It’s always easy to use the lack of time as an excuse for the inactivity in volunteerism but giving back

to the society doesn’t mean taking up chunks of your life or doing things that will bore you to tears.

Matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The recently concluded first-ever Common Space for Common Good by Youth Corps Singapore (12

Mar) initiative saw some 1,000 young volunteers spending time with beneficiaries at 10 different

activities all over Singapore.

We caught up with three of them and check out what motivates them.

Owen Tan, 26, Food Technologist

Number of years volunteering: 12

Being a food technologist is not a typical job for most Singaporeans. But then, Owen Tan has this

habit of going against the grain.

At the tender age of just 14, when most of his peers were out and about, Owen started volunteering at

Lion’s Befrienders, where he spent many afternoons with the elderly. This continued when he

was serving his National Service, spending his precious time volunteering at the Institute of Mental

Health.

Why volunteer?

When I first started volunteering, it was for a very selfish reason. I was not from a very well-to-do

family so I thought volunteering work would expose me to more people who are less fortunate than

me. I guess I was trying to feel better about myself.

However, a few months into volunteering, I realised it was the wrong mentality. Listening to the old

folks, working with them and helping them put things in perspective for me.

Instead of complaining about “why is my life like that?” and “why I can’t have that?”, I will now say

“Life is exactly like that. But so what? What are you going to do about it?”

You can continue to grumble, and frankly, there is no end to the things you can be unhappy

about. But what I’m going to do is to help others who can’t help themselves. As a volunteer, I’m not

just here to make up the numbers; I’m here to make a real difference to the lives of those I come into

contact with.

What motivates you to find time to give back to the society?

To be fair, I am still single! Unlike most of my friends, they have to spend time with their partners. On

a positive light, everyone has 24 hours. It’s about prioritising.

When I was still volunteering at Institute of Mental Health (IMH), I had to wake up at 7.30am on a

Saturday morning and take a 50-minute bus ride from Woodlands to IMH. The motivation is simple:

for you and me, it is one to two hours of our time, but for those housed at IMH, those two hours are

probably the only time someone has personally interacted with them. So, regardless of how shagged I

am, I will still get out of bed early, hop onto the bus, and try to be as energetic as possible during my

time there!

Mohamed Abbas Sheyed Ebramsa, 25, Nanyang Business School undergraduate

Number of years volunteering: 5

Despite busy toggling between being an entrepreneur and student, Mohamed Abbas Sheyed Ebramsa – who was featured recently in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work at Onelyst – makes sure he sets aside time to be a volunteer too.

Why volunteer?

Volunteering opportunities allow me to meet new people from all walks and stages of life. I get to

learn from them, grow as a person and most importantly, build a strong bond with other volunteers. To

be able to serve our community and make our beneficiaries happy is an amazing and incomparable

experience!

What is also heartening is that more youths today are becoming socially aware of community needs.

There is more information available online and via social media networks on who, what, where, when

and how they can volunteer, and many are stepping forward as they want to give back to society.

Can you describe your best volunteering experience so far?

One of the most memorable has to be the recent Common Space for Common Good event!

A group of volunteers and I brought the elderly from Moral Home for the Aged Sick to a nearby

hawker centre for a meal. For most of us, going to the hawker centre is nothing out of the ordinary.

But for these elderly folks, it’s a once-a-year opportunity to visit a hawker centre and eat the food they

wished.

The laughter and joy that I saw from the elderly for that one hour really stuck with me. It inspired me

to join the YOLDEN programme as a regular volunteer so that I can meet with them again!

Christal Zhuang, 18, Singapore Polytechnic student

Number of years volunteering: 2

Christal’s affinity with MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore) stems from the close relationship she has with her elder sister who has Down Syndrome.

Together with her fellow volunteers, she is starting a social enterprise that aims to provide sustainable employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PWID).

At the 12 March event, Christal was spotted guiding and managing a group of volunteers and MINDS clients. The team designed and hand-crafted appreciation gifts for the clients’ caregivers.

Can you tell us your best volunteering experience?

My best experience would be the Purple Parade.

I had the opportunity to meet and work with People with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs) from MINDS,

other than my sister. This event is really meaningful as it is both to raise awareness and to celebrate

people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, I saw so many people who were there to give

their support. It was heartwarming!

How can we encourage more Singaporeans to volunteer?

My sister, who is currently studying at MINDS Employment Development Centre at Woodlands, has

always been an inspiration to me. She taught me what is required to work with PWIDs. It’s not been

easy, but I continue to learn and to get better at it.

To get more Singaporeans to volunteer, we really need to help them understand what goes into

volunteer work. We need a mindset change, especially among young people, that the purpose of

helping is not to gain Community Involvement Programme (CIP) points.

As a volunteer, you have to understand that your actions and words are worth something, that you

can really make someone’s day light up. Beyond that, you can help these people identify their

strengths and use them to their advantage. That is way more rewarding than getting points.

Inspired and want to give back to the community? Check out www.youthcorps.sg for opportunities.

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with National Youth Council and Youth Corps Singapore.

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