The IT Gen Fest
The junior membership arm of the Labour Movement (NTUC) in Singapore, lifestyle club nEbO (short for ‘Nobody Enjoys Being Ordinary’) that works with youths between 12 and 25 is celebrating their 16th birthday this year! Inspired by the Gen Z slang ‘It Girl/ Boy’ which is used to refer to influential persons, nEbO presents the It Gen Fest this year, with the theme of championing youths as a main character in their own rights, through the actions that they do in their life or with nEbO.
With a series of programmes that will last from June to September, the objective of the It Gen Fest is to provide youths with an array of engagement activities and membership benefits tuned to their needs and demands. Some of these exciting programmes include Volunteering Sessions with underprivileged children, Sneaker-painting Workshops and more!
Jian Jie and Irfan are two nEbO leaders who embody the It Gen Fest’s theme of making themselves the main character in their lives and that of people around them.
At the tender age of 14, Jian Jie was first exposed to photography in secondary school when it was a mandatory subject in the curriculum, which sparked his passion in the intriguing practice. His interest and talent in photography was further nurtured at nEbO when he joined the youth club in 2014, after nEbO engaged his school through volunteering opportunities and interest groups. The club provided Jian Jie with a platform to hone his skills and embark on his journey as an apprentice photographer.
Jian Jie’s time at nEbO and its photography interest group proved invaluable to his current photography career. It offered him abundant opportunities to practice as well as cultivate relationships with fellow photography enthusiasts, fostering a supportive community. It was during these years that he networked and built the foundations for his burgeoning career.
Standing strong with his craft, Jian Jie set up his media company, J Square Photography, in 2017, at an inspiring period of his life when he held the title of nEbO champion, which recognised his championing of the vision and mission of nEbO. Even though he is now an alumnus of the youth club, he is always ready to give back to nEbO and its youths.
Jian Jie fondly recalls contributing his skills of photography for various nEbO events throughout his years of being a nEbO leader, where he was a member of nEbO’s photography interest group. One of his most cherished experiences with nEbO that will always hold a special place in his heart is the International Kids Immersion Programme from China, where nEbOians took the children on an enchanting journey through the Botanic Gardens. It was incredibly rewarding for Jian Jie to be able to witness and capture the smiles of these kids while they enjoyed themselves.
Another memorable experience for him was Pixel, a special event for nEbO’s photography interest group, where budding photographers were posed a challenge to push their limits and hone their skills. Jian Jie had the honour to take on a leadership role for the event, where he managed and ran the event alongside talented peers.
With hopes to step out of his comfort zone and expose himself to new experiences beyond what he was familiar with, including dedicating his time to numerous meaningful causes that nEbO advocates, Irfan joined nEbO back in 2021 when he was a firstyear student in ITE, under the SAC (Service Ambassador Club), a partner of nEbO. One of Irfan’s most memorable experiences with nEbO was as one of the members who led the CSR Project to the slums of Batam in 2022, when he travelled on his own for the first time – an experience that he never thought he could afford then due to his family’s financial situation. It was also an eye-opening trip for him, where he witnessed the difficult situation faced by another country that was vastly different from the comfort that Singaporeans enjoy, leading him to change his perspective in life and learn to appreciate what he had.
Inspired by this opportunity that had been entrusted to him, Irfan continues to actively participate and contribute with the nEbO community, taking every chance he has to give back to society as much as he can.
Some of the other nEbO programmes that Irfan has took part in over the years, which enriched himself as well as others around him, include:
• nEbO Care4U IHeart Project
• nEbO Bake Some GOODies v3.0
• NTUC Youth Task Force
• nEbO Beach Cleanup with Compassvale Sec
• nEbO Leadership Workshop
• Represented nEbO for May Day Rally 2023
• Interviewed NTUC Labor Chief, Secretary General Mr Ng Chee Meng
• Attended Forward Singapore LM Convo with DPM Lawrence Wong
Irfan hopes to continually bring joy and happiness through his work with nEbO, with the aim to even plan some volunteering programmes on his own in time to come.