nEbO’s W.I.S.H. – Promoting the Spirit of Youth Volunteerism
More than 450 youth volunteers from nEbO’s W.I.S.H. Care community are starting this new year on a positive note. For this entire month of January, they will be contributing their time and energy to bring smiles and brighten up the lives of more than 400 beneficiaries. W.I.S.H., which stands for Ways In Sharing Happiness, aims to promote youth volunteerism and encourage young people to make an impact in sharing happiness and to better the lives of others.
W.I.S.H. 2015 kicked off on 3 January starting with “Adventures with Animals”. Volunteers from nEbO-ITE College East CCA Club brought 20 beneficiaries from Jamiyah Children’s Home to Farmart Centre where an educational talk about animals was conducted. They learned about the various behaviours and characteristics of birds such as quails, chickens and pigeons. They also learned about the life cycle of a quail and how it was supplied to the Food and Beverage industry. After this, the children had an art-and-craft session with the volunteers, where they learned leaf shading and how to make a bookmark. At this event, youth volunteers had a first-hand experience of befriending the children beneficiaries.
With over 10 different events and projects to be part of, the beneficiaries range from underprivileged children to the elderly. Not only do the youths have the chance to give back to society and help the less fortunate, they also get the opportunity to hone their leadership skills and teamwork values while spearheading the community projects.
“Through this year’s W.I.S.H., we hope to share happiness with even more people as compared to previous years. For Paint A New Hope, our youth volunteers increased from 117 the last round to 275 this year. We had painted about 20 homes then, giving these less privileged families a fresh coat of paint in preparation for Chinese New Year. This year, we plan to paint and refresh 55 homes,” said Ms Loraine Ng Wan Ting, chairperson of W.I.S.H. 2015 Paint A New Hope.
Some other activities this year include a social entrepreneurial bazaar and an introductory ukulele session. Youth volunteers will also collect donations and unwanted clothes and shoes from the public for needy families and engage the elderly beneficiaries with adopted dogs for pet therapy. The full line-up of W.I.S.H. 2015 events and projects is available in the Annex.
W.I.S.H., which was initiated by youth members of nEbO’s Care community in 2009, is part of their community service events and activities to get youths Life-Ready. The Care community engages youths to instil a sense of social responsibility in them and encourage them to give back to the community through volunteerism. The Care community has grown significantly since its inception in 2007, and now has over 100 activists and champions who actively plan and organise the community service opportunities available for other members.
“In 2009, W.I.S.H. was started by a small group of youths who had raised food rations for about 20 underprivileged households in the East area. Today, this has grown to be a month-long, island-wide event that touched the lives of more than 400 beneficiaries. Our youths have worked with new charitable organisations and they have even inspired their friends in developing a true passion for community service and volunteerism. Through such large-scale initiatives like W.I.S.H., we hope to further promote volunteerism among our youths,” said Ms Lim Kay Min, Director, Community Engagement & Membership, NTUC Club.