iProject - Commitment of Hearts




Monday, 24 December 2007

Voluntourism

Padro here. Not sure if anyone still reads this blog, but I read something from The Sunday Times yesterday that I think all of us can relate to. Just thought I'd share.

Volunteer at home? No thanks
Students feel voluntary work in Singapore is more demanding, but volunteering overseas is exciting
By Shuli Sudderuddin

UNDERGRADUATE Winnie Lui has been on three overseas trips to do charity work in the past three years.

In Cambodia, she conducted English lessons, and in the Philippines, she helped to renovate a youth centre and paint its walls.

But once back in Singapore, the 22-year-old did not continue with any volunteer work. Instead, she becomes like any regular youth here - spending her time attending gatherings with her friends and shopping.

'I go overseas for such trips because I get to meet different people and experience a completely different culture,' she said.

Miss Lui is just one of a growing number of young people who turn to overseas expedition projects to fulfil their desires to serve the community, but choose not to lift a finger when back in Singapore.

These overseas trips, known as 'voluntourism', span roughly three weeks and involve serving a foreign community through education or physical labour.

The new chairman of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Mr Stanley Tan, raised this concern in a recent interview with The Straits Times.

Mr Tan, 51, urged young Singaporeans to help their country rather than engaging in 'superficial activities'. He said: 'Giving is also about helping an elderly lady to cross the road, to take photographs of events for a charity here and helping it to archive its history.'

However, it does not seem likely that more youths will start turning to home ground to spread charity.

Undergraduate Lee Nuan Xin, 21, is a member of the National University of Singapore Students Union Volunteer Action Committee (NVAC), and has been an active volunteer since junior college. She noted that she has seen the number of overseas projects increase dramatically in the past three years.

Miss Lee estimates that NUS organised seven trips to Cambodia this year, compared with one in 2005.

'Students want to see the world. At home, they feel like they are doing compulsory school work with nothing special to it,' she said.

An avid social worker, she volunteers at the National University Hospital every week.

Miss Karin Ke, 21, who spent three weeks in Bago City in the Philippines in May, agrees that community service overseas feels less commercial than activities like flag-selling in Singapore.

'It is a great way to meet like-minded people who are also interested in travelling and helping poor communities, and to see unique places,' said the student, who managed a home stay with a Filipino family, where she learnt about their lifestyle. 'That it is for a good cause is the icing on the cake,' she added.

Mr Glynsen Wong, 23, joined Miss Ke on the trip and helped fed malnourished children and painted a school.

He said: 'Overseas, there is an immediate benefit, and the results are more concrete because you can see what you build or paint.'

'Here, you visit old folks or children, and you have to give them 100 per cent commitment. You have to go for a long time before you can even tell if you are helping them.'

Parents have mixed feelings about 'voluntourism'.

Miss Ke's father, Mr Kuoh Seh Seng, 55, said: 'I told my daughter, if you want to help, help Singaporeans. But when she returned, she was more appreciative of Singapore and the privileges that she enjoys here.'

Miss Lui's mother, Ms Margaret Lui, 54, said she wanted her daughter to leave her sheltered home and learn about poverty.

'She could learn these lessons better in an environment where people are less spoilt,' she said.

Schools have also encouraged students to participate in these trips to achieve greater awareness.

National serviceman Lim Qi Han, who went to Myanmar two years ago when he was in National Junior College, said: 'I feel that my school encouraged it for the learning experience.'

The 19-year-old felt that volunteering overseas and locally were equally meaningful, but said the overseas trip was more memorable than merely selling flags.

Ms Jenny Ong, the founder of Blossom Training, which trains leaders for Youth Expedition Projects, said leaders are trained to show participants economic and social issues through their services.

'Going overseas is a great platform for character development and service-learning,' she said. 'Participants enjoy it because it is exotic.'

However, the NVPC still advocates volunteering at home as the proximity of the location facilitates sustainable engagement.

Seasoned volunteers such as Miss Lee also continue to hope for more help on the community service scene in Singapore.

'We are so well-to-do and have so many resources. We should use some of them to help our people,' she said.

Students such as Miss Ke feel inspired by committed volunteers, but admit they would have trouble following in their footsteps.

'To be effective at home, you would have to volunteer every single week, no matter what. And I just don't have the stamina to do that,' she said.

shulis@sph.com.sg

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_189488.html

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「 5:45 am 」
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Thursday, 18 October 2007

MissionOPIC

MissionOPIC is the third incarnation of Innova Junior College's annual overseas community involvement project after Mission45 in 2005 and iProject in 2006. They will be jetting off, with their cheesy tagline "the light they need" (which is actually cheesier than "Commitment of Hearts"), to Cambodia later this year.

Hope they'll have fun diging up ginormous boulders and going crazy with sleep depriving nightly reflections and planning. Let us wish them all the best and good luck before returning to mugging for our A's.

I've added a link to their blog under the Links section.

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「 10:18 pm 」
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Thursday, 19 July 2007

Vietnam Trip - 15th Dec 2007

IMPORTANT NOTES

This is the quotation, terms and conditions as well as the itinery of year end's Hanoi trip. Currently the trip date is 15th December 2007(departure time = 3.50pm) - 24th December 2007(arrival time = 2.00pm) under Vietnam Airlines ($80 cheaper then Singapore Airlines). Any objections on the date, please call me ASAP so i can think for other dates. For those who are interested and yet to confirm with me, please do so by next week to prevent the situation of unvailable tickets and to secure air tickets/hotel rooms/tours.

Guys who are going NS
Do not worry about the enlistment. Only those who are physically unfit might enlist in December. People have Silver and above will be safe and will only enlist in January. Worse come to worse, if you really got enlist in December, you can have a FULL REFUND 31 days and above before the trip (enlistment letter will be sent to you 2months before the actual enlistment). SO DONT WORRY!!

Those who are confirmed
1) Shieh Fang
2) Vivien
3) Wen Chong
4) Winston
5) You Ying
6) Wei Jean
7) Arshad
8) Hafeez
9) Ronald
10) Yusi
11) Uma
12) Peggy

* Those who are able to confirm the trip and your name is not in this list, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP!!!

Premium Insurance
We will be getting Natasjoy Deluxe Comprehensive Travel Insurance. This insurance is much more expensive, around $20+ more but it covers alot of "unfortunate critcal situations" and is crucial as this is a self trip, without any group tour guides. We'll only have guides in SAPA! We'll be all by ourselves anywhere else. Inform your parents, and hopefully it'll make them less worry. Will pass the brochure on this to you all the next meeting.

Lunch Horrid in Tavan!!
We will not be having horrible breads with fruits/ bamboo rice with a piece of ham. Lunch in Tavan will be improved. Details are still in the mist of discussion.

Non-Member of iProject)
For this issue, i will have to need every single one of you who are going to agree. If not, we'll just stick to iProject members only.

Hotel & Room Sharing
We have to book 2/3pax per room. This is under the hotel's rules and regulations. To prevent being kickout of hotel and to be really safe, we'll not cut cost on rooms. However, we can still sleep anywhere we want regardless how many person in a room when we get there. The hotel in SAPA and Hanoi is open for discussion. We can either stick to Royal Sapa or other hotels.

Important cost that is not in this quotation

- Cost of renovation/repairs of the school (materials and labour)
* We'll try to do fund raising within our own families. I'll also try to get sponsors/funds from IJC and the Public.

- Other activies that is NOT started in the itinery of the Halong Bay trip. Other water activities will be at own expense.

Doubts and Uncertainty
Please Please Please call me/sms me if you don't understand what the hell i'm trying to say. Don't be shy. Thanks =D

---------------------------------------------------------------

TERMS & CONDITIONS

DATE 16 July 2007
COMPANY Innova Junior College
CONTACT PERSON Ronald
CONTACT NUMBER 98328488
EMAIL ADD Ronald_prepfree_area@hotmail.com
QUOTATION 10D9N North/South Vietnam
DEPARTURE DATE Mid Dec 2007
GROUP SIZE Minimum 10 Pax

PACKAGE PRICE Price per person
Vietnam Air
Twin/Triple $1085

FLIGHT
Daily SIN/HAN VN744 1605/1835
HAN/SIN VN745 1030-1450

TOURFARE INCLUDED
Return Air Fare by Vietnam Air
Rooms are based on twin/triple sharing
We provide return airport transfer by comfortable air-conditioned coaches
Meals & Tour as per itinerary
Tipping for tour guide & driver US$20
Sightseeing and entrance fee as per the mentioned itinerary.
Return train ticket HAN/LAO CAI/HAN (4 berth)
All Airport Taxes
Natasjoy Deluxe Comprehensive Travel Insurance
(Claims during tours are self paid and not by our Tour Managers)

EXCLUSIONS
ALL OTHER TOURS AND MEALS NOT STATED IN ITINERARY
HALAL MEALS ADD US$5 PER MEAL
Miscellaneous charges like room service, laundry service, beverages, phone bills, excess baggage and all items of personal nature and optional tour if any
Visa fees (if applicable) NOTE: Singapore PR do not hold Singapore Passport. Please call the respective embassy to ensure no visa problems during the trip. Please bring along WP/EP/SP/Exit Permits and all other necessary documents during the trip. (PLEASE INFORM RONALD)
Customers have the sole and exclusive responsibility of ensuring that any visas required by relevant countries have been obtained and Transinex Pte Ltd, in accepting bookings from customers, does not warrant that customers will be able to fulfill their bookings. Should visas be required it will be the customer's sole and exclusive duty to successfully obtain visas in a timeous manner at their cost. Transinex Pte Ltd will be pleased to accept requests for processing visa applications subject to administrative charges to be borne by the customer at a time to be stipulated by Transinex Pte Ltd. Transinex Pte Ltd's acceptance to process visa applications is not a guarantee that such applications will succeed and charges paid for visa applications will be non-refundable regardless of the success of such applications.
For clarity, Transinex Pte Ltd will not be obliged in any way whatsoever to provide any notice touching on the need for visas for travel to any destinations and it shall be the customer's duty to apprise himself of such requirements. No refunds will be allowed on any booking rendered fruitless due to visa requirements not being complied with by a customer.
Further, it is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the customer to obtain information relating to passport validity or other requirements, customs, health and other requirements and to comply with the same in respect of the transit and/or destination country. Transinex Pte Ltd will advise that all visa, passport and other applications be submitted for approval in good time and delay will be at the risk of the customer.


All bookings by Transinex Pte Ltd is on the customer's undertaking that Transinex Pte Ltd will not be liable or responsible for any expenses, reimbursement, refund or any other claim whatsoever whether at law and/or at equity if the customer is deported, detained and/or refused entry by immigration authorities at the point of disembarkation whether at a transit country or at the destination country or anywhere else for whatever reasons including but not limited to improper travel documents, quarantine, non-compliance with custom regulations, possession of unlawful or unauthorized items or irregularities deemed such by the relevant authorities at the relevant country.

Important Remarks & Notes
All passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of departure from Singapore.
Any cancellation will subject to cancellation charges

Kindly note that prices quoted may be subject to changes, depending on changes in event requirements or dates. All
rates are stated in Singapore Dollars. Confirmation of the above-mentioned tours is subjected to air seats & hotels rooms’ availability.

All rates quoted above are subjected to changes to due to foreign exchange fluctuations and other unforeseen occurrences. No surcharges in respect of cost or currency fluctuation will be made once deposit payment is received. This guarantee does not apply to any taxes, changes or levies imposed by any government or their agencies.

Confirmation Of Booking & Payment Procedure
To secure your booking, a deposit of 50% of the total estimated charges is payable to Transinex Pte Ltd within 7 days. Balance payment should be made no later than 14 days before departure.
Responsibility Clause
Should there be any unforeseen circumstances occur during the tour such as bad weather, road blockage etc, the company reserve the right to alter itineraries, travel arrangements or hotel reservation if it is deemed necessary or in the case of force majeures.

Cancellation Charges
Passengers have the right to cancel their booking but if they do so, notice have to be made in writing. Moreover, the following cancellation charges will apply:
31 Days & above before departure Full Deposit
15-30 clear days before departure 25 % of the tour fare] Or Full deposit whichever is higher
07-14 clear days before departure 50 % of the tour fare] Or Full deposit whichever is higher
02 -06 clear days before departure 75 % of the tour fare] Or Full deposit whichever is higher
01 day or less before departure 100 % of the tour fare] Or Full deposit whichever is higher
*Goods and Services Tax will be applicable upon any cancellation of bookings and no-show fee.

Replacement and / or amendments of confirmed booking are allowed but subjected to airline's approval and applicable charges. In addition, there will be an administrative charge of S$ 75 per replacement and / or amendments. If rejected, a fresh booking will be made. However, airline's confirmation will not be given immediately as it is subjected to seat availability.
Kindly acknowledge acceptance of the above tour package and the terms & conditions and return a copy to us duly signed. Thank you.
Accepted by:



…………………………………
Ronald
Innova Junior College


TRIP ITINERY
10D9N NORTH VIETNAM

Day 1. Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Meet and greet at Hanoi International Airport then transfer to the city centre. Have dinner in Hanoi then free till transfer to the railway station for the night train (10: 00 pm) to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train in a 4-berth compartment.

Day 2. Lao Cai - Sapa – Tavan Minority Village (B, L)
Arrive in Lao Cai early in the morning, pick up and transfer to Sapa. Breakfast at Local restaurant. It takes about one hour to get through the Sapa pass that snakes its way up the high mountains with a spectacular view of the elevated rice fields. Set off for a rather soft trek to Tavan village down the hill. You will meet the local men in their traditional costumes like the C’mon, Day, or Dzao... taste their traditional food and beverage. Overnight at Hotel

Day 3: Tavan Minority Village (B, L)
Continue with CIP program. Packed lunch. CIP then back to hotel.

Day 4.Tavan Minority Village (B, L)
Continue with CIP program. Packed lunch. CIP then back to hotel.

Day 5.Tavan Minority Village (B, L)
Continue with CIP program. Packed lunch. CIP then back to hotel.

Day 6. Fansipan Mt Trek Half way trek / Waterfall (B, L, D)
Breakfast at hotel. (Halal will be based on continental breakfast) Transfer to Heaven Gate - the highest peak of road in Vietnam. From there you will see the Fan Si Fan, the highest peak of Indochina mountains as well we enjoying the stunning view here. We will proceed with a half-day trekking to Mt Fansipan waterfall only. The trek will be relatively soft until our lunchtime. After a couple of hours of hiking, we will have a break at a nice spot in the forest for our picnic lunch. Picnic lunch (Sandwiches & a bottle of mineral drink - 1.5 L. with fruits) To include few porters’ service who will carry packed lunch & extra mineral water. To include trekking guide ratio1 trekking guide: 10 paxs Time to spend at waterfall. Start descending back to starting point. Arriving back to foothill. Transfer back to Lai CAI town. Have dinner at Lao Cai and ready for our train back to Hanoi at 21:15 (subject to change). Overnight on Train

Day 7. Hanoi -Halong Bay (B)
Arrive Hanoi, and then breakfast by Traditional Vietnamese Food "Pho", then ahead to Halong Bay to board the Bai Tho Junk at 12.00 noon. The wonderful Halong Bay is truly one of Vietnam's most impressive sights. This exciting cruise will give us a fantastic view of the picturesque seascape blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. The limestone karst formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim or kayaking in a secluded cove and make an enjoyable visit to one of the many hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. After a seafood lunch on board we continue to cruise about in the bay going to some other islands. Seafood dinner on board. Overnight in an air-conditioned two-berth cabin on the Bai Tho Junk.

Day 8. Halong Bay-Hanoi (B)
Wave up early in the morning to enjoy the aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After breakfast, visit Bai Tu Long Bay, Teapot Island, Chopsticks Island, and Bai Tho Mountain. Have lunch on board on the way. Return to Halong City. Arrive Halong wharf. Back to Hanoi and check in hotel.

Day 9: Hanoi-Free and Easy (B)
Free and easy to explore Hanoi.

Day 10. Hanoi - Departure (B)
Breakfast free at leisure until transfer to airport for Singapore

Legends - (B)Breakfast (L)Lunch (D)Dinner
*This means that the respective meals is inclusive on the day.

Updated on : 22th July 2007 (11:40PM)

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「 11:38 pm 」
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Thursday, 19 April 2007

The journey that never ends…




Life has never been the same for me since I stepped off the plane and back home onto Singapore. Ta van was a total life experience. I never knew what I sign up for when I joined iproject but I am glad that I had a chance to go, to make a difference and in return learn something.

Pre- trip
This was never the easiest part of the whole trip. Many people do not think of the effort that is needed to plan such a massively big trip, for that we have to thank the teachers; they put in great effort and time. Funds was raised in different ways, for e.g, through Ronald we manage to gets lots of cheese sausages which we sold like mad and also we did stuff like catering service on teacher’s day to provide classes with food. That was indeed tiring and we did stink but I am sure through raising funds together as a whole, we manage to understand and bond together as a group. Yeah sure at first, we were unsure whether any of the classes would order with us a not but in the end our fears were unfounded.

Construction
Volunteering was never meant to be an easy job. Volunteer: to offer to do something that you do not have to do, often without having been asked to do it and/or without expecting payment. That is what all of us in iproject want to achieve, we go there with dreams, goals and high hopes of helping others. However construction there is not as simple as it seems. For one, they have no machinery and we do have to rely on manual labour, for example we have concrete mixers in Singapore but over there we have to add all the ingredients and use the shovel to mix it well with water before we can get cement. Our mornings there are basically spent for construction work. We were all split into groups and each group were given task to complete. My group was in charge of digging the path to make it level as it had lots of big rocks logged within the ground. We use tools like shovels to loose the ground around the big rocks and then the guys would use sticks with sharp end to try and split the rocks. It may sound easy but in fact it was truly hard work. Most of the times, the older kids would give us a hand and it never fails to amaze us how much strength they got. It may take us 4-5 hits to dig a certain pile of soil but they can do it easily without even breaking into sweat.

In Singapore, we have wheelbarrows to help us transport stuff here and there but in Ta van we made use of gunny sacks to transport soil, rock and boy were they useful. The weather there was helpful too, though we had the sun shinning on our back, we still were quite cool. Towards the last few days, we did jobs like painting and of course repairing and washing the doors,

Arts and craft/ Games

In the afternoons, we were basically split into two groups. One for teaching arts and craft and games and the other English. I was in the arts and craft group and we did things with them like painting to the extent of even face painting. We also asked the kids there to draw a picture if their school and it really showed how creative and innocent they are, they would try and copy our actions. The drawings they drew really represented what they would try and copy our actions. The drawings they drew really represented what the really felt. One problem we faced during this segment was that, I t was hard to converse with the kids there as we could only use our hands to bring across our message and we really need to thank our translator for making our life easier. We managed to bond with the kids a lot during these few days as we interact with them by teaching them how to play games like captain ball’s and of course soccer. Of course things are not always plain sailing, there a few times during the games that some of the kids the not want to play and we had to then accompany them while they do their stuff.

At the end of the days we spent with the kids, helping them to have a better environment for learning, we managed to truly bond with the kids, tears were flowing freely when it was time to say goodbye, till now I can still remember the teary scene.

People in Hanoi were a friendly bunch too like the students from HelloHanoi who voluntarily brought us around and showed us the sights and the food, I can still remember the day Linh gave me a bracelet, she truly touch my heart, she was with us less than a day and she has truly been a inspirational person. The kids in Ta van also were a sight, you can never imagine it till you are there to see it, though they are living at a lower standard, they are still happier and they do not take things for granted.


Overall, the trip to Vietnam was fun and we truly bonded together as a team. I can never thank the teachers enough and all iproject people for celebrating my birthday with me. This small little gesture has warmth my heart.Days filled with memories of the kids in ta van, bus rides with japalang mummy and kids will always be in my mind. This trip has certainly gave me more than I sign up for.

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「 12:29 am 」
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Wednesday, 4 April 2007

Memoirs of iProject 2006


iProject 2006 outside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi

I had spent the better part of my youth traveling and involving myself in many youth expedition projects and outdoor adventure trips. This trip was special as I was going back to Vietnam for the second time and this time, I am a man on a mission.

Bringing 30 noisy and excited Singaporean kids together with 3 other teachers, I embarked on a specific objective in mind. I wanted my students to come back feeling enriched, stronger, more independent, empathetic and passionate about helping others and the community. On the other hand, I had hoped that the students in Vietnam will benefit greatly from the resources we are providing not forgetting the cultural and social interaction that will happen in the next 10 days.

Rather than talk about the activities or scenery like all other entries did, I am going to tell you what I learnt about these kids and teachers I hung out with.
Disclaimer - There are too many of you who did a fantastic job and I can’t really write about everyone. (Read: lazy) so some of you will be mentioned but not in great detail. Anyway if you feel aggrieved, come and let me know and I will write a one page special for you.



(from left: Ginger, Da Wei)
Ginger was always enthusiastic and hardworking but she had often lacked that soft touch not only to the Vietnam students but also to her friends. She had shown so much maturity and compassion during this trip. I think she has grown tremendously and had become more aware of other people’s feelings making herself more in touch of her own. Da Wei was often quiet and withdrawn. He was the silent worker who mostly conversed with his circle of friends. The last day was a breakthrough for him. His shouts of “In my soul!” reverberated through the alley as the kids bid him a tearful farewell stripping this cold wall of aloofness, revealing his compassion and humanity.



(from left: Yeow Sheng, Winston, Wen Chong, You Ying)
Yeow Sheng was a figure of calmness and stability. Always ready to lend a helping hand, his confidence grew stronger during the trip and his potential as a true leader was revealed. Winston was a strong and hard worker who earned the praises and respect of his peers. He grew day by day and finally understood that with self confidence and strong empathy, good relationships with his peers naturally occurred. You Ying seemed shy and reserved during the first few days. Soon, we got to know that he had a hardworking and serious side to him. He silently toiled while showing care and concern for his fellow peers and shared a special bond with many of the kids there causing much tears to be shed when it was time to leave. Wencong showed that one will always be stronger when learning from mistakes. He “stumbled” a few times during the trip but he never gave up. He showed me what determination and maturity he had garnered from the experience of this trip.



(from left: Marsha, Raidah, Yee Ling)
Marsha showed an inner strength when put through her tasks and her cheerful and sunny nature brightened up the lives of the kids till the day we left.
Raidah works her socks off and never gives up in whatever task she was set. Her chirpy spirit and never ceasing smile warmed the hearts of every single Vietnamese kid there.
Yeeling was always making kids smiling and laughing. The students were seen often surrounding her, peppering her with gifts and request for games. She showed a sense of maturity beyond her age.



(from left: Jazimin, Faris)
Jazimin is the perfect model of the OCIP student. He brought the term of Service Learning to a new height. He provided a high level of service to the school and the students and yet at the same time remains humble and polite. He was always reflecting and doing things in different manners to adapt to his new environment. A very strong personality indeed he is.
Faris was the cool and collected joker of the pack. He is constantly communicating and playing with the children. His perseverance at picking up the Vietnamese language so that he could communicate better with the kids was commendable.



(from left: Me, Daniel, Wan Yin, Pearlene , Jeffery)
Jeffery was always on the look out for our students. Being the caring teacher, he forged strong rapport not only with our students but also with the local kids there. Often leading the way when work needed to be done, Jeffery was truly a role model for students to follow.

Daniel and I led the charge as we old horses rode into Sapa with the two spirited young guns Jeffery and Wan Yin in tow. Daniel worked tirelessly and had the talented gift of noting, taking down and tackling every administrative issue or challenge that came our way. He was the perfect complement for me as I busied myself with the Learning aspect of the students while he got his hands dirty taking care of the Service component. Wan Yin was a newbie to OCIP but it did not show at all throughout the trip. Strong and resilient, she was always there when there was hard work to be done. She often counseled and advised our students when they encountered difficulty or challenges in their tasks. She indeed paid tribute to the phrase “Some leaders are born and not made."



Too many names to fit into this short entry and I will try to mention all. All these faces in this photograph contributed to the success of iProject 2006. Ronald, our strong and dedicated project leader who grew from strength to strength brought out the best in his deputy Jing Wei. Jing Wei showed strong resilience and dedication in the planning and execution of the project. We also had Hui Min who was a pillar of strength and laughter, Yu Si was the joker and kept the spirits of everyone up, Jie Ying was our local Lin Daiyu who worked herself ill. There were Nisa, Arshad and Hafiz who worked tirelessly despite the difficulties faced in terms of culture and food. We also had You Ying, Wei Jean, Jac, Peggy who were proactive, friendly and reflective in their tasks and interaction. The tears shed by their Vietnamese counterparts were proof of the strong bonds which were forged by them. Uma learnt a valuable lesson and left Vietnam with not only new relationships but with a new found confidence. Last but not least, we had the "garang" ladies Abigail, Vivien, Shieh Fang and Cindy who showed that women were definitely not the weaker sex during this trip. They worked their socks off without a single word of complaint and Shieh Fang even braved tears through a Vietnamese remedy for her sprained ankle. Bravo!

iProject was a huge success. No doubt IJC will have many more OCIP projects in the coming years but I doubt they will ever match up to the standard of service and the level of learning these enthusiastic and dedicated people in the photo above. Therefore, I want to express my deepest admiration and respect for all the Innovians and teachers of iProject2006. Kudos to all!

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「 6:51 pm 」
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Sunday, 1 April 2007

Experience

This was my first OCIP trip in Innova Junior College. I seriously wonder if we were making mess out of their life (Vietnamese) or helping them. Too much of formality involved in this trip. But I am glad that I made a difference to them through the students (Innovians). At least we brought fun and laughter to them. But I really hope the students will not stop after the trip but rather bring back what they have learnt in Vietnam to their home. Thanks to everyone (both the teachers and students, Singaporeans & Vietnamese) for the experience.

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「 2:47 pm 」
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Monday, 26 March 2007

TavaNova – Not just a portmanteau

TavaNova, a portmanteau of TaVan (secondary school) and Innova (junior college) is not just a fusion of 2 words. It’s the union of 2 different countries and their uniquely different cultures, the merger of souls, the bonds of friendships. It represents our blood (for some) and sweat, our commitment of hearts, our fun and laughter, our journey, and the sweet memories that are etched in our hearts for all eternity.

I had always wanted to help, to make a difference, to do something significant during my holidays instead of lazing around doing practically nothing during my spare time. Thus when I got the call from Ronald last July informing me that I was on the team, I was naturally elated.

I envisioned myself in Vietnam, helping the unfortunate, giving, instead of taking, for once. Looking back, I realised that in fact, Vietnam, and iProject as a whole, have given me more than I had contributed.

iProject set many milestones of my life, with me having my virgin attempt at many tasks I never had the chance to do. Sure, there were challenges abound, and you would have read from the articles from my fellow iProjectians how we trudged on, giving no regard to the blazing hot sun and the fatigued, previously under-worked muscles of ours, to lay the bricks and level the ground. How we surmount the language barrier to teach the kids English and arts-and-crafts, how we realised that games are a universal language which transcends geographical boundaries, without the actual need for verbal words to get the message across.

Several events which I witnessed during the trip gave me food for thought and made me feel unexpectedly inferior amongst the Vietnamese who were supposed to have a lower standard of living, a lower quality in almost all aspects of life as compared to us Singaporeans. Almost all aspects of life. Almost. At least they are superior to us in compassion, in being contented with what they have, in spirit and passion of such colossal magnitude that dwarfs us all.

Once, I stayed back in the classroom to clean up after the arts-and-crafts while the rest of my group took the kids out to play games. There I was, alone, or so I thought, in the classroom, keeping the left-over paint and picking up scraps of paper littered on the tables and floor. To my surprise and awe, a girl, a few years younger than I, entered the classroom and assisted me in cleaning up the place. I asked her, restricting myself to the simplest of English vocabulary, why she wasn’t joining her friends in the games. She replied, with apparent difficulty, in English, that she wanted to help clean up the place and that she can always join her friends later. I was speechless. Instantly, I felt mediocre in-front-of this girl in faded clothes and slippers identical to most of her friends, and possibly carrying the same UNICEF bag.

Another time, we were wrapping up our English lesson, and gave out a pack of colour pencils to a student for her attentiveness in class. She received her prize with a huge grin on her face and immediately opened her pack of colour pencils and distributed them to her friends. The smiles on her and her friends’ faces were incredible. The looks of admiration on OUR faces were priceless. There we were, supposedly the teachers, looking at each other with a stab of inferiority, having learnt more in this one minute than we had thought them the past hour.

Sure, we have made an impact on TaVan Secondary School. We have refurbished their school compound, taught them new English words and games. But the impact they have on us is so much more. I will always remember the times we had together and how hard it was to leave them. How the most notorious boys cried the hardest, and the most hardened guy fighting to keep back his tears. I will never forget the boy who hugged me and grabbed my hand, refusing to let go, and the girl who tied a friendship band around my wrist.

TavaNova – Not just a portmanteau.

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「 12:44 am 」
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