Young NTUC ‘Walks’ To Siem Reap…With Project Happy Feet
By Vanessa Teo
A pair of slippers may be taken for granted by some kids, but to children in Cambodia, it means the world to them. Thus, when a group of volunteers went to Siem Reap in March with the slippers in tow, the children were thrilled.
This is part of ‘Project Happy Feet’s’ efforts to help underprivileged children and youths by providing them with footwear. Just last year, the ‘Project Happy Feet Slipper Race 2011’ (PHFSR) raised $106,700 for the underprivileged children.
Since PHFSR 2011, Young NTUC has been supporting ‘Project Happy Feet’ in its cause, and this time round, its youth activist from the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Terence Tan, was one of the volunteers who went on the trip to deliver the slippers to the children.
Shared Mr Tan: “One amazing experience is the visit to Smach Village in the Kralanh District of Siem Reap adopted by Shinta Mani Foundation… Once we reached, the helpers and teachers at the school helped us identify children without footwear. However, there were just too many of them.
“We immediately set out to work, distributing the slippers sponsored by Havaianas under the hot sun. While trying to fit the slippers onto the kids’ feet, I’ve noticed many of them have wounds or scars on their swollen feet. Though the weather is hot and stuffy, I felt really appreciated when the kids smiled as I put the slippers on them…”
Besides being a trip to deliver the slippers to the children, Mr Tan also had the opportunity to take away other learning points that allowed him to see things in a different perspective. “This time, apart from being a volunteer, nine of us (not including the three founders of Project Happy Feet) were assigned to be in charge of the itinerary for each day. We had to plan and liaise with people from different cultures and unfamiliar places.
“It was a great learning opportunity for the whole group of us, as we learnt how to work together and also how our decisions may affect the people over there. A reflection of the day was done every night to reflect and discuss about the beneficiaries and the kind of assistance we can do,” said Mr Tan. To be able to go on such a meaningful trip was much appreciated by Mr Tan, and he acknowledged Young NTUC and SMOU for this chance.
“I would like to show my appreciation to Young NTUC and SMOU for giving me this opportunity to extend my help to the needy. The committee and union are like a network which has the capability to link up with many organisations, contacts and resources. Tapping on their connections, the unions and their members are then able to explore further to learn more and do more.”
On 1 April 2012, Mr Tan, together with the other volunteers who went through the Project Happy Feet Volunteer Leadership Experience (PHFVLX), a programme designed to give participating volunteer leaders an in-depth understanding of PHF and create a deeper sense of identity and culture among themselves, received badges to mark their completion of the programme. The volunteers also shared their experiences on the whole journey, from the preparations to embarking on the actual trip, truly making it a memorable afternoon.
