Volunteering opportunities 

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Being appointed as the group leader for this VIA project at St. John’s home for elderly persons, I learnt to embrace teamwork, be receptive to constructive feedback, and develop problem-solving skills. Given a tight timeline, we had to ensure we set aside time to work on the article as a group. With CCA and family commitments, we could not decide on a time to do the article together, face-to-face. Hence, we decided to work on the article online via WhatsApp calls and assigned parts to do by our deadline. Whilst trying to maintain the quality of the article, I learnt the importance of constructive feedback, which played a huge role in refining the flow and content of the article. 

This opportunity was a learning experience as it taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and taking the initiative to try out for a position/role. Although it was my first time emceeing, it helped me develop my confidence and public speaking skills. Moreover, from this VIA experience, I was able to engage with the elderly and strengthen their passion for music by performing for them. Furthermore, singing nostalgic songs like ‘Tian Mi Mi’ also allowed them to reminisce about cherished memories, creating a heartfelt and joyful atmosphere. Through this e-VIA, I grew to appreciate the beauty of music in bridging generations and evoking cherished memories. 

In conclusion, engaging with the elderly reinforced my attention to detail and adaptability to ensure that the activities and songs chosen for the elderly were tailored to their preferences.

Role: Vice-Chairperson 

Procrastination has been many students’ nightmare and enemy. Hence, I took the initiative to collaborate with my peers and start a self-initiated project to help students in my school battle procrastination through posters and promoting a study app called ‘focus plant’ that had personally helped me be productive throughout my school year. Through this project, I learnt the importance of teamwork and effective communication. With the power of teamwork,  my peers and I were able to refine our project to its absolute best by contributing equally and sharing feedback and criticisms. Lastly, I also understood that with effective communication, many problems and conflicts of interest can be diverted. 

Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the life of a migrant worker and was able to see their dedication and contributions to society firsthand, which gave me a new perspective of the challenges they face daily and the recognition they deserve. Moreover, I was also able to educate them on the importance of staying safe online and how to protect themselves from potential scams through the use of an application called ‘ScamShield’. 

Additionally, I had to be adaptable and often converse in Tamil to ensure that they effectively understood the message I was conveying. Through this volunteering opportunity, I understood the importance of adaptability, patience and tailoring services to the needs of others.

I was allowed to show the school and share its history to student visitors from Hangzhou Xiaoshan High School. Although one huge challenge I faced was the language barrier, my foreign exchange partner and I were able to resolve the problem with the help of Google Translate and talking at a slower pace. This event allowed me to boost my communication and leadership skills alongside values like adaptability and problem-solving. 

This experience aimed to ask the general public about their experience in volunteering and encourage them to take part in more opportunities to give back to society. This experience motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and be adaptable as I had to often work with people from different age groups and even generations. Moreover, this opportunity gave me great insight into service, making me appreciate the many volunteers out there whilst motivating me to volunteer more as well.

Through this program, I took part in a session of kids handicraft, which aimed to teach young children about art, more specifically, pointillism. Through this activity, I improved my communication skills as I had to explain complex ideas in a way that was comprehensible and easy to grasp  for the young children. Although some children could not fully understand the concept of pointillism and started painting to their liking, I encouraged their creativity while gently guiding them back to the said technique. Hence, this activity reinforced my patience and ability to engage with young children in a more meaningful way.

Through this activity, I helped to bake cupcakes that would were given to the needy. This activity taught me the importance of teamwork, as we had to coordinate effectively to ensure the baking process went smoothly. Seeing our efforts translate into something that could bring joy to others was a fulfilling and eye-opening experience.