In looking towards the future, we can broadly tackle the issue of apathy and the effective deliverance of community work using a three-pronged approach.
1. Setting the right mind set for delivering community service.
• Educators have to inculcate a stronger sense of civic responsibility that is premised upon ecological thinking – one that envisions society as a complex system that is rooted in relationships, connectedness and context.
• Children need to be introduced to alternative modes of thinking that enable them to see the physical and social world in a holistic manner instead of separate entities that are demarcated by economic systems.
• Time needs to be imagined differently with greater emphasis given to how current decisions have impacts that last beyond generations. In the same vein, educators should strive to instill a sense of humility in students by assuring them that results of their efforts do not necessarily have to be seen immediately.
• There is a need to acknowledge that at times, social cohesion, values learning and strength of relationships cannot always be meaningfully quantified. This will enable youths to engage in communities in a more sustainable way.
• These point to shift the focus of community work to personal stories and connections that motivate us to develop a more intimate connection to the social system in which we live.
2. Placing more emphasis on raising awareness.
• Before recruiting volunteers on a long-term basis, there is a need to first introduce them to these current social issues.
• There is a need to raise awareness about specific issues and provide them with accurate in-depth information about the issues. This is opposed to just getting them to take part in one-off programmes.
• An initiative by two passionate Singaporean youths, Ashik Ashohan and Ashok Kumar.
• Aim to raise awareness of the needs of the physically disabled and to contribute funds to the Society for the Physically Disabled( SPD). They have extended their project in recent years so as to target other beneficiaries such as the Children’ s Cancer Foundation on other climbing expeditions.
• This project is a positive example of balance between emotive and skills-based volunteering. Additionally, it is an independently led project that has the spirit ofvolunteerism at its core.
• Their project has won the Hillview Civilians Sports Club ' s Silent Heroes Role Model Award for Inspiring Youth and the NUS Student Achievement Award for successful initiatives.
3. Develop a framework that facilitates skills – based community work alongside the community work that is carried out purely motivated by emotions.
This would require a deeper analysis of the demographics of today’ s youth volunteers so as the make full use of their resources and skills. Some general characteristics are listed below: i. Highly educated with professional backgrounds ii. Goal-oriented with highly organized career, family and social lives iii. Independent / sense of mobility iv. Technologically skilled and comfortable participating in social networks v. Individualistic and have a strong desire for autonomy vi. Multiple interests and identities linked to many communities and causes
Topic of Interest: How can we encourage effective, yet independent youth-led community projects in the future?
CASE STUDY: Heart2Climb- Singapore
What exactly did they do?
• Trekked the Annapurna Himalayan circuit without the help of highaltitude porters and guides.
• Managed to secure funding for their climb in addition to raising funds for their cause through rigorous fundraising and campaigning efforts.
• Raised over $ 50,000 for charity
Emotive Volunteering
A shared passion for adventure, sports and community work.
Believed in the importance of empathy.
They specifically chose to engage in a challenging activity such as mountain climbing in an attempt to raise awareness of the‘ mountains’ that the physically disabled have to‘ climb’ on a daily basis
Skills- based Volunteering
Realised the importance of goal setting: The duo started off with a clear idea of: the cause / beneficiaries, the amount that they aimed to raise($ 50,000) Training required to execute the climb
Reaching out to sponsors and donors
• tap into various networks to secure funding for the climb and to aid with the fundraising efforts.
• reached out to more than 300 organisations and faced a slew of rejections at the initial stages.
• Some of the community partners and corporate sponsors that eventually lent them their support include, Red Bull Singapore, Starhub, Mini Environment Services( MES) Group of Companies, The North Face, Little India Singapore, Sri Siva Durga Temple and Hindu Endowments Board
Importance of identifying a mentor: The duo engaged the help of a mentor right from the start for guidance with regards to both the fundraising process and the climbing expedition itself. Dr. Kumaran Rasappan had previously engaged in a similar arduous expedition and was able to support them in many ways.
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