what we can learn from the activity that we undertake and whether we will gain anything from the things that we do.

Apart from this I am also very grateful to the Advocates that have helped in one way or another to make this SL day possible. Regardless how big or small each contribution is, every amount of help from the teachers, the Advocates, and the student body all worked to make this SL day a great memory, and I hope that this SL day project has enabled each and every one of us to grow as a person.

-Shu Li, 3rd Saints Advocate

A full display of the Saints spirit: community builder, servant leader!

For more photos and reflections, you may visit our Saints with a Heart facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/saintswithaheart

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

Work Attachment at Gawad Kalinga (Jeremy)

I was actually rather indignant about participating in this CIP work attachment because I was already so busy with my other commitments. It was because of these commitments that I did not participate in the OCIP but considering the timeframe for the work attachment is much flexible, I thought maybe I should take it up, try something new while benefitting the community.

Though my attachment is rather short, officially it is only about a week long, but it was a pretty enriching week. My work attachment was with Gawad Kalinga, an organisation serving to bring the poor out of poverty in mainly the Philippines but is now reaching out to other developing nations. I got to work with Shruti, a fellow saint advocate, and Rina, a full time worker at the office.

In this 5 days, half of the time was set aside for the planning of our task force fundraising project that we would execute when school reopens. 

Shruti and I would discuss, brainstorm ideas, and do the various planning for the successful execution of our project.

However, I was most impacted by the cause of the organisation and the belief that the full time workers, the beneficiaries and anyone related to GK had for their work. GK is an organisation that is all about the people. 

The first thing that Rina spoke to us about was not about how we should go about doing the fundraising and how we should try to make as much money as possible. Instead, she said that it is not about the money, it is about the cause, how we should focus on the work that the organisation is doing, what they are advocating for (which is to bring people out of poverty), and create an awareness around that. 

She was also glad that we were attending this work attachments and interns that want to advocate and raise awareness of GK rather than those that were fundraising.

After hearing what she spoke of and her passionate believe in the work of GK, it has also greatly inspired and changes my attitude towards social causes. 

Whenever we embark on a project to help the community, we must always remember why and what are we working for. For GK we were working towards bringing the poor out of poverty, through the means of providing them funds to build shelter, farms allowing them to build closely knitted communities that allow them a comfortable, peaceful, safe environment as compared to those in the slums. 

Hearing about the impact I would create, it was inspiring and made me want to champion the cause even more. I had taken part in social projects before but I was often blinded by the hard work and setbacks that I would forget about the vague understanding for what I am championing. This time, I was greatly enlightened by what it means to work for a cause and to have great believe in it and I hope it would inspire me to go further with my GK project.

-Jeremy

Work Attachment at Gawad Kalinga (Shruti)

Gawad Kalinga Hope initative

When I first chose GK as my work attachment taskforce I was clueless and I basically thought it was an organisation that raises funds and builds homes for the poor. However in the very first meeting with the program coordinator I was proved wrong.

Gawad Kalinga is an international charity organisation that aims to help the poor families live in bright, colourful and conducive homes. 

Before GKH enters the slum, the people there generally are territorial and uncaring the extreme hunger and poverty makes them undignified and succumbing to the harsh circumstances of poverty but GKHi builds homes for these people teaches them to care for one another and nurtures a caring community.

Gawad Kalinga as I realise now is all about the people. It doesn’t do work just for the sake of building homes to improve the living standards of those in the slums. 

It empowers the people by showing them that they can live a better life by taking up this opportunity. Apart from building homes the GKHi gives each family a specific plot of land and they can choose if they want to grow cash crops or crops for consumption. What I really like about the organisation is that it empowers people. It shows them they have a choice in moulding their own future. This way the slum people will feel dignified and will work even harder to come out of the poverty situation.

Furthermore the full time workers like Mr. Paulo and Ms. Rina are really passionate about the work they do. The people who work here also strongly believe in working for this cause because they want to end poverty and by being the brothers’ keeper. 

In this way a caring and cohesive community is nurtured. Their stories are inspiring and we as interns can see the bigger picture, that is the need to support and champion the cause for what it is and not merely for fund-raising.

The organisation way of tackling the problem of problem is also really commendable because it teaches the poor to be self-sufficient and live with dignity. They do so by playing a part in contributing to the construction of the homes instead of just sitting there waiting for it to be handed to them.

To conclude Gawad Kalinga as its name implies gives care and its work is beyond each individuals’ own materialistic selfish goals and it aims to bring up a community of people who are there for each other and progress as one community.

-Shruti

YFC: Reflection/Testimonials (CSL)

Volunteers' Testimonials

Being part of this charity concert has made me realize that I can always use my God-given talent to serve the community. No matter how insignificant it is, I learnt that if something is done whole-heartedly, no effort will be in vain. 

-Efrata, performer in the concert

It is a very tough job to hold a concert, from preparing the technical aspects of the concert to ticket selling. However, when we earn some profits and use it to help the VWO, all our hard work is paid off and I am satisfied.

-Winnie, backstage crew

Team's Reflection

Through the looking glass:

We have learnt that for a project to be successful, We have to take into consideration many possibilities that can arise instead of making assumption. A project which is only based on assumption will not be realistic, thus, the chance of success is very low.

We have also learnt publicity plays a very important role in determining the success of the project, especially a concert. With a strong publicity, the audience will be more impressed and more willing to support the group. This also helps to raise their awareness regarding the social causes that we are trying to advocate. Sometimes, it is not about how much fund we can raise but rather how much more other people understand and sympathise with the disadvantaged children who we are trying to help.

Finally, we have learnt that team work is extremely important as it lays the foundation for a project to succeed. Without co-operation of all the members in the team, we cannot go far. We need to make use of everyone’s strengths to make this project work. If we want to go fast, we go alone. However, if we want to go far, we have to go together.

Looking Within:

Through the project, I have learnt about time management i.e how to manage project without sidelining my academic work. I also learnt how to control my temper even when things seem to go wrong. Besides, the lesson of patience and understanding is also something essential that I have picked up from executing the project with my teammates.

I have learnt a lot from my teammates who manage to work really well even when they are under tremendous stress. They always keep their minds straight and focus in the project regardless of all the obstacles along the way. Their encouragement in hard times helps me to hold on to the project until the very end as well. I really appreciate for having teammates like them. I also learnt how to reach out to other people by demonstrating understanding, care and sympathy. I learnt to persuade people to support our social cause as well.

After the project, I realize that I have grown so much as a person. I know I still have to learn more and participate more in various projects to support more social causes so that I can gain more experiences, understand more and reach out to the less fortunate people in this society.

Youth For Causes Project has changed my perspective of life. I believe that a happy life is not only about having money or being rich but it is more about understanding other people, caring and sharing.

This experience has changed the way I view people. The sales of our tickets for the concert was really bad and we were all extremely worried about not being able to cover the cost, much less make profits. Thankfully, the Saints Advocates (CCA in our school) helped us by manning the booth for the sales of tickets, volunteered as ushers, runners, backstage crew on the day of the concert, helped clean up and tried to garner people to buy the tickets to our concert. Thanks to them, the concert was a huge success and we managed to fill up more than half of the 1000 seats.  It showed me how help can be rendered so generously and willingly by others around us, and how fortunate we are to have people around to help us.

Looking Ahead:

We can contribute to this community by volunteering as a tutor to the young children at the home. These young children need help in their school work and as junior college students, we are equipped with sufficient knowledge in order to aid them in their assipgnments and pull their grades up. In addition, we can also help this community by involving them in our class CIP projects, raising awareness of the home as well, so that more people will know more about the home and the lives these children lead. 

Work attachment at CWA :)

I had my two week work attachment programme at this voluntary welfare organization - Caregiving Welfare Association - located at Buona Vista.

Caregiving Welfare Association, otherwise known as CWA, is a voluntary welfare organization focused on eldercare work. CWA has expanded its scope and emphasis on direct eldercare services to help seniors age better, while continuing to focus on support and inculcating responsible and knowledgeable caregivers.

CWA provides 3 main services. They are namely Elderly Healthcare Assistance, Welfare and social support, as well as Education and Awareness.

My part of the work attachment programme was quite simple. As part of the welfare and social support programme, a day care centre was set up for seniors to engage in meaningful social activities including therapeutic programmes and recreational sessions, handicraft-making sessions and so on. All I had to do was to make the elderly at the day care centre feel welcomed, as well as to lead some of the handicraft sessions.

This was the very first handicraft I learnt at the centre! Handmade swiss rolls using simply towels, ribbons and tape.

This was also the very first time I had to lead in a handicraft session. Honestly, I was very nervous and worried at the start. What if the elderly cannot understand what I am trying to teach? What if the elderly are not interested in what I am teaching? However to my surprise, the elderly were very interested in the making of the swiss rolls and they picked up the skill very fast! In the end, we had to end the session early as we ran out of materials to make the swiss rolls due to their overwhelming response :)

Next up was the making of earrings! This was one of the handicraft sessions I enjoyed the most. Even though it was quite difficult bending the wire, getting the crystals in place and piecing the whole earrings together, the sense of achievement and accomplishment at the end was awesome!

Can you believe that these flowers were actually handmade by the elderly at the centre? All they used were scrap plastic bags and copper wires!

This is how the flowers will look like at the end :)

This bear is also hand sewn by the elderly at the centre!

So..... where do all these handicrafts go?

They are finally put on sale at street sale events held by CWA themselves! :)

Eventually, all these money earned would go back to the elderly at the centre through social and welfare programmes such as food rationing!

Overall, I have learnt a lot through this work attachment programme. If given a chance, I would definitely go back to CWA to help again :)

-Yun Lu