Issue 15 : Overseas Community Involvement Programmes ( OCIPs )
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Issue 15 : Overseas Community Involvement Programmes ( OCIPs )
Author : Mr . Bhargav Sriganesh
Background
• Community Involvement Programme ( CIP ) was first introduced in Singapore in the late 1990s . Students were required to engage in community service for a stipulated duration annually . However , the flipside was that too many students were participating in episodic activities without aiming to create a sustainable impact in the lives of beneficiaries .
• In 2000-2001 , service-learning was introduced , emphasising more on the process of needs assessment , preparation for community service and reflection . Service-learning is an important and at times mandatory component in the curriculum of secondary schools and junior colleges . Stated objectives of service-learning include assistance to underprivileged communities , greater awareness of citizens ’ needs in surrounding countries and development of empathy tothe plight of others ( Cheng Chye 2010 ).
• Service-learning projects take place in neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia , East Asia and South Asia . Prominent locations in Southeast Asia include Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos .
• The main type of service-learning projects in these countries include the teaching of English to students , building infrastructures like houses and libraries and providing hospice care to villagers etcetera .
Is the perception that there are stronger service-learning links with Southeast Asian communities than overseas Tamil communities true ?
• According to Kristin Samivelu ( Programme Leader for SINDA Youth Leaders Programme 2014-2015 ), this perception is not true . All overseas community involvement projects conduct objective needs-based assessments and they tend to be targeted at rural areas in developing nations .
Furthermore , there might be fewer service-learning initiatives in overseas Tamil communities for the following reasons :
• There are only two very prominent Tamil communities and these are in India and Sri Lanka . However , there are other Tamil diasporas around the world as well .
• Sri Lanka ' s Tamil community was not reached out to for the longest time due to the civil war and accompanying security reasons . Kristin Samivelu ( Programme Leader for SINDA Youth Leaders Programme 2014-2015 ) states that during SINDA Youth Leaders Programme ' s last visit to Sri Lanka in 2015 , participants observed many local and international agencies setting up and conducting community projects in the north of Sri Lanka which consists of predominantly Tamil communities .
• The service-learning ties in Southeast Asia might be stronger because of a more conscious attempt to carve an ASEAN identity .
• There might be a greater traction to Cambodian and Vietnamese communities because students might be interested to know more about a unique culture . Since there is already a vibrant Tamil community in Singapore , service-learning in Tamil Nadu might not be a sufficiently attractive or " exotic " option .
Topic of Interest : How feasible is it for youths to embark on OCIPs to serve the Tamil communities abroad ?
CASE STUDY : Project Naadi ( from Project Naadi webpage )
• Project Naadi ( Naadi ( நாடி ) means “ to go in search of ”) is a non-profit , inter-faculty community involvement programme dedicated to serving the needy in the rural communities of Tamil Nadu , India .
• Project Naadi ' s vision is to hone compassion in individuals and develop sensitivity towards the needs of the underprivileged .
• In this regard , they provide opportunities for students to learn about giving back , service to the disadvantaged , satisfaction and higher meanings in life .
• With specific reference to Naadi , the aim is to assist the Indian community through tangible or intangible means .
• Elampirai Elangovan ( Project Naadi Co-ordinator ) reiterates that with regards to Naadi , their aim is to serve the greatest needs of the community .
• This includes medical work , construction activities , educational programmes or simply spending time with beneficiaries to find out more about their lives .
• Naadi is increasingly focusing its resources on education to inspire children to make the most of the available opportunities .
• Through all their activities , the aim is to fulfil the motto : to see the unseen , hear the unheard and touch the untouched .