The event was held on 7th June 2014 at 8am to 1pm. Our target was to raise S$15,000 with the aim of benefiting underprivileged residents in the Moulmein-Kallang GRC and selected homes and social welfare organisations.
Beneciaries such as Willing Hearts, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Bright Hill Evergreen Home, Singapore Christian Home and St Theresa's Home has recieved Rice donations. Also, part of the donations went into the welfare package that was distributed to the underprivileged residents in the Moulmein-Kallang GRC. The welfare package included items such as beehoon, biscuits and other homehold neccessities.
Thank you once again to everyone who made this Event possible, no matter how small or large of a part you have played. Without you, the event would not have been that successful and allowed us to fulfil our aims and target!
To view more photos, kindly view our FB album
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.761228583940262.1073741843.546849535378169&
[PS: The following are some reflections by fellow student volunteers of National Junior College:]
Before this VIA project, i always wondered why people needed such welfare bags. I have been living in a place where i had food to eat, clothes to wear. I had a sort of comfortable life. I was oblivious to what life was for the less unfortunate. However after this VIA, my eyes were open to my surroundings and i realised that the older people had many health problems, thus unable to work to sustain themselves. Not only that, large families had many expenses and they had to scrimp and save just to eat one meal. Some didn't even have phones! I was filled with mixed emotions. This VIA project really made me realise how fortunate i was and i have to treasure everything i have now. Giving out the welfare bags and looking at the recipient's happy faces, i felt a sense of satisfaction and i felt happy that my small little contribution lit up someone's day. I hope that i would be able to help people in future in my own little way!:)
This experience was very meaningful. It showed me how privileged we were to be living in nice environments and also how life was like in a 1 room flat. It was an eye opener as despite the fact that the living conditions were not exactly the best, the closeness and bonds between each neighbor was almost as close as one of family. To be able to be a blessing to them by giving them the welfare packs was a great sensation. This was especially so when I could really sense and see the gratitude in their expressions and voices. In one of the houses we delivered the packs to, there was a dumb man. Despite the hindered ability to communicate, there was something about his expressions and eyes that showed that he was truly grateful and touched even though we couldn't understand what he was saying. To work with someone I wasn't very familiar with was also very interesting as we got to know each other better and became closer through this. This experience has taught me not only how to work with someone I was not familiar with but also that to be happy and grateful, you really don't have to have the best but rather it has to do with perception and yourself. Eden Tay (Senior High 1)
It's been a rather new experience visiting such 1-room HDB flats, looking a little into the living environment of the residents there. It's my first time seeing such 1-room flats in real life and I'm sure that I wouldn't do so if I didn't go for the via. Some of residents were really eager to receive the welfare packages from us, as well as eager to talk to us. Sometimes other than just giving them some financial support, it would be nice for us to listen to them, even though I admit that it was a little awkward finding a suitable conversation with strangers.
And for those flats with only few selected households, it reminds me that even in a more well-off residential area, there are always people in need, and they may be even more easily neglected. Kalena Lim (Senior High 2)
This VIA was definitely a meaningful one. The most memorable moment had to be the interaction with the elderly during the distribution of welfare packages. At first I thought it would be very difficult to communicate with them due to the age gap, however, they were really happy and were welcoming us. Though the welfare packages were really heavy, I still enjoyed it because the people who received were already waiting for us and thanks us. I found it very touching as they were living in such poor condition but still smiling to me. So this made me think this distribution was worth doing it because my small action might make them happy. This was my first time seeing one room flat and such old HDB. I never thought there were people living in so poor condition in Singapore before. Like what Minister said, we cannot learn all this from textbooks. Only when we experience ourselves, we learn and know what is happening in the society. So after this VIA, I knew that I did not really aware of the current society. I would definitely wanted to participate in more VIA events like this. Furthermore, I felt that encouragements and help from friends and schoolmates were really important. I learnt to care about people around me as they helped me when I needed help. Communication was important too. Talking with my partners and the elderly made me less tired and made my day more fun. Coco Chiang (Senior High 1)
Prior to this VIA, because I have very little opportunities to interact with elderly folk as my own grandparents are either no longer around or living overseas, I usually would not be able to relate to the elderly at all when I meet them in other VIA visits to welfare homes or simply when I happen to interact with them in public. To me, every elderly person I saw on buses or trains was just an "old man" or "old lady" and I never thought much about them. However, after today's experience, visiting so many blocks of one-room flats, I look at the elderly in a different light. Now, when I see an elderly man on a bus, I think "who knows, he may be an elderly man living alone in a one-room flat with nobody to look after him" instead of just labelling him an "old man" and assuming that he's well fed and well taken care of by his family. I have learnt to go the extra mile to bring a smile to these elderly's faces because those smiles of gratitude are worth working hard for, knowing that what little I am able to do means so much for them. Today while passing a welfare pack to one elderly lady who smiled a lot, I asked her "How are you" in mandarin and was expecting a reply of "I'm fine" as is the usual practice among those of my generation, but this lady said "I'm not ok. I'm sick", which caught me by surprise. I went on to find out that she has diabetes and cataracts and that she has been living in the one-room flat for 12 years. It is amazing to see that despite facing such hardship, she is able to make do with whatever she has and still wear a smile on her face and I think that is something that I have much to learn from. Deborah Siok (Senior High 2)
Beneciaries such as Willing Hearts, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Bright Hill Evergreen Home, Singapore Christian Home and St Theresa's Home has recieved Rice donations. Also, part of the donations went into the welfare package that was distributed to the underprivileged residents in the Moulmein-Kallang GRC. The welfare package included items such as beehoon, biscuits and other homehold neccessities.
Thank you once again to everyone who made this Event possible, no matter how small or large of a part you have played. Without you, the event would not have been that successful and allowed us to fulfil our aims and target!
To view more photos, kindly view our FB album
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.761228583940262.1073741843.546849535378169&
[PS: The following are some reflections by fellow student volunteers of National Junior College:]
Before this VIA project, i always wondered why people needed such welfare bags. I have been living in a place where i had food to eat, clothes to wear. I had a sort of comfortable life. I was oblivious to what life was for the less unfortunate. However after this VIA, my eyes were open to my surroundings and i realised that the older people had many health problems, thus unable to work to sustain themselves. Not only that, large families had many expenses and they had to scrimp and save just to eat one meal. Some didn't even have phones! I was filled with mixed emotions. This VIA project really made me realise how fortunate i was and i have to treasure everything i have now. Giving out the welfare bags and looking at the recipient's happy faces, i felt a sense of satisfaction and i felt happy that my small little contribution lit up someone's day. I hope that i would be able to help people in future in my own little way!:)
This experience was very meaningful. It showed me how privileged we were to be living in nice environments and also how life was like in a 1 room flat. It was an eye opener as despite the fact that the living conditions were not exactly the best, the closeness and bonds between each neighbor was almost as close as one of family. To be able to be a blessing to them by giving them the welfare packs was a great sensation. This was especially so when I could really sense and see the gratitude in their expressions and voices. In one of the houses we delivered the packs to, there was a dumb man. Despite the hindered ability to communicate, there was something about his expressions and eyes that showed that he was truly grateful and touched even though we couldn't understand what he was saying. To work with someone I wasn't very familiar with was also very interesting as we got to know each other better and became closer through this. This experience has taught me not only how to work with someone I was not familiar with but also that to be happy and grateful, you really don't have to have the best but rather it has to do with perception and yourself. Eden Tay (Senior High 1)
It's been a rather new experience visiting such 1-room HDB flats, looking a little into the living environment of the residents there. It's my first time seeing such 1-room flats in real life and I'm sure that I wouldn't do so if I didn't go for the via. Some of residents were really eager to receive the welfare packages from us, as well as eager to talk to us. Sometimes other than just giving them some financial support, it would be nice for us to listen to them, even though I admit that it was a little awkward finding a suitable conversation with strangers.
And for those flats with only few selected households, it reminds me that even in a more well-off residential area, there are always people in need, and they may be even more easily neglected. Kalena Lim (Senior High 2)
This VIA was definitely a meaningful one. The most memorable moment had to be the interaction with the elderly during the distribution of welfare packages. At first I thought it would be very difficult to communicate with them due to the age gap, however, they were really happy and were welcoming us. Though the welfare packages were really heavy, I still enjoyed it because the people who received were already waiting for us and thanks us. I found it very touching as they were living in such poor condition but still smiling to me. So this made me think this distribution was worth doing it because my small action might make them happy. This was my first time seeing one room flat and such old HDB. I never thought there were people living in so poor condition in Singapore before. Like what Minister said, we cannot learn all this from textbooks. Only when we experience ourselves, we learn and know what is happening in the society. So after this VIA, I knew that I did not really aware of the current society. I would definitely wanted to participate in more VIA events like this. Furthermore, I felt that encouragements and help from friends and schoolmates were really important. I learnt to care about people around me as they helped me when I needed help. Communication was important too. Talking with my partners and the elderly made me less tired and made my day more fun. Coco Chiang (Senior High 1)
Prior to this VIA, because I have very little opportunities to interact with elderly folk as my own grandparents are either no longer around or living overseas, I usually would not be able to relate to the elderly at all when I meet them in other VIA visits to welfare homes or simply when I happen to interact with them in public. To me, every elderly person I saw on buses or trains was just an "old man" or "old lady" and I never thought much about them. However, after today's experience, visiting so many blocks of one-room flats, I look at the elderly in a different light. Now, when I see an elderly man on a bus, I think "who knows, he may be an elderly man living alone in a one-room flat with nobody to look after him" instead of just labelling him an "old man" and assuming that he's well fed and well taken care of by his family. I have learnt to go the extra mile to bring a smile to these elderly's faces because those smiles of gratitude are worth working hard for, knowing that what little I am able to do means so much for them. Today while passing a welfare pack to one elderly lady who smiled a lot, I asked her "How are you" in mandarin and was expecting a reply of "I'm fine" as is the usual practice among those of my generation, but this lady said "I'm not ok. I'm sick", which caught me by surprise. I went on to find out that she has diabetes and cataracts and that she has been living in the one-room flat for 12 years. It is amazing to see that despite facing such hardship, she is able to make do with whatever she has and still wear a smile on her face and I think that is something that I have much to learn from. Deborah Siok (Senior High 2)