YFC: Reflection/Testimonials (CWA)

Volunteers from Road Show at NEX Shopping Mall:

“This experience has shown me that some Singaporeans, despite being said to be selfish, still have hearts of compassion that are willing to help. Looking at a lady who donated 50 dollars touched my heart and made me believe that there's hope for a better tomorrow, not only for the elderly, but also for the needy in the world so as long as we keep on fighting for what we believe in.”

- Efrata Puji Harsono 

“The most valuable lesson learnt to me is that sincerity is the thing that matters the most when it comes to helping the less fortunate. Through helping out, I realised that most young people like me tend to undervalue the pocket money given by our parents to us, some of us may take the money for granted or just spurge on items that we desired. The thought of donating some portion of the money away may probably be the last thing on our minds. As I watched the YFC group members counting the earnings for the day, I see the importance of how every single cent plays a significant role in attaining the final earnings. From this, I really understand how fortunate the young people are today and that every cent that we contribute can really cause a great difference on the lives of the less fortunate. I strongly believe that young people should involve themselves in more community work if any opportunity arises. If there is a chance, I would still choose to take part in helping out as a volunteer again and encourage my friends to do so too as one can achieve a sense of fulfillment as he sees that he himself can also do his part in giving back to the society.”

- Ng Cai Ling 

“What impacted me the most was the effort that everyone contributed - the CWA core team (Vincent, Gina, Nguyet Anh, Sheena) organising and running the event, student volunteers enthusiastically promoting the cause to the public, the CWA staff who ensured the smooth execution of the roadshow. I was particularly impressed with Mr Chiang, an elderly man cared for by CWA, who was willing to spend his time helping out at the booth, making key chains with thin fishing line and tiny beads that required high dexterity.” 

- Jaren Lim 

“The event is truly exciting and memorable. I had a chance to show my compassion to help old people by selling things for charity. I had fun as well. I was taught how to make balloon sculptures and badges. I had chance to interact with people from young to old and some are even willing to donate large sum of money for our fund. The event also provided me with opportunity to interact with students and teachers from different classes in my school. In overall, it was a fruitful time for me and i was thrilled that the event was a big success.”

- Le Anh Tuan 

Team's Reflection

Being a participant of Youth For Causes 2011 was really an enriching experience. Given another chance, I would like to take part in this meaningful cause again. Through these tough 15 weeks, I have managed to learn a lot about myself and also about others. YFC has provided me with the chance to gain experience in social entrepreneurship and that has certainly boost my confidence level when facing the public. Being in a group of 4, I have learnt many about my teammates. 

For example, Gina is a meticulous person, Anh is a hardworking individual and Sheena is a dedicated team leader. Communicating with my fellow teammates is really an ease and enjoyable as each of us have different ideas but in the end, we still managed to accept each other’s opinion. 

YFC has changed my perception about the elderly in Caregiving Welfare Association (CWA). Throughout this journey, I have learnt a lot about how the elderly in Singapore is being neglected and not taken care of. Although there are associations such as CWA to help them, they still lack the funds and may also need more support in order to carry out their operations. For example, building a mini healthcare centre in CWA is a priority as having outsourcing medical treatments to outside organizations require a lot of money.  As for me, I think I can help them by helping them to raise funds, but in the end, I think the most key idea is to direct volunteer. This includes volunteering at CWA to mingle with the elderly and to communicate with them.

Being through this long and tough journey, I actually found it very enjoyable as we can express our opinion freely besides building up on our entrepreneurship skills. I also learnt to communicate better with other people besides being more confident. In the future, I will certainly recommend YFC to my fellow juniors, and also the whole school so that more people will know about this cause. I will also try to work on other projects by collaborating with other VWOs as I would like to try on something new. The next thing I would want to do is probably holding a charity marathon or a concert. 

-Teh Wen Shun

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The 15-week YFC journey is an unforgettable experience in my life. 

The most important lesson is to manage my time efficiently to cope well with my academics and to complete YFC tasks. I realize that all of us have limited amount of time and prioritization of work is very significant in order to achieve the best possible outcome. There were times when our street sales clashed with a critical examination period. I had to pay more attention during lessons and maximize the time in class to digest knowledge so that I would have time for our YFC project. I learnt to treasure my time and make every minute meaningful. As a result, our project ended well and my academic results were satisfying.

The next lesson learnt is to work effectively as a team. Each project involves a lot of tasks which cannot be handled by an individual but should be completed by all members of a team. It is necessary to have an efficient division of work among members according to their strength and weaknesses so as to maximize their potential and attain the best result for our team. Throughout the process, I have discovered that I am good at interacting with people in selling items but often neglect small details. Thus, I was responsible for street sales and my teammate was in charge of accounting. 

The YFC project has equipped me with necessary skills such as time management and teamwork which help me prepare thoroughly to survive and thrive in this increasingly competitive world. I will try my best to utilize these skills effectively to attain higher achievements in the future. Moreover, I will maximize my strength and work on my weaknesses such as trying to be more meticulous. 

Thanks to our project, I am more aware of problems faced by the elderly and their caregivers. This is a serious issue in Singapore because she is experiencing fast rate of ageing population. Therefore, organizations such as CWA are becoming more important to our society. Besides, I have learnt that many senior citizens need our physical and emotional support while many of us see them as a burden to society. Youths should learn more about eldercare to help their ageing relatives.

After the closure of YFC, our group will continue to support CWA. We plan to execute more fund-raising events so as to provide state-of-the-art equipment which aids eldercare. We also intend to carry out an interactive workshop in various secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics to raise awareness about challenges encountered by the elderly and the role of caregivers in our society nowadays. 

-Nguyen Nguyet Anh

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Through Youth For Causes (YFC), I had a real taste of what it is like to organize a fund-raising event from scratch. There are so many behind-the-scene matters that one would not really get to know unless it is a hands-on experience. Although I did not have a strong interest towards entrepreneurship, but I wanted to challenge myself to do something that I have never attempted before. This allows me to grow in areas that I have never been able to tap on, to gain knowledge of some of the strengths that I never knew that I could use to my advantage and some of the weaknesses that I never knew I could work on. 

During the project, I was placed in-charge of the rental of event location which is an atrium in a shopping mall and volunteer management.

Regarding the rental of event location, I held a very important role of selecting a location for the roadshow that is easily-accessible by the public. With the low budget we have, rental have to incur as low as a cost as possible. I found this to be quite a tough job after sending several emails to almost all of the shopping malls in Singapore with atriums as only two shopping malls replied - Anchorpoint and Nex shopping mall. Luckily after a few discussions and negotiations with Nex shopping mall, we managed to obtain a three day rental from 26^th to 28^th August of the Event Plaza free-of-charge from the Nex management board.  

This was after a previous attempt to rent the Event Plaza from 5^th to 7^th August but was rejected last minute which caught us aback for a while. This taught me to always be prepared for last minute changes and to adapt quickly to new adjustments as no time can be wasted in panicking over the changes. This was further brought out by sudden changes in some volunteers who could not make it to the roadshow last minute. Many of the times, my team planned for the event to occur in a certain manner. However, I had to accept that things may not go smoothly in reality so I often had to rebut my friend’s suggestions to ensure that the best ideas are picked for the event to occur smoothly. Criticism is not entirely bad; it should actually be encouraged since the formation of a team is for the very purpose for team members to question each other’s suggestion to modify current ideas to make way for even better ones.

Through this project, I also managed to learn of my strength to be able to directly walk up to members of the public and publicizing to them verbally regarding our roadshow event. This require a lot of courage and persuasion skills which made me especially satisfied whenever a passer-by is willing to take a look at our booth after I had approached him/her. However, I have to admit that one of my weaknesses is the ability to stay interested in a particular job for a long period of time. I realized that in order to overcome this, I should not push myself to stay interest but instead to handle different jobs from time to time. This is one of the most enriching learning point I have obtained through YFC as I am able to apply things that I have learnt about myself to my daily life, school work and also the future. 

Although preparations are long and tough, but it is worthwhile when I get to see the fruit of my team’s efforts paying off. To be able to educate the public on the much-needed support the elderly require from the society had warmed my heart as many more are aware of the needs and are able to make decisions that can benefit these elderly in need. Many a time, people say that the elderly are in need, but often, we don’t realize how large that need is and that every support counts. 

Lastly, I had the privilege of working with team mates who are largely responsible and hard-working. This makes the entire exhausting yet satisfying experience even more enriching; the friendships forged will go a long way because we have a common journey. We once had a common goal, and although that goal is reached, I can affirm that each one of us have more knowledge of how to contribute to this society of many needs. Through this experience of helping out this particular sector of the society, I am curious on how I can contribute to the rest. Perhaps the animal society, or the youths or the young. No matter what sector I choose to challenge myself to contribute to next, I owe YFC this opportunity to be able to give back to the society. I hope that many more would be enriched through YFC just like how I did.

-Gina Hiu Feng Ping

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Through this enriching experience, I learn that I need to stay committed to it so as to ensure the success of the project. I learnt that I am capable of doing things as long as I make an effort to try. It also taught me that I have to work well under stressful situation and learn to deal with it appropriately. Certain strengths that I have discovered about myself are that I can work well under stress and I know how to manage them well. For example, I do not crack down easily. Instead, I am able to look for alternatives to solve our sticky situation. 

Other than that, I feel that I was able to communicate skillfully with people. For example, I sent emails to many different kindergartens in Singapore to ask for their help with our flower petals project. I was able to exchange emails with the kindergarten principals to communicate our ideas with them easily. From this experience, I realized that being a skilled communicator is really important and learn a lot from the different knowledgeable principals. At the same time, I also discovered certain weakness about me. I find it hard to juggle between academic work and the YFC project. The YFC project and my academic both required a large amount of commitment. Often I will find myself neglecting one for another. Thus, I realized that I might need better time management skills so that I am able to achieve both of my commitment at the same time.

Our beneficiary in-charge, Ms. Gladys, is an inspiration to me. She helped us greatly in the course of our project. I find it very easy to talk to her about the problems that we encounter along the way as she is also playing the supporting figure, giving us a listening ear and offering many ideas that will help us greatly. Every meeting with her enriched me as a person. I also learn that we should always give without asking for any return.

I feel that through this YFC experience, I will learn how to be a better team player and a better person. I will be more matured in my thinking and understanding towards my peers. At the same time, I will also constantly reflect upon myself so that I can look into my areas for improvement. This YFC experience taught me a lot of thing. However if I were to name only one, it would be to place others before myself. I finally find the joy in helping others and in putting myself into others’ shoe. I understand what a joyful thing it is to serve. By serving, I also gain a lot from it. I enjoyed the fruit of helping others. I enjoyed the success of our project. This also made me realized that not everything is about me, myself and I. It is when I bring joy to others, I bring joy to myself. This kind of joy is not that derived from materialistic satisfaction, but of something that comes deep within the heart.

The community that I am serving is the elderly. I understand how the elderly need so much more support than anyone of us. They are actually the most vulnerable group of people. Eventually, all of us will age and this is a phase that everyone will go through. However, it is up to the society to help create an environment that allow for them to age gracefully. I also learnt that it is every small thing that we do that will help the community. It is as simple as going down to CWA and have a small chat with the elderly there to show them that someone care for them.

-Sheena Tan

Team CWA 2011:)

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently-asked Questions

What

What are the benefits of being a Saints Advocate?

As an Advocate, you will not only be given the opportunity to participate in CIP, but rather to lead CIP projects, organize them and execute them. These CIP projects are not the boring, clean-up-the-beach kind of projects, but rather are novel and interesting. These projects also extend to overseas, through the Overseas Community Involvement Project (OCIP). Last year, Advocates planned and participated in the June Student Leaders OCIP, the End-of-year OCIP training camp, and finally the 4 different OCIP expeditions; to North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia and Batam!

In addition, as student leaders and project leaders, Saints Advocates will have a strong School Graduation Certificate, with plenty of projects to pick from. This, however, should not be a key motive in joining Advocates. Rather, we accept potential Advocates who are truly driven by a desire to help the community, and want to do so in a big way, both in Singapore and Overseas!

When

When are Saints Advocate's meetings held?

During off-peak seasons, meetings are held either weekly, or once every two weeks.

During Events season, meetings are held weekly, with additional meetings dependant on your task force.

There are no CCA meetings before and during the Exams.

Where

Where are Saints Advocate's meetings held?

General meetings are usually held in classrooms, whenever a classroom is made available and provided that it is able to suit the purpose of our meetings. Otherwise, we also often use the Geography room near the Popular bookshop. The venues for taskforce discussion are decided by the individual taskforce. These meetings/discussions can be held in school or outside of school.

Where will Saints Advocates be going for OCIP at the end of the year?

For the time being, we will be heading to countries such as North and South Vietnam, Cambodia and Batam for our OCIP trips.

Why

Q: Why should I choose to participate in OCIP?

A: OCIP is an experience that not only enriches our lives, but also the lives of needy people abroad. It broadens our horizons and allows us to live life outside our comfort zone, one that you would never experience without stepping out of Singapore.

Q: Why should i choose to participate in YFC?

A: If you are interested in social entrepreneurship, YFC is a must join opportunity. It integrates business together with a social cause, which is a very meaningful experience.

Q: Why was the common meeting time on Wednesdays and Fridays removed?

A: As Saints Advocate is a project-based CCA, the common meeting time on Wednesday and Friday was removed as it was found to be ineffective and time-consuming. To effectively maximize our potential and progress of different projects handled in Saints Advocate, it is necessary to divide members into different taskforces, whereby within their individual taskforce, they can arrange a flexible time to meet and discuss about their projects.

However, there will be time set aside for common meetings such as team-bonding exercises [originally known as (Thank God It’s Friday!) TGIF! sessions], CCA CIP,[Commence in 2011 with Gawad Kalinga project] etc.

Q: Why should I choose Saints Advocate?

A: Saints Advocate provides a platform for you to advocate a social cause, help fight social issues, to develop servant leadership qualities, as well as to enable you to learn more about yourself, the world and to enjoy many new experiences along the way.

Who

Q: Who should join Saints Advocate?

A: Any one can join, as long as you are interested in social work and have great ideas to change the world and its other prevalent problems both in Singapore and around the world. If you have a big heart for the community and are interested in social issues such as poverty, hunger, sanitation problems, we welcome you into our family!

Q: Who are the teachers-in-charge and will they be there to guide the students through every project?

A: The teachers in charge are Mrs Chia, Miss Lim Hui Ching and Mr Louis Ho. They will guide the students along each project and monitor the progress of the project every now and then to check on how the students are coping with their projects.

Q: Who are the people that Saints Advocate mostly help out and advocate for?

A: There are no specific groups of people that Saints Advocate mostly help out and advocate for. We generally advocate and help out different various groups of people who needs help. The projects Saints Advocate had done in 2010 include the Yellow Ribbon Project, Mercy Relief, Project Acknowledgement and Watoto concert.

Are the teachers the one who decide on the projects that this CCA works on or do the students decide on what type of service learning project they want to do and contact the organisation themselves?

Projects are assigned to the students by the teachers. However, students may also contribute ideas and start off their own service learning projects. For example, Project Acknowledgement was an original idea proposed by members of Saints Advocate.

How

Q: How will I be able to contribute to Saints Advocate?

A: Show enthusiasm in the projects you are assigned to, be innovative and keep a discussion going. Always keep an eye open to CIP events to introduce to the entire CCA (or to the college) and if you find something that Saints Advocate might like to take on, share it with the CCA and develop plans from there.

Q: How will Saints Advocate allow me/my child in developing my/his/her potential as a leader/ in serving community/etc?

A: Ask not what Saints Advocate can do for you, but what you can do as an individual to help Saints Advocate grow.

Real Answer: Saints Advocate opens opportunities such as YFC and OCIP, as well as other local-based projects Saints Advocate had developed in 2011 so as to enable you/your child to be able to developed effective communication skills (discussion with organizations they are working with), leadership skills (leading a project), learn to be a team player as well as other important life skills such as money management and improvisation skills.

Q: How will the projects be chosen? Is there free rein in my choice or is it predetermined?

A: The projects in 2010 are mostly determined by the teachers, with the exception of YFC projects and our original initiative-Project Acknowledgement. In 2011, you will have more free rein over the projects you may want to work on, and the seniors will determine the projects we will be working on during the first term of the year, until the junior batch is ready to take charge.

However, Saints Advocate are always most welcome to initiate new projects as long as it serves to meet a community need and enable our college to be more aware of social issues.

Q: How will Saints Advocate function if every member is allocated into different projects? Would the CCA be bonded?

A: There will be general meetings conducted to keep track of how each project is managing along the way. If any task force requires help for any of their projects, they may request the entire CCA to offer a helping hand. Also, to keep the CCA bonded, team-building activities and outings will be frequently conducted as of 2011 to get everyone to be familiarized with one another.

Q: How will I be able to opt for YFC/OCIP if Saints Advocate makes it optional?

A: You may still opt for these events with your fellow Saints Advocates or friends when the school announces these events to the SAJC community if you wish to attend. It will be a good learning opportunity so we would encourage you to take part in it if you are interested.

Others

Is being an Advocate stressful or time-consuming?

Being an Advocate requires a large amount of time and commitment. As a student leadership CCA, a lot of effort will be required to plan projects for your class, and also events for the whole school.

However, as mentioned under WHEN section, question one, there are no meetings during exam periods. Sufficient time will be given to prepare for the exams, and events will never coincide with examinations.

Can I join a second CCA?

Being an Advocate requires a lot of time and commitment. As a rule of thumb, we would encourage you to commit to Saints Advocate instead of juggling between two CCAs. However, if you are capable of juggling studies, fulfilling the duties of being an Advocate and the duties of a second CCA, you may choose to do so. You may consult our teachers-in charge (Mr. Louis Ho and Mrs Noelle Chia) for more guidance and information regarding this issue.

*Students are only allowed to join 1 student leadership CCA: Student Council, House Council OR Saints Advocate

Q: Will the CCA be hectic and take up a lot of my time?

A: Because of the nature of our CCA [Which involves splitting members into different taskforces to work more effectively on different projects], the hectic times are usually seasonal and only when the taskforce is working on its project, such as during the execution period in Terms 3 and 4. Providing manpower to other projects will be less time-consuming.

Q: I am only passionate about serving a certain sector of the community. Will I get to choose my projects that reach out to that specific group?

A: You may state your preferences to our teachers-in-charge [Mr Louis Ho and Mrs Noelle Chia] and source for various workable projects within that particular community sector that Saints Advocate can participate in.

We will consider your suggestions; however, it is likely that the final decision lies with our teachers. However, we would encourage you to do so if you really are passionate about a particular sector of the community and we would do our best to place you in a project that involve that particular community sector.

Saints Advocate would like to expose its members to all different community sectors that deserve help. We generally focus on the less popular/more obscure communities, such as migrant workers, etc, for we wish to be their voice to speak up about their circumstances that few people are aware about.

Technical Details of Saints Advocate

Expectations of a Saints Advocate

Some of the qualities we hope to see in a Saints Advocate are as follows:

Enthusiasm: First and foremost, we hope to see all Saint Advocates being truly enthusiastic and passionate about their work and the cause they are supporting. By doing so, we hope to motivate future Advocates to work diligently with their advocacy work instead of viewing their work as a burden.

Commitment and dedication: We need all Advocates to be fully dedicated to our Advocacy work despite the various commitments a student may have. Hence, we hope all Advocates will be able to be able to juggle his/her work well in order to meet the demands of Saints Advocate. (Refer to ‘Demands of a Saints Advocate’ below)

Spontaneity: We hope Advocates will take the initiative in every aspect of their school life, be it to help our fellow schoolmates, or to give a presentation or even initiate a new project/advocacy work, hence showing initiative is a fundamental value all Advocates should possess.

Innovativeness: We hope for Advocates to be creative and innovative in planning our projects to develop good problem solving skills, which are necessary when tackling problems which arise during the implementation of a project. Additionally, we hope to implement Advocacy projects in a more creative manner so as to garner the interest of the school community in supporting our cause.

Trustworthiness: As a student leader in SAJC, Advocates need to be trustworthy to be able to lead others. By practicing this value, we will be able to avoid causing unnecessary worries to our teachers due to things such as late project submissions, etc. Also, by being consistent with our promises, our fellow Saints will be able to trust us with handling any projects. This trust comes In particular when we have to lead our classmates during our own classes’ Service-Learning projects every year.

Responsibility: Advocates should take responsibility for all decisions and actions that they make instead of pushing the blame to others. We also need to understand that a wrong decision made may affect our team members, teamwork and progress of projects, hence being responsible is a very important value we hope to see in all Advocates. Additionally, there are times when a project can get dull or stressful, hence we hope that all Advocates will accept that a project they are assigned to is their responsibility and will not disregard it or reduce their quality of work.

Confidence (presenting in front of a class or during assembly sessions): Saint Advocates will also have to appear confident as a person so as to be able to inspire in others to complete a task well. Moreover, Advocates will have to make presentations to a sizable crowd from time to time, be it in front of students, teachers, principal or external organizations, hence as a Saints Advocate, we must be able to summon our courage when the need arises.

Courage: As servant-leaders, the heart to serve precedes the aspiration to lead. Often, through out the journey of servant-leadership, one must always ask oneself: Does the one being served benefit from it and grow as a person? One must have the courage to do what is right to benefit his/her beneficiaries, to be their temporary crutch [but never permanent] and empower them until they are able to do so themselves. As a leader, one must also have the courage to stay faithful to his/her cause despite opposition and make right decisions despite popular consensus. Therefore, courage is something we hope to develop in all Advocates.

We understand that it may be difficult for all Advocates to attain all of the abovementioned qualities, but we hope that throughout one’s journey as an Advocate, these qualities will be strengthened and developed well.

Ultimately, it is the desire to serve the community and to improve and develop oneself that is what we are hoping to look for in any Advocate. Having a good learning attitude is also vital. If your heart is in the right place and for the right reasons, as an Advocate, no matter what cause you are advocating for, you will find the program meaningful.

Demands of Saints Advocate

As Advocates, you are expected to be able to adapt to a very flexible schedule. Many of us work in small groups for different projects so our meetings are not fixed. They can take place anytime and anywhere as long as group members of the project you are involved in are free.

Additionally, you have the liberty of organizing your meetings and carry out your projects when at where you find it most suitable. The way you run your projects can determine its success and efficiency so do remember to be practical when planning and executing projects.

However, the flexible schedule Advocates enjoy is a double edged sword. Firstly, there may be periods of intensive work when projects are going at full strength. During these periods, you are required to stay back at school for meetings or preparations. Additionally, there are many bring-home assignments you may have to do to compensate for the lack of time to complete these assignments in school. But these difficult times only last for a short period when the project is at its climax. Hence, a tip to avoid rushing and unnecessary stress is to plan your projects properly and adhere to deadlines.

Lastly, Advocates are expected to be independent learners and to be disciplined in their studies. Since meetings and projects are not fixed, you have to plan your studies ahead or risk rushing your projects and homework simultaneously.

Our milestones of 2010: Citibanks YMCA Youth-for-Causes projects

Citibanks YMCA Youth-for-Causes: n-ABLE

n-ABLE [A group from Saints Advocate consisting of Zhen Hui (leader), Minh Anh, Andrea and Candice] was one of the participating groups from SAJC that took part in the Youth-for-Causes competition this year-an annual event which promotes social entrepreneurship.

This competition aims to involve youths to take an active, independent role in tackling the many social issues that different community sector currently face.

n-ABLE aimed to tackle the social issues that the disabled face in today’s society, such as public discrimination, etc, and empower the disabled to live a fulfilling life and overcome stereotypes by encouraging them to actively participate in sports-specifically in wheel-chair basketball.

Collaborating with Wheelchair Basketball Association (WBA), a wheelchair basketball event (HOOPS ON WHEELS - A Wheelchair Basketball Competition) in SAJC and held several street and school sales featuring merchandise such as t-shirts, files, etc, all of which were designed specially by n-ABLE. These events were done so as part of n-ABLE’s effort to raise funds to help the beneficiaries of WBA.

Saints Advocate had helped make this project a success by providing the essential manpower for n-ABLE’s events. Thus, through the efforts of everyone who had participated in n-ABLE’s fundraising events, a total of $ $3701.10 was raised. Additionally, the school is now more aware of how sports such as wheelchair basketball can be used as a platform to integrate and encourage interaction between the disabled and the able-bodied in the sporting community, where a divide between both groups is often wide.

Citibanks YMCA Youth-for-Causes: Protecteurs Des Animaux

Protecteurs Des Animaux is the name of a group of Saints Advocate students [task force: Ong Jin (leader), Li Ying, Hilary and Shawn] from SAJC selected to participate in the annual Youth-for-Causes competition in 2010.

Youth-for-Causes is a prestigious competition promoting social entrepreneurship, supported by the President’s Challenge 2010. It aims to encourage youths to take an active independent role in tackling the many social issues that different community sectors currently face.

Protecteurs Des Animaux is a social enterprise which targets both animal lovers and non-animal lovers alike to develop their interest and passion for the wildlife.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) was founded by a group of Singaporeans and registered as a society on 24th May 2001. It aims to foster respect and compassion for all animals, improve the living conditions and welfare of animals in captivity, and educate people on lifestyle choices which do not involve the abuse of animals and which are environmentally friendly.

Collaborating with ACRES, road shows were organized at various venues to raise awareness about animal cruelty. Street sales were also held both in SAJC and in other places such as in shopping malls to raise funds for ACRES.

Through Protecteurs Des Animaux events, awareness about illegal animal-trafficking and animal abuse had been raised in both SAJC and amongst the Singapore public. Also, through their various street sales and fund-raising events, a sum of $3836.25 was raised. More people are made aware of the degree of cruelty displayed to animals, and had shown their support by purchasing merchandises from ACRES and signing a petition to stop animal abuse.

Our milestones of 2010: Project Acknowledgement

Project Acknowledgement

Project Acknowledgement was an idea that was brought up by members of Saints Advocate during our service learning camp in 2010 when we were given the time to brainstorm about possible service learning projects that we could carry out in SAJC.

The purpose of this project was to acknowledge the non-teaching staff for the efforts and contributions they have put in to maintain our school and to provide us with a comfortable and conducive learning environment.

However, their efforts are often neglected by the students. Saints Advocate [Task force: Phuong(I/C), Brenda(AI/C), Miao Li, Dong Hoon and Theodore] felt that their contributions deserve recognition; hence sought to convey to them the importance of the non-teaching staff to SAJC, through a video using the analogy of traffic lights to depict the non-teaching staff.

We had hoped that this project could provide students with a platform to learn more about the non-teaching staff as well as to express their gratitude towards their contributions.

During the course of Project Acknowledgement, we had managed to come up with five different insect cards [Appreciation Boards] for the five different Houses. Students of each House were in charge of appreciation notes to different non-teaching staffs such as the AVA assistants, librarians, cleaners etc. During our publicity week in late August to early September, we had also come up with an exhibition featuring write-ups about the various ways the non-teaching staff had contributed to maintain SAJC as well as to let the students know more about their job scope and about them.

Project Acknowledgment was a success because although this project was held during the Promos and JC2 prelims period, most SAJC students still made a conscious effort to take some time to write notes of appreciation and decorate the cards their class were issued.

Through this project, students had also managed to learn more about what the non-teaching staff does and the contributions they have made towards our school.

Without them, we would not enjoy a conducive environment to study in. Hence, we hope that this project could be sustained by the future Saints Advocate members in years to come.