“I used to be part of a CCA which worked with Special Needs individuals at the organisation Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). Every week, we would prepare activities and games to do with them and keep them entertained. This experience has opened my eyes to how they are diverse, unique individuals who have something special to offer the world. Hence, they should be given more voice and importance in our community!” - Noor Kamilia, MCI
“I was part of a volunteer group with SgIS mates in university. It brought me tremendous joy in accompanying beneficiaries from the voluntary welfare organisation, MINDS, for simple grocery shopping and ended the day with an enjoyable nostalgic movie (881 – Singapore musical comedy drama film).” - Tan Jian Liang, SP Group
From top: Group photo taken at Sungai Yu.
Tiger Claw mark found on a tree’s bark.
“The most memorable volunteering experience has to be CAT Walk, which was organized by NIE’s Service-Learning club in collaboration with Malaysian Conversation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT). It was a fun experience knowing that I have made a positive impact in the environment, for a group that are unable to voice out their sufferings.” - Thomson Ang, MOE
“I had the enormous privilege of volunteering with wildlife veterinary services in Limpopo, South Africa during my University days. As a veterinary volunteer, I shadowed a wildlife veterinarian in the field and assisted with game capture and relocation. One of the highlights was flying on a helicopter in pursuit of a darted eland.” - Christine, NParks
“A volunteering experience that inspired me was a charity book sale I organised as part of the Humanist Society (Singapore) in collaboration with Effective Altruism SG. The proceeds were donated to The Good Food Institute, which pursues innovation into plant-based food alternatives. This showed me that volunteering doesn’t just have to be about giving your time and/or money, but it can also be guided by evidence to ensure that every bit of effort and every dollar is stretched to do the most good it can do.” - Ashley, MSF
““During one of the volunteering events at Thye Hua Kwan Nursing Home, I was attached to an elderly patient with dementia for an arts and craft activity. Towards the end of the event, she asked if I will be back to see her, and I promised her that I will be back. Around a month later, I volunteered at the same nursing home and was really looking forward to engaging with the same patient. However, when I approached her to ask if she remembers me, she had forgotten who I am. My encounter with this patient made me empathise with the caregivers of demented.” - Eunice Shannon Teh, SIT
“I volunteered in Kenya for two or three weeks after my finals in University. Even though life was difficult for [the kids there] with insufficient food, no proper classroom, torn and tattered clothing, they did not give up on learning. Seeing how the kids make do with so little yet continued to stay positive and happy really made me think how fortunate Singapore kids are, and that true happiness really comes from within.” - Clarinda Wong, SPF
“I initiated a project in Raffles Junior College which involved providing interactive English lessons for 15 underprivileged foreign students. The project was particularly memorable as we were doing everything for the first time! This project allowed me to appreciate the difficulties faced by foreign students, and how we as Singaporeans can do our part to help them assimilate into the Singapore community.” - Jun Liang, IRAS
“The very first volunteering project I organised as a Values-in-Action representative in Secondary Three has always left a deep impact on me. We organised active-aging trails with Radin Mas CC, going door-to-door to reach out to stay-alone seniors. I still remember feeling great joy seeing the happy faces of the seniors at the end of the trail when they asked us to bring them to more sites. These memories continue to be precious, and have motivated me to continue to serve my communities ever since.” - Le Yi, PA
“I am currently volunteering as a mediator as the Community Mediation Centre (CMC), Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST). It is rewarding to assist parties who are so entrenched in their positions in resolving their disputes by finding common interests.” - Wei Ling, SLA
“I volunteer as the President of my secondary school’s Alumni Executive Committee and was invited to represent the Alumni in the School Advisory Committee. Being involved in the discussions on the school’s directions has allowed me to better appreciate our educators’ effort to groom young global citizens. This further reaffirms the work we do at Changi Airport Group (CAG), to continue to provide a well-connected world-class gateway for them and many others.” - Yi Hui, CAG
“In Secondary 3, I participated in the Overseas Service Learning programme at my school, which was a year-long programme culminating in a service trip to the Philippines to teach English and help with landscaping and painting at a Gawad Kalinga village. It opened my eyes to the struggles and bravery of those who are less fortunate, and showed me how I could help to ease their burden in my own small way.” - Karen, NCSS
“In 2019, I organised a trip to The Food Bank Singapore with colleagues from my division. The Food Bank collects donations, then distributes them to people who need it. My colleagues and I spent an afternoon sorting and packing food into appropriate categories. It was informative to hear from the staff about food insecurity in a food paradise like Singapore.” - Sharon, CAAS
“I took part in the Scientist-in-School program organized by A*STAR for scientific outreach to secondary schools. Specifically, I mentored secondary school girls from Singapore Chinese Girls School (SCGS) and shared with them how scientists conduct neuroscience research. It was very fulfilling to see their interest and excitement in neuroscience, which I hope can be further cultivated so as to encourage more female participation in STEM fields.” - Dr Sarah, A*STAR
“During my polytechnic days, I went for an overseas community project in Cambodia, Prey Veng. We went there to build and restructure some facilities for an orphanage, and teach the children basic English. The children were easily contented with the simple gifts that we bought for them. It was eye-opening experience. Looking at the environment and living conditions, we should be appreciative and thankful for what we have in Singapore.” - Zhi Xiang, SPS
“I was in my early teens when a group of us would gather food supplies and daily essentials to distribute it to the elderlies living in one-room HDB flats along Bukit Merah. I believe volunteering at an early stage in life is important because I was at a young crucial age where I was constantly absorbing and forming my views of the world. That’s all it really takes is to be human, and we learn how to be better humans by helping others.” - Sheryl Yap, DesignSingapore Council