contents
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMMES Y Food of Love Y Nature Walk Y SpringClean Y Dance Outreach Y Reading Club Y Guitar Y Outing @ HWA Project Gratitude
22 23 25 26 27 28 29
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMMES Cambodia - UNACAS Cambodia - BBLC Vietnam - Project Love Dalat Vietnam - Project Timbre Laos - Project Sparks IV Thailand - Project Chiang Mai
30 31 32 33
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAMMES Jericho’s Rooftop Café Sidewalk Gallery Café Competitions
34 35 36
UNI-Y STEP UP 2013 Uni-Y NTU & Uni-Y NUS Uni-Y SMU & Tri Uni-Y Camp
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38 39 41 42 43 44 45
Personal & Leadership Development The YMCA Conversation Series YMCA Regional Youth Conference 2012 International Youth Peace Seminar (Hiroshima) Uni-Y Study Mission (Hong Kong) International Youth Conference 2013: Link-Age Uni-Y Internships
47 49 50 51 52
Achievements & Awards Acknowledgements Uni-Y Membership Application Uni-Y Events 2014 Uni-Y Family
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SOCIAL IMPACT
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Committee Chairman’s Message Uni-Y Mission & Values Uni-Y Club Focus Uni-Y Volunteer Development Roadmap Uni-Y Annual General Meeting 2012 Uni-Y SMU EXCO 2012-13 Uni-Y NUS EXCO 2012-13 Uni-Y NTU EXCO 2012-13 Uni-Y Experience
HOLISTIC ENRICHMENT
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Committee Chairman’s Message ! ! !
Dear%Uni)Y%members%and%volunteers,%
perform% and% grown% through% experience% and% exposure.% Sidewalk% Gallery% Café% has% Thank% you% for% your% commitment% and% provided% on)job% training% for% a% beneficiary% service% to% the% community!% We% want% to% with% special% needs% through% where% he% thank% God% for% the% progress% of% the% learnt% pracScal% workplace% skill% sets% to% University)YMCA%(Uni)Y)%clubs%thus%far.% increase% his% employability% at% a% full)Sme% operaSng%F&B%outlet.%% Let%me%share%with%you%some%highlights%of% Uni9Y)Step)Up)2013) 2012%and%2013!%% As%a%conSnuaSon%to%the%inaugural%Tri%Uni) Y%Freshmen%OrientaSon%Camp%2012,%close% Crea%ng%Social-Impact-to%80%youths%planned%and%executed%Uni)Y% Community)Service)Programmes) Uni)Y% Singapore% mobilised% over% 980% Step% Up% 2013,% consisSng% of% Y% Camp% volunteers% who% commiOed% more% than% Challenge% and% their% respecSve% schools’% 19,500%hours%of%service%to%touch%the%lives% orientaSon% camps% spanning% 5D4N.% 52% of% some% 1,700% beneficiaries% from% more% buddies% were% paired% with% over% 150% than%20%partnering%organisaSons%across%8% freshmen% as% they% stepped% out% of% their% structured% and% sustained% Uni)Y% Singapore% comfort% zones% to% complete% challenging% programmes.% The% beneficiaries% include% acSviSes%together.%% the% intellectually% challenged,% elderly% and% Delivering%Holis%c-Enrichmentunderprivileged%children.%% Launch)of-The)YMCA)Conversa4on)Series)) On% 26th% January% 2013,% our% Guest)of) Interna4onal)Service)Programmes)) Since% August% 2012,% over% 160% student% Honour% Mr.% Lawrence% Wong,% AcSng% v o l u n t e e r s% s e r v e d% i n% o v e r s e a s% Minister% for% Culture,% Community% and% communiSes% such% as% Vietnam% and% Youth% and% Chairman,% NaSonal% Youth% Cambodia.%Through%innovaSve%fundraising% Council% graced% our% inaugural% YMCA% strategies% and% extensive% planning,% the% ConversaSon% Series.% Titled% “More% Than% teams% worked% hand)in)hand% with% the% Ourselves:% A% GeneraSon% That% Cares”,% 64% locals% to% build% faciliSes% for% the% villagers,% youth% engaged% in% a% lively% discussion% on% sustainable%volunteerism%and%pledged%to%% and%teach%them%English.%% serve%the%community%through%our%Uni)Y%% programmes.%%% Social)Enterprise)Programmes)) Our% two% social% enterprise% programmes—%% namely% Uni)Y% SMU’s% Jericho’s% Roo]op% Uni9Y)Study)Mission)) Café% and% Uni)Y% NUS’% Sidewalk% Gallery% In% February% 2013,% a% team% of% 9% Uni)Y% Café,%have%seen%many%breakthroughs.%The% members%from%NUS%and%SMU%went%on%an% cafés%have%been%operaSng%regularly%with%a% inaugural% study% mission% to% Hong% Kong.% reach% of% over% 960% patrons.% Jericho’s% TerSary% students% from% both% the% Chinese% Roo]op% Café% has% seen% about% 24% bands% YMCA% of% Hong% Kong% and% YMCA% of% Hong%
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1 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Kong% shared% about% their% Uni)Y% clubs% and% brought% the% delegaSon% to% experience% the% vibrant% culture% there.% The% team% was% greatly% enriched% and% brought% back% best% pracSces%to%be%implemented.%%
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Word-of-ThanksOn% behalf% of% YMCA% of% Singapore,% I% thank% you% once% again% for% your% commitment.% I% am% deeply% grateful% for% your% service% and% contribuSons%toward%the%Uni)Y%mission%of% developing% and% empowering% servant% leaders% who% will% impact% our% local% and% internaSonal%communiSes.%As%we%venture% into% 2014,% let% us% conSnue% to% seek% the% Lord’s% wisdom% and% guidance% as% we% put% our% faith% into% pracSce,% to% touch% lives% and% li]%the%spirits%of%the%less%privileged%in%our% community.%%
! ! In-His-Service,-! Teo-Zi?Ming--
ChairmanYouth- &- Volunteers- DevelopmentProgrammes-CommiFee-2013
NTU
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SMU
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NUS
Who We Are The$University$Service$Club$Under$The$$ Young$Men’s$Chris9an$Associa9on$of$Singapore$(YMCA)$
! Mission
To$Develop$and$Empower$Youths$To$Be$Servant$Leaders$$ Who$Will$Impact$Our$Local$and$Interna9onal$Communi9es$
! Target audience
Age$19K25$ All$University$Youth,$Regardless$of$Race$or$Religion,$$ Who$Desire$To$Serve$The$Community,$&$$ Chris9ans$Who$Want$to$Put$Their$Faith$into$Prac9ce$
*$Figures$reflected$are$sta9s9cs$collated$from$Aug’12$K$Aug’13$
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Club focus
!
Community Service Programmes
SOCIAL IMPACT
making a Positive Difference in Communities
Uni-Y Step Up
Social Enterprise Programmes
International Service Programmes
Commitment (“I will”) Character (“I Ought to”) Servant Confidence (“i can”) Leader Competence (“I Know how to”)
Leadership development
personal development
3 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Developing all-rounded individuals
holistic enrichment
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
THOUGHT! LEADERS
SOCIAL SERVICE SECTOR PROFESSIONALS
POLICY! MAKERS
VWO! BOARD! MEMBERS
FUNDERS
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
VOLUNTEER! MENTORS
CORPORATE! PARTNERS!
UNI-Y ALUMNI
COUNCIL OF UNI-Y
YMCA INTERN
UNI-Y VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP
UNI-Y EXCO
VOLUNTEER/ PROJECT LEADER
COMMITTED/ REGULAR VOLUNTEER
VOLUNTEER
TERTIARY STUDENT
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
|4
Annual
General Meeting 2012 ! ! !
13 october 2012 YMCA Auditorium
5 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
uni-y SMU exco 2012-13
Josephina Fung
V-President (Service Programmes)
Michelle Tay Secretariat
Lee Wee Liang Director (CSP)
Livia Lim
Director (Social Enterprise)
Alistair Ng
Crystal Chua
V-President (Administration)
President
Valerie Koh
Kimmie Teo
Director (Marketing & Publicity)
Director (F inance)
Daniel Tan
Deputy Director (CSP)
Madeline Yeo
Deputy Director (Social Enterprise)
Peng Bojie
Deputy Director (CSP)
Samantha Ch’ng Director (ISP)
Loh Zhen Yang Deputy Director (ISP)
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
|6
uni-y nus exco 2012-13 ! ! !
Delphine Phua
V-President (Service Programmes)
Zhao Wen Wei President
Gareth Tan
V-President (Business Development)
! !
! Vedelyn Lien
Lam Hua Yuan
Director (ISP)
Deputy Director (ISP)
Aileen T homas
Dorlisa Song
Director (Volunteer Management)
Director (F inance)
!
Chen Sy Jia
Koh Jun Shyang Director (CSP)
Deputy Director (CSP)
Tay Kun Wei
Tan Xuan Ying
Matilda Tang
You Weiren
Anna Ellen Chan
Lau Lee Min
Director (Marketing)
Deputy Director (Marketing)
7 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Director (Social Enterprise)
Deputy Director (Social Enterprise)
Deputy Director (CSP)
Secretariat
uni-y ntu exco 2012-13 ! ! T imothy Ong
V-President (Service Programmes)
Terence Khoo President
Jonathan Xie
V-President (Business Development)
m Constance Lee Secretariat
Koh Hui Lin
Director (Marketing & Publicity)
Lim Yaofeng Director (ISP)
Silvia Setiawan
T he Livia
Director (F inance & Sponsorship)
Deputy Director (F inance & Sponsorship)
Grace Lee
Tan Kar Wee
Deputy Director (Marketing & Publicity)
Director (Local Comm. Service)
Ken Ho
Ng Yun Ru
Deputy Director (ISP)
Director (Social Enterprise)
! !
Grace Xaveria Director (Welfare)
Tan Jian Hui
Deputy Director (Local Comm. Service)
Andrea Ng
Deputy Director (Social Enterprise) Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
|8
How It Started…
My volunteering journey started back in December 2010 when I joined the popular Y Camp Challenge as a volunteer. That experience impacted me greatly and ever since then, I started to volunteer more with YMCA in their various programmes and joined the Core Volunteer Group (CVG) of different community service programmes such as Y Dance, Y Guitar and Y Camp Challenge. In 2012, Uni-Y NTU’s Community Service Director, Jocelyn Tan, introduced me to Uni-Y NTU and invited me to join her organising committee for the first ever Uni-Y NTU's Freshmen Orientation Camp (FOC). Subsequently, Mr Jimmy Ong, Manager of the Youth Development Programmes (YDP) in YMCA approached and encouraged me to take up presidency of the Uni-Y NTU ExCo. Back then, I was only a freshman. Having almost zero prior experience in serving with Uni-Y NTU, I questioned myself if I was capable of leading the ExCo.
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Leading Uni-Y NTU
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Moving Forward
The journey was definitely not easy as most of the 2011/12 ExCo went on to pursue other endeavours upon completing their term of service, and I had to find most of my ExCo members on my own. But thank God for His grace and the YDP team for believing and encouraging me as well as Uni-Y NUS & SMU’s Presidents, Wen Wei and Crystal, for their guidance. With them, I was able to lead Uni-Y NTU in 2012/13. After serving a term in the Uni-Y NTU ExCo as the President, I got to know Uni-Y Singapore and Uni-Y NTU a lot better and also learnt more about myself! I realised that for Uni-Y NTU to grow from glory to glory, and strength to strength, it needed a new head with a new vision and a stronger foundation in both the Social Impact and Holistic Enrichment aspects. Hence, I recognised that Mr Ivan Lim is the man to lead Uni-Y NTU forward in 2014 in achieving greater heights with his vast experience in serving in church and the community. He has the abilities to give Uni-Y NTU the push it needs. With him at the helm, I have faith that Uni-Y NTU will grow stronger!
For me, I have decided to stay on in the Uni-Y NTU ExCo and serve in the Community Service department. I believe that with my prior experience serving with the Community Service department in YMCA, I am able to strengthen this core department of Uni-Y NTU. My tenure as the club president has definitely trained me in many ways — from managing people to balancing it with achieving milestones. I look forward to applying my learning to lead the CSP team in 2014.
9 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Terence Khoo Kang Ming
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uni-y Experience
“
uni-y Experience
Serving With a Passion
Silvia Setiawan
Serving as the Director (Finance & Sponsorship) of Uni-Y NTU in 2012/13, my journey with the club has been a meaningful and enriching one thus far. It has always been a constant reminder to always be grateful and compassionate in serving the community. Not only that, Uni-Y has also allowed me to develop myself both as a leader as well as a Christian. Now that my capacity has been enlarged, I feel that I am ready to take on a greater responsibility to bring something that I am passionate about to greater heights. Therefore, I decided to continue to serve in the club as Vice-President of Internal Affairs in 2014. Surely, this journey will not be all gold and glitter, but I know that God will help me with the continuous guidance and support from the YDP staff, as well as my fellow executive committee members. Uni-Y NTU has been my family here in Singapore where we share the same passion, build strong friendships and care for one another :)
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Striking a Balance
Having been in Uni-Y NTU since my freshman days, there were times when I had to juggle both my studies and other commitments well. Thus, I plan my day and follow it closely to ensure that I complete my tasks on time. Besides, I find joy in what I did and do. I believe that together with the support I have been receiving, it will make my Uni-Y journey even more pleasant and fruitful. Through serving in the Uni-Y NTU ExCo, not only has it enhanced my interpersonal and time management skills, I have also learned to be grateful, responsible and persevere in all that I do. No matter how challenging life is, there is always the bright side of it and I should be thankful for the learning opportunity despite the struggles I face along the way.
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International Exposure
Being involved in Uni-Y has offered me more opportunities than I expected. In August 2013, I was able to participate in an International Youth Peace seminar held in Hiroshima which was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. From hearing an eyewitness account by an atomic bomb victim, visiting the atomic bomb museum to witnessing numerous students from various high schools asking for support on the destruction of atomic weapons through petitions, I was more aware of the extent of the horrific incident that happened more than sixty years ago up till date. Other than forging relationships with delegates from other countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Korea, India and Australia, I also had the opportunity to understand the different social issues faced by the various nations, and was reminded of how I often take peace and security for granted in Singapore. Through the small actions that I adopt in my daily life, I hope to promote peace in my surroundings.
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10 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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uni-y Experience
Passion for Social Entrepreneurship
In my first year of university, I joined Uni-Y SMU’s Jericho’s Rooftop Café after being introduced to it by a friend. Jericho's seeks to provide a platform for budding music artists to hone their musical talents and gives aspiring entrepreneurial Uni-Y students an opportunity to gain entrepreneurship experience through running a social enterprise. I started off being in charge of the finances, and assisted in the F&B and operations of the social enterprise.
Rising Up As a Servant Leader
After serving in Jericho's, I realised that there are many needs that could still be met. As a result, I was very much interested in helping not just the social enterprise but also the club in moving forward to create greater social impact in the community. I'm thankful to have leaders who gave me the opportunity to serve the club in a greater capacity such as being involved in the Tri Uni-Y camp and Vivace (SMU’s CCA camp for freshmen). Thereafter, I decided to apply for the Uni-Y SMU ExCo as I believed that it would give me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and serve the club in a greater capacity.
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In my second year, serving in the ExCo required greater commitment and responsibilities. At the same time, it was a more fulfilling experience as the challenges I faced as a VicePresident allowed me to further develop myself as a servant leader. Being more involved in the club's matters and being part of the decision-making process that shapes the club helped me to grow to be a better leader.
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International Exposure
During my ExCo term, I also had the opportunity to attend a Uni-Y Study Mission in February 2013. The study mission to Hong Kong opened my perspectives and gave me insights to the social needs in the country and how the YMCAs in Hong Kong play active roles to meet those needs. Besides forging friendships with our YMCA and Uni-Y counterparts, this experience allowed me to learn from the Uni-Y clubs in Hong Kong in terms of forging a stronger brand and identity as they have a strong presence in their universities with a huge membership base.
YMCA Internship
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Last summer (May-July 2013), I decided to take up an internship with YMCA as I believe that YMCA greatly emphasises the inculcation of positive core values which few other organisations do. During my time at YMCA, I am blessed to have colleagues and superiors who were intentional in mentoring me and developing my character. I also learnt how valuable volunteers are to a VWO and how they can be better equipped to serve the beneficiaries and the community at large.
! 11 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Alistair Ng Li Yao
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“
uni-y Experience
ISP Trip To Cambodia
Delphine Phua
In May this year, I participated in an ISP trip to UNACAS, Cambodia. During the trip, my team was involved in conducting English lessons and infrastructure work, as well as helping out with the daily chores around the UNACAS orphanage. We also had the opportunity to go for home visits to bless the less-privileged villages with some daily necessities and interact with the villagers there. During our home visits, the story of one of the villagers that we visited while giving out the blessing packs touched many of my team members who were there. She was an old lady who lived in a tiny two-storey house with her children and their families. She had more than twenty grandchildren, some of whom gathered around us as we listened to her tell us about her life. She had a difficult life, but still had so much joy in her. When we requested to take photos with her, she insisted on changing and putting on her best outfit. Another thing that struck us was the small physique of the children in the village. We commonly mistook 12-year-olds for 7-year-olds as most of them had stunted growth due to malnutrition when they were babies. The entire experience served to teach us how privileged we are in our developed cities, and the friendliness and hospitality of the locals were huge contrast to the attitudes we display at times back home.
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Uni-Y Step Up 2013
Uni-Y Step Up is different from the other freshmen camps because it’s not just about having fun, or getting down and dirty; it’s about giving back to the community, and meeting like-minded people at the same time. As Camp Commandant for this year’s Uni-Y Step Up, the camp was a holistic experience for me which is indescribable through words alone. It was a steep learning curve, as I have never taken up such a role with heavy responsibilities. Through the 9 months of planning, not only were strong friendships built, I also learnt a lot about managing people and leading a team. Although challenge after challenge came our way— from coordination issues between the 3 universities, objections from the school authorities, fundraising needs, to our committee being green at organising a camp involving the intellectually-challenged beneficiaries, I am truly proud of what my committee has accomplished, and am really thankful for them sticking through this journey till the end.
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Stepping Up!
In 2012/13, I decided to take up the role of Vice-President (Service Programmes) because I believe in the mission of Uni-Y and I wanted to be a part of that vision and play an active role in it. However, when offered the position of President in 2014, it was a difficult decision to make. The past year’s journey hadn’t been easy in many ways and I wasn’t sure if I had the physical and emotional capacity to take up this role. Even though I knew that it wouldn’t be an easy journey for me, I decided to take up presidency. It was a leap of faith for me to actively put myself in a position where I would be challenged and eventually come to a point where I have to run solely on God’s strength. Ultimately, I took it up because I wanted to take an active step to know God, to love Him and to serve Him, and finally to become a testimony for Him. Therefore, the focus for Uni-Y NUS in 2014 is to really build up the club as a community and a family, while maintaining the foundations that had been put in place through the hard work of the previous batch of executive committee members.
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12 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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84
Community Service Sessions
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68
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2,068
Volunteers
! ! Volunteering Hours !
14,938
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community service programmes Overview
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Uni-Y Singapore champions social causes and creates positive social impact through its regular and sustainable community service programmes.
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Organising both ad-hoc and longterm programmes, Uni-Y Singapore hosts activities targeting a variety of beneficiar ies, namely the intellectually challenged, the elderly and children from lowerincome families.
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y Food of love
Y Food of Love has been the pet project of Uni-Y SMU since the club was established in 2005.
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Through this monthly programme, they have impacted 960 elderly beneficiaries from 15 VWOs.
Volunteers going door-to-door to give out daily necessities such as toilet paper, Milo and biscuits to the elderly. It was an eye-opener to many volunteers as they saw the living conditions of these simple one-room flats of the elderly for the first time.
Y Food of Love serves as an excellent platform to foster ties between volunteers, expose them to the less fortunate in society, and inculcate the importance of the need to engage in meaningful and longterm service. Our Uni-Y SMU volunteers guiding intellectually challenged beneficiaries from the Association of People with Special Needs – Centre for Adults (APSN CFA) in baking muffins for the elderly from the Lions Befrienders Service Association (Singapore).
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Objectives: • Bake for the elderly under the guidance of a volunteer chef • Bless the elderly with hand-made pastries and p re - p a c ke d g ro c e r y packages • Bond with the elderly
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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y Nature Walk
With the presence of children, there is always fun and laughter! Uni-Y NUS volunteers engaged children from Tampines Family Service Centre (FSC) at Hort Park to educate them on friendly environmental practices through fun and engaging activities, allowing them to understand the importance of protecting the environment.
Y N a t u r e Wa l k i s a community service programme organised by Uni-Y NUS that seeks to enrich the lives of their beneficiaries — children, the elderly and the intellectually disabled, through visits to nature spots in Singapore and appreciating the rich biodiversity.
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Outdoor games are also organised, allowing volunteers and beneficiaries to bond, making for both an enriching and enjoyable time together.
Uni-Y NUS volunteers enjoyed the time out with their buddies from Blue Cross at Botanic Gardens as they walked, interacted, and played games with each other.
15 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
y springclean
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Sweeping, mopping and cleaning; the cycle repeats. Volunteers from Uni-Y SMU and Uni-Y NUS truly have a servant’s heart as they dedicate their time and effort to serve monthly in this 10-month long programme.
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YMCA-Central Singapore’s CDC Y SpringClean programme serves the needy elderly and the disabled, cleaning their homes to provide t h e m a c l e a n a n d hy g i e n i c l i v i n g environment. Uni-Y SMU and Uni-Y NUS have 3 committed teams of volunteers who commit a period of 10 months to impact 4 elderly households under the Central Singapore CDC.
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members 2 teams of Uni-Y SpringClean nt held at eve n clea ing volunteered for a spr s enjoyed ent stud The oh. Pay Toa in a block as a wonderful cleaning together and saw it g. way to start a Saturday mornin
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In addition, recognising that strong social relationships are crucial for the elderly, especially those who live alone or have poor health, Uni-Y volunteers also support the emotional needs of the beneficiaries by befriending and chit-chatting with them and encouraging them to be part of the community at large.
! “It has never failed to bring me joy and satisfaction each time I am able to help the elderly and put a smile on their faces. I’m very glad to be part of this meaningful project.”
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Tracy Ng Uni-Y SMU Volunteer
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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y dance outreach Spearheaded by Uni-Y NTU, the Y Dance Outreach programme groups brings together like-minded volunteers who possess a love for dance, coupled with a passion to enrich the lives of intellectually disabled beneficiaries.
Not only do the buddies from Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled love singing, they also love dancing! 30 buddies strut their moves and grooved to the music as they danced to songs like the famous “Gangnam Style” and “Nobody” by Wonder Girls.
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The beneficiaries of Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled enjoy dancing very much and their enthusiasm for dance was easily passed on and caught by the student volunteers. It was a time of great laughter and enjoyment!
Uni-Y NTU volunteers, who are paired 1-to-1 with their buddies, perform and teach simple dance movements to beneficiaries during their monthly programme conducted at Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled.
“I realised at the end of it all, that over and above the activity of the day and the difficulties in teaching and communicating with the beneficiaries, it is more important to bring them joy. Just being there showing love to them has filled their day with so much joy. It certainly made my day too... I walked away from the Home realising that I had probably gained more from them than I had been able to give.”
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Aaron Chan Uni-Y NUS Member
17 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
y reading club As a new initiative led by Uni-Y NTU since February 2013, Y Reading Club aims to promote t h e l o ve o f r e a d i n g a n d cultivate good reading habits among the 30 beneficiaries from Metta School.
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Through this programme, the beneficiaries' reading and writing skills are sharpened, and as they build their self-confidence and self-esteem, they are encouraged to continue this passion for learning to read and write more.
With the setting up of libraries at Metta School, Y Reading Club aims to provide an avenue for beneficiaries from various races to interact while adding to their general knowledge and literacy competence. Conducted on a m o n t h ly b a s i s , U n i - Y N T U volunteers are paired 1-to-1 with their buddies to give them guidance and encouragement while learning.
“Y Reading is a very beneficial programme as it aids beneficiaries in increasing their level of employability since most of them are currently holding jobs in the marketplace and this better integrates them into society.
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Volunteers in this programme are not only teachers and mentors to our beneficiaries but friends as well. Hence, our volunteers are encouraged to come regularly to foster relationships with the beneficiaries which will be instrumental to their growth and development in this programme.�
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Timothy Ong Vice-President of Uni-Y NTU 2012-13
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Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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y GUITAR “Indeed, the month of July 2013 is a month for many new aspiring volunteer leaders to shine and take lead. As our beneficiaries learn from the teachings of our volunteers and shine, let us not forget that we, the volunteers, have also gained something important from serving our community — a humble and joyful heart.” Daniel Tan Uni-Y SMU Community Service Deputy Director
more time Despite having to spend dy eventually bud the memorising the chords, the guitar on g son a y pla to being able eers and unt vol the brought smiles to both buddy.
Undertaken by Uni-Y NTU and Uni-Y SMU, Y Guitar involves teaching 20 members of the Association for Persons with Special Needs Centre for Adults (APSN CFA) how to play the basic chords of a song on the guitar.
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T hrough this monthly event, where volunteers are paired 1-to-1 with our ASA buddies, Uni-Y volunteers also learn the importance of being patient teachers.
Uni-Y volunteers seek to change volunteers’ mindsets from just a community service project to values-in-action, where it is hoped that volunteers would see themselves as adding value to the lives of others around them rather than just going through a routine service project.
19 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
y OUTING @ HWA
Volunteers spent a Saturday morning learning how to make jewellery together with beneficiaries from the Handicaps Welfare Association.
To celebrate the Mooncake Festival, volunteers from Uni-Y NUS brought our Handicaps Welfare Association friends for a snowskin mooncakemaking session at the Little Arts Academy.
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Organised by volunteer groups for their adopted beneficiary groups, Y Outing provides the opportunity for beneficiaries to participate in outdoor activities on a monthly basis.
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Currently, the outings are conducted weekly with the APSN-CFA, Handicaps Welfare Association, Blue Cross Thong Kheng Home and Y STARS (a direct beneficiary group of the YMCA of Singapore comprising of young adults with Down’s Syndrome).
Through learning how to make moon cakes - a highly interactive activity, both volunteers and beneficiaries were given the opportunity to learn something new and experiment together.
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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project gratitude Spearheaded by Uni-Y NUS, Project Gratitude was created to provide a platform for NUS students to appreciate the unsung heroes of their university – the cleaners and janitors – through writing small notes or messages for them.
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At the same time, students could choose to purchase basic necessities that were on sale at the booth and donate these necessities to the less privileged through Uni-Y NUS.
For this project, a team of people from various departments of Uni-Y NUS was put together to foster closer bonds within the club. Hence, there were greater opportunities to know people outside their respective service programs, while simultaneously pursuing a meaningful cause of serving a less privileged division of the NUS community.
Everyone in the community deserves to be loved and blessed, even in the smallest and simplest of ways. Look at the smiles on their faces upon receiving food packages from our Uni-Y NUS volunteers. We are truly blessed to be a blessing!
21 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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7 6 4 17,544
International Service ProgrammeS
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Trips To
Cities
Countries
Volunteering Hours
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155
Trip Participants
Overview
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A highlight of Uni-Y clubs, international service programmes are always well received by students. Each Uni-Y club organises at least 2 tr ips annually to serve the international community through teaching English and other subjects, building infrastructure, taking part in agricultural activities, and going on home visits and cultural exchange. Uni-Y NUS • Cambodia (UNACAS) • Vietnam (Dalat)
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Uni-Y SMU • Cambodia (UNACAS) • Chiang Mai • Laos
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Uni-Y NTU • Cambodia (BBLC) • Vietnam (Ben Tre)
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Programmes include: • Building infrastructure • Teaching English • Home visits and cultural exchange
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Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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! - unacas Cambodia ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Uni-Y NUS and Uni-Y SMU both sent a team each to UNACAS, Cambodia from 13 – 27 May 2013 and 28 April - 12 May 2013.
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For Uni-Y NUS, the team was involved in teaching English at the orphanage, agr icultural activities, digging out tree roots at a new construction site and building a well for the villagers to have clean water to cook and bathe. An additional component of social enquiry was introduced to the programme, where teams took part in home visits.
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These home visits allowed the students to understand the culture and livelihoods of the Cambodian locals more sensitively through their close interaction with the families and helped volunteers appreciate the c o m f o r t o f S i n ga p o re better. Teams followed up f ro m t h e s e v i s i t s by putting together welfare packs based on the needs they saw and heard from the home visits. Distribution of these packs was done during their second visit to the homes. “Through the kids, I learnt contentment. I learnt that with the right mindset, it really takes very little to be happy. Through the team, I learnt acceptance, leadership skills and a passion to serve the community at large.”
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Jessica Lai Participant of Uni-Y NUS Project UNACAS
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! ! Cambodia unacas ! !
As part of Christian Development in Uni-Y, the Uni-Y NUS team also participated in the children’s programme at the local church on Sunday. The 8 Christians in the team taught ‘He’s Able’ in English to the children, while the rest of the team helped to facilitate.
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For Uni-Y SMU, the team went to UNACAS with the objectives of building a gazebo and teaching English to the children there. They also took part in home visits, and distributed welfare packs including food and daily necessities to bless the villagers whom they visited.
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The trip ended with a cultural night where the team performed some dances, played local games like chongkat and did some Chinese painting for the children.
“I’m proud to say that this trip has made me a better person in some way — stronger, more independent and more knowledgeable. Hopefully, through this, I may be able to empower those around me and enlighten them.”
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Jeslyn Chew Participant for PTIA IV, Cambodia
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Cambodia - bblc 20
Uni-Y NTU students took off to Boys’ Brigade Learning Centre (BBLC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia to teach English and basic music - playing the recorder.
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The team willingly sacrificed their Rest & Recreation time to visit the local church on Sunday to experience a deeper sense of the Cambodian culture.
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The team sang “God Will Make A Way” in Khmer to bless the community. As a form of cultural exchange, the Cambodian students were able to eat muruku and bak kwa brought over from Singapore.
“One of my biggest realisations is the passion that the students have to learn and gain new knowledge. In Singapore, we tend to take education for granted and are too caught up in the rat race.”
Tan Li Hao Uni-Y NTU Participant on BBLC trip
25 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Vietnam - project love dalat 21
Uni-Y NUS volunteers departed for Dalat from 11 – 24 May 2013 to impact the community positively by teaching English at Dalat Love School and Nam Thanh Primary School and building concrete pavements for Nam Thanh Primary.
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The team also took part in a half-day service programme at Thien Phuoc Centre for the Disabled Children where they organised art and craft activities and assisted in the meal feeding programme.
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On top of that, the students had a wonderful opportunity to pay a visit to YMCA Vietnam and had some time to interact with Mr Loc, the General Secretary of YMCA Vietnam.
“Their desire and thirst for education is something that I feel students like us should learn from…”
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Shannon Tio Participant from Team Love Dalat
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Vietnam - project timbre
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Uni-Y NTU ISP, with a strength of 22, embarked on a 14-day International Service Programme trip to Ben Tre, Vietnam in Dec 2012. Throughout the 10 service days, the team taught Primary 3 to Primary 5 school students basic English and bonded with them through games and class activities at Le Tho Xuan Primary School.
In addition, the team also helped to construct a day care centre in the school and decorated the walls by painting murals. Â Outside of school, the team also had the opportunity for a day visit to families which made for an eye-opening cultural experience. Towards the end of the t r i p, t h e t e a m a l s o visited places of interest in Ho Chi Minh City, like the Cu Chi Tunnel, Mekong River and the War Museum to learn about the history a n d c u l t u re o f t h e country. Overall, it was a successful and fulf illing tr ip, with leaders and members both taking home valuable experience and knowledge.
27 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
laos - project sparks iv
Volunteers from Uni-Y SMU were tasked to carry out a structured English curriculum for students in Na-ang Primary, located in the agriculture-based village of Na-ang. In addition, music, dance and visual arts activities were included.
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Volunteers also helped in improving the learning environment for the students by building a school library, indoor stage hall and a teachers’ room to complement the new classrooms built.
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Thailand - project Chiangmai Before the trip, the team of 21 Uni-Y SMU students carried out various fund-raising activities and local community service projects before setting off for Lamphun, Lee District, Ban Hong Village, in December 2012.
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Dur ing their stay in Chiangmai, the team experienced home-stays with Thai families, conducted lessons to teach the local school children the English language, Chinese language, Art & Craft and basic hygiene practices and had the opportunity for several cultural exchanges with the host community.
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Fur thermore, the team worked together with Uni-Y Chiang Mai and the villagers to build a new canteen for Ban Hong Primary School, as the prior absence of a proper dining area resulted in students of the school consuming all their meals on classroom floors.
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Through this trip, not only did the Uni-Y SMU team experience the warmth and hospitality of the Thai host community, they definitely learnt many invaluable lessons and gained friendships and memories that will last for a very long time!
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! ! !
! ! ! !
256
Volunteers
! ! Openings !
130 224 ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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!Volunteering Hours
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ProgrammeS
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Overview
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The Social Enterprise Programmes (SEP) offered by Uni-Y Singapore aims to create businesses with social objectives. It encourages volunteers to create positive change in society, seizing opportunities to address social issues using innovative and appropriate business models.
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It is also a platform for volunteers to learn more about social entrepreneurship and pick up the necessary skill sets required to be a social entrepreneur.
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The SEP is anchored on 3 main pillars: Youth Development, Community Service and Sustainability.
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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uni-y smu JERICHO’S ROOFTOP CAFE
The café provides a platform for budding musicians to improve the ir craft. Proceeds from the café will go toward the community ser vice programmes undertaken by Uni-Y SMU.
Jericho’s Rooftop Café is the first social enterprise rooftop café spearheaded by Uni-Y SMU. Situated at the rooftop of YMCA of Singapore, and wholly run by student volunteers from Uni-Y SMU, the café seeks to provide local bands 31 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
the platform to showcase their talents.
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In May 2013, the Jericho’s team partnered with a production crew called Visions to bring in young, aspiring musicians to Jericho’s Rooftop Café. With this g re a t p a r t n e r s h i p,
Jericho’s Rooftop Café decided to have 2 openings in the month of May, which attracted over 15 performing bands and close to 150 guests.
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Jericho’s Rooftop Café is open on the last Friday of each month.
uni-y Nus sidewalk gallery cafe “The understanding that someday, what I am doing will mean something to the beneficiaries is enough to keep me going.
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While there are many challenges along the way, I am glad to have my Sidewalk team along with me, working heart and soul as one team.”
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Sherlyn Kaela Teo Member of the Uni-Y NUS Social Enterprise Team
fé prides itself on Sidewalk Gallery Ca menu to provide its constantly improving great selection of th a valued customers wi of December 2012, nth mo the In . ms ite food a welcome new sweet waffles were ing menu. These ow gr addition to the ever- chocolate waffles, included delectable p waffles as well as butter & maple syru ice-cream waffles.
A student-initiated social enterprise run by Uni-Y NUS, the Sidewalk Gallery Café provides specialneeds beneficiaries with working experience in the service industry, allowing t h e m t o a c q u i re a n d p ra c t i c e s o c i a l s k i l l s through their interaction with customers. It also
To mark the start of waffle s sales, Sidewalk Galler y Cafe launched a month-long event “WaffleFest”, to raise aw areness about its social cause am ong the general public. The waffles became an instant hit wit h the Café receiving rave rev iews. On top of that, the Sidew alk Galler y Team attended a food handling and hygiene cou rse to learn the industry’s be st practices, ensuring that every customer gets the best dining experience at the café!
brings about a change in the public perceptions of the limitations of these beneficiaries.
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The café operates from 9am to 5pm every Sunday.
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The Sidewalk Gallery Café is located at the walkway between YMCA of Singapore and Orchard Road Presbyterian Church.
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Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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! competitions !
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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Apart from !managing their respective ! social enterprises,! both the Jericho’s Rooftop ! Café and Sidewalk ! Gallery C a f é t e a m s! h a d t h e opportunity to ! take part in competitions ! to gain greater exposure! ! ! ! In 2012, the! Sidewalk Gallery Café !took part in the Accenture ! Gives: Skills to Succeed ! contest, where they were ! tasked to design a !community project that is ! based on Accenture's! Skills to S u c c e e d f o!c u s . T h e c o m p e t i t i o n! a i m s t o !
33 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! p r o v i d !e u n i v e r s i t y an open-stage concept: students !the opportunity young music talents get t o c o n t!r i bu t e t o t h e exposure and the kitchen economy ! by building team’s interpretations of their skills ! and that of its favourite ingredient, their community. t h e p o t a t o, s p a r k e d ! ! interaction between ! For the !Jericho’s team, diners and the team, they took!part in the 2012 making Jericho’s a cosy Citi-YMCA ! Youth For and memorable place to Causes Social ! Enterprise hang out at. Challenge ! (YFCSEC), ! where a !seed funding of Overall, it was a great $3,000 was ! given to the learning experience team to !implement their for both teams, and business! plan for the their knowledge and YMCA of!Singapore. exposure had helped ! spur the social ! A t t h e !Y F C S E C, t h e enterprises to greater Jericho’s team promoted
heights!
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160
Beneficiaries Impacted
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UNI-Y STEP UP 2013 Overview
157
Participating Freshmen In
CSPs & SEs !
5
! Organising Committee
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Uni-Y Step Up is a flagship programme under Uni-Y Singapore. It is an annual camp that is targeted at the incoming freshmen of the three local universities.
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The objectives are to enthuse freshmen into positive societal action and to challenge each individual to step up to serve the community around them even as they start their next phase of life as university students.
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77 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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23rd - 25th july 2013 39 NTU freshmen
participated in this flagship project, which was organised by 18 Uni-Y NTU leaders at the National Service Resort & Country Club (NSRCC). The freshmen had fun playing meaningful games that provided them the
opportunity to learn about the income gap in Singapore and the difficult decision-making process for how lower-income families bought their daily groceries and necessities. Some participants were also exposed to volunteering and interacting with intellectuallydisabled beneficiaries for the first time when they took part in Y Dance at the Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled.
28th - 30th july 2013 19 NUS participants
attended the camp that was organised by 11 Uni-Y NUS leaders at NSRCC. Meaningful activities were conducted like “The Game of Life”, a role-playing game where participants were grouped into different social classes of Singapore society and experienced the daily difficulties and discrimination faced by these groups. Besides, “The Blindfold Challenge” saw participants having to accomplish simple daily activities while not being able to see, thus developing empathy for 35 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
the visually impaired. “The Disability Challenge” was also played, where students had to feed each other while not being able to use their hands or sight. These activities helped to enthuse young freshmen to positive societal action as they realised that they have much to be thankful for and therefore, much to give to bless others who are in need.
5th - 8th august 2013 Uni-Y SMU had its annual Freshmen Orientation C a m p, U n i - Y SMU Step Up 2013, from 5-8 August 2013. 105 freshmen par ticipated in the camp filled with meaningful opportunities for volunteering and interacting with beneficiaries as well as bonding with fellow SMU students. The participants were exposed to various community service programmes like Y Food of Love, Y NatureWalk and Y Dance Outreach, and were given the opportunity to interact and impact 160 beneficiaries from Peace
freshmen to get a taste of what the social enterprise does and broaden their perspectives to the possibility of combining business with service to the community.
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Connect, MINDS Clementi and Bishan Home. In addition, Uni-Y SMU’s very ow n s o c i a l e n t e r p r i s e, Je r i c h o ’s R o o f t o p C a f é , opened specially for the
26th - 28th july 2013
T h ro u g h t h e s h a r i n g o f experiences and lessons learnt at the end of the camp, it was evident that this camp had changed the lives of the SMU freshmen with many h av i n g t h e i r d e s i re f o r volunteerism ignited and wanting to lead a more purposeful university life that extends beyond studying. Overall, the camp was a success and achieved its purpose of enthusing youth to c re a t i n g p o s i t ive s o c i a l impact.
Tri Uni-Y Camp ! ! ! ! ! !
N T U, N U S and SMU came together for a Tri Uni-Y camp at MOE Dairy Farm, in collaboration with YMCA’s Community Serivce Department for Y Camp Challenge. Participants were paired with beneficiaries from MIND Fernvale, MINDS Clementi and APSN. Many precious lessons were learnt
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! ! ! !
as participants had to be responsible for their buddy’ needs and well-being throughout the camp and learnt to be patient and accepting of their buddies. Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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! ! !
HOLISTIC ENRICHMENT ! !
Overview !
Holistic Enrichment (HE) seeks to develop servant leaders through a variety of platforms like dialogues, international exposure, internships, trainings and workshops
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In Uni-Y, our HE programmes include: Local & Overseas Internships
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International Exchanges Uni-Y Study Mission International Conferences & Seminars
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Personal Development The YMCA Conversation Series Christian Development Workshops
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Leadership Development Uni-Y Imp(act) Training in Facilitation Skills & Experiential Learning Leadership & Management Programme (LAMP)
37 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Holistic enrichment
Personal & leadership development UNI-Y LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (LAMP)
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time of bonding and strategic planning for the upcoming ExCo term ahead. Our participants benefitted greatly through this 2D1N
programme which provides them with core skills in leading teams and committees.
LAMP is held annually for the potential ExCo members, where participants from all 3 Uni-Ys gather for a
UNI-Y imp(act) Training
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The first Uni-Y Imp(act) Training in facilitation skills and experiential learning was held on 30 May 2013
and 14 Uni-Y leaders came together for a fun and meaningful time of learning. The course objectives were for all participants to acquire a basic knowledge of facilitation skills and frameworks to enhance debriefs and facilitate intentional learning through
all Uni-Y programmes, plan events better and manage teams more effectively.
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Course topics included: GRPR and TTI frameworks, Giving Constructive Feedback and Group Team Roles.
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UNI-Y VIDEO WORKSHOP Vocare Media Production & YMCA of Singapore have
been working hand-in-hand over the past year to promote social causes using the power of video production. Vocare seeks to empower the students with basic videography and editing knowledge to carry out their own
shoots so as to create better publicity collaterals to further Uni-Y’s mission.! Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Holistic enrichment
the YMCA conversation series The YMCA Conversation Series is a platform to engage and connect youths and YMCA volunteers to share and exchange ideas in order to learn from one another.
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Through The YMCA Conversation Series, YMCA of Singapore hopes to:
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1)ENTHUSE youth to take ownership by being advocates of the positive changes they desire to see in society; and 2)ENRICH youth and equip them with leadership skills, best practices, and wellrounded perspectives in handling social issues by learning from opinion leaders, the movers and shakers.
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On 26 January 2013, The YMCA Conversation Series was launched by Mr Stephen Loh, President of YMCA of Singapore and Minister Lawrence Wong, Acting Minister for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Entitled “More Than Ourselves: A Generation That Cares�, 64 youth engaged in lively group discussions that revolved around cultivating sustainable volunteerism in youth today.
! 39 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Holistic enrichment
the 2nd YMCA conversation series 38 participants gathered on 7 September
2013 at the Singapore Management University (SMU) to take part in the 2nd event of The YMCA Conversation Series that centered around social entrepreneurship.
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The event started with a keynote address by Ms Lynette Yeo, Assistant Secretary of YMCA of Singapore, followed by a workshop by Mr Benny Se Teo from Eighteen Chefs. After which, participants broke up into 2 groups and attended concurrent workshops by the different invited speakers. Following that, participants gathered together again for an open panel discussion, which was facilitated by Associate Professor Dr Albert Teo from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
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It was an enriching and enjoyable time as participants had the opportunity to interact and learn more from the experience and expertise of our invited social entrepreneurs and speakers.
Booths from the various organisations and companies were also set up during lunch for participants to further engage in deeper conversations with the speakers. The social enterprises Sidewalk Gallery Café from Uni-Y NUS and Jericho’s Rooftop Café from Uni-Y SMU were also present to present platforms where university students can get involved in a social enterprise while still in school. 40 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Holistic enrichment
YMCA regional youth conference 2012 The conference was an event of YMCA of Singapore and Asia & Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY), organised by U n ive r s i t y - Y M CA ( U n i - Y ) Singapore. YMCA of Singapore seeks to ENCOURAGE, EDUCATE, and ENGAGE youth through YMCA Regional Youth Conference 2012.
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Held on 17-22 July 2012 at NUS U-Town,
163 youth from 23 across 15 countries,
YMCAs from neighbouring countries like Philippines, Hong Kong and Malaysia to as far as Egypt participated in the conference.
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!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
by the An action-packed dance item put up t Nigh ural Cult the ng duri s delegate showcase. The array of performances showed the vibrant cultures.
!! !! !! !! !! 
 T h ro u g h t h e c o n f e re n c e, ! delegates were challenged to ! ! STEP UP in discovering their ! TALENTS,STEP UP in ! enriching themselves so that ! they can SERVE their ! ! community, and STEP UP in ! fulfilling their social ! re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o t h e i r ! !! COMMUNITIES. ! !! !! ! !! !! ! !! !!! A key h i g h l i g h t o f t h e conference included a tea session and conversation with the President of Singapore, His Excellency, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana on 18 July 2012.
YMCA Regional Youth Conference (Highlights)
YMCA Regional Youth Conference
41 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !
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holistic enrichment - INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PEACE seminar (HIROSHIMA) At exactly 0815, on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. 68 years on, the memories of that fateful day live on in the hearts and minds of the Japanese and the world.
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To commemorate that day, 6 student leaders from Uni-Y Singapore and a YMCA staff attended the 35th International Youth Peace Seminar from 4-6 August 2013, which was o r g a n i s e d a n d h o s t e d by Hiroshima YMCA.
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The main objectives of this seminar were to:
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• Give thought and discussion to the abolishment of nuclear weapons • Spread the awareness and understanding of world issues • Exchange ideas and perspectives on what youth can do to build peace • Create an avenue for youth from different countries to interact
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This year, it was attended by
53
participants from 10 YMCAs:
! • • • • • • • • • •
Bombay YMCA Daegu YMCA Hiroshima YMCA Kuala Lumpur YMCA Kumamoto YMCA Tainan YMCA Ulsan YMCA YMCA of Singapore YMCA of Top End Yokohama YMCA Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Holistic enrichment - INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
UNI-Y STUDY MISSION (HONG kong)
The Uni-Y Study Mission took place from 23 – 26 February 2013 to Hong Kong with a group of 9 Uni-Y members from SMU and NUS. The objectives of the Uni-Y Study Mission was to expose both staff and Uni-Y leaders to other YMCA’s youth p r o g r a m m e s, l e a r n b e s t practices, foster international friendship and promote cultural practices. The Study Mission brought the team to the 43 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
office of Mr Kohei Yamada, the General Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) for a breakfast meeting where he shared openly on the works of APAY as well as to encourage the Uni-Y leaders to take on a proactive role in engaging and rallying their peers in serving their local community. The team also had the privilege to interact and network with the staff, Uni-Y and College-Y of the Chinese YMCA
of Hong Kong, as well as the staff and Campus-Y leaders from YMCA of Hong Kong. It was indeed an enr iching experience for each member of the Singapore team, and it is of great hope that the trip would enable us to bring Uni-Y Singapore to greater heights!
Holistic enrichment - INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2013 : link-age
The International Youth Conference (IYC) was organised by Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (CYMCAHK) and was held in Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village, Hong Kong, from 19 – 24 July 2013. The Conference attracted youth delegates from the countries of Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand and Germany. There were seminars highlighting the culture and society of Hong Kong through the programmes of field work and community service.
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The delegates were also able to attend workshops on personal development such as an introductory course on sign language as well as Chinese calligraphy.
2 representatives
from Uni-Y SMU and 1 YMCA staff attended the IYC and learnt about the importance of face-to- face communication and the links YMCA has globally.
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Holistic enrichment
uni-y internships ! Local internships ! Crystal Chua (Uni-Y
Dawn Ho (Uni-Y NUS Member), SMU President) and Alistair Ng (Uni-Y SMU Vice President, Business Development) embarked on their internship programme under the Youth Development Programmes (YDP) department in summer 2013.
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The Uni-Y interns were involved in various projects like Uni-Y Step Up 2013, facilitation workshops and also spearheaded a number of new initiatives like Christian Development, the Uni-Y Singapore website and Uni-Y membership.
! Overseas internships ! Overseas internships
provide our local Uni-Y members the opportunity to gain overseas exposure and learn from our international YMCA counterparts.
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In 2013, YDP ssent a Uni-Y NUS member, Aileen Thomas, on a month-long internship in July 2013 with Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. Her main task was to assist the international youth conference planning committee to organise and execute various tasks during the Link-Age Conference.
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As part of YMCA of Singapore collaboration with CYMCAHK, they in turn sent two interns from Hong Kong on their Global Y Trainee Programme in the month of July to intern at the YMCA of Singapore; Sheena Cheung completed her internship with Project Bridge, and Ma Hiu Yan with the Community Services Department.
45 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Holistic enrichment
uni-y Internships Aileen Thomas Uni-Y NUS Volunteer Development Director
! ! !
“Going through the Global Y Trainee Program has indeed opened my eyes, ears, heart and senses to not only the needy but also, build up the simple connections around me. The friendships I have built across the month will definitely be something I will hold close to and keep for the rest of my life.”
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“I enjoyed the time that I had in the YMCA of Singapore and Singapore. After my internship here, I learned that there are many things that are not within one’s control. In spite of this, the social workers here are very understanding and never give up. I can truly feel the warm welcome from YMCA of Singapore. They all left in me an unforgettable memory and I wish I could stay longer and spend more
time with all the people that I met here.”
! ! ! ! Cheung Ka Hay, Sheena Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
challenged student in Metta School in the Y Reading club, I had difficulties understanding and communicating with her. Sometimes, I did not quite “I have learnt to be more understand her stubborn and sensitive to the unique inflexible behaviour. characteristics of the However, in the process of beneficiaries. In the past, the my interaction with her, I service target of the voluntary have learnt to be more work I joined is usually abled attentive to the needs of my children from low-income families. I have little experience beneficiaries and to be more aware of the special interacting with intellectuallychallenged people. When I first characteristics of the interacted with an intellectually- beneficiaries.”
Ma Hiu Yan Kitty University of Hong Kong !
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Achievement & awards Uni-Y NUS Special Achievement Award (Group)
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Uni-Y NUS, which was launched in 2009, was awarded the Special Achievement Award (Group) for the first time by the President of National University of Singapore, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, during the University's 8th Student Achievement Awards event. Uni-Y NUS received the award for its contribution in creating a vibrant campus through the club’s meaningful programmes.
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This is indeed a milestone for the club to be officially recognized by the University. Uni-Y NUS sincerely thanks its volunteers and members for their contribution in making a difference in the community, enabling the club to receive this recognition.
47 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
Achievement & awards ! YMCA of Singapore Charity Governance Award 2013 (Large Charities Category) YMCA of Singapore has won the Charity Governance Award 2013 under the Large Charities category. The awards ceremony was held on 18 October 2013 at Novotel Clarke Quay where Mr Stephen Loh, President of the YMCA of Singapore and Ms Lynette Yeo, Assistant General Secretary of the YMCA of Singapore received the award from the Guestof-Honour Mr Lawrence Wong, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. Introduced in 2012, the Charity Governance Awards (CGA) aims to promote good governance in the charity sector by acknowledging the excellent work of charities, while inspiring others to emulate their best practices.The recognition and endorsement that follows the award will provide YMCA with a good platform and position to work with the relevant parties regulatory bodies such as the Charity Council and sector umbrella bodies such as the National Council of Social Service to actively identify opportunities in which we can share and promote best practices in governance with other charities.
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YMCA of Singapore would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, donors, sponsors, members and volunteers for their continual help and support! Our work in the community would not be possible without your partnership, contribution and support.
Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Acknowledgements Associate Professor Dr Albert Teo (Director, Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme, NUS) Benny Se Teo (Founder and Director, Eighteen Chefs) Crystal Ong (Singer) Glen Ng (General Manager, Dialogue in the Dark Singapore) Jerome Yang (Singer & Musician) Jessmo (Indie Song Writer) Justin Chou (Co-founder and CEO, Greendot Fast Food) Lynette Yeo (Assistant General Secretary - Social Enterprises, YMCA of Singapore) Richardo Chua (Founder, Adrenalin Group of Social Enterprises) Rusyaidee Rasdeen (Lead Vocalist & Rhythm Guitarist, Wake Up Charlie) Sam Driscoll (YouTube Star, Singer & Song Writer) Shelley Siu (Founder, The Singapore Shawl) Steven Chia (Channel NewsAsia Producer & Presenter, Board Member, YMCA of Singapore)
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Camera Rental Centre Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong Cinerous Cleo Singapore Ebenezer Fairprice Foundation Eleven Twelve GAT (Gift And Take) Pte Ltd Guru Nice Bakery Make Shake Nanyang Technological University
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49 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
National University of Singapore National Youth Council RAYdio Singapore Management University SMU Music Interaction Club Toyol Brothers Visions WahWahWeeWah YMCA of Hong Kong Yventually
UNI-Y MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Name (as in NRIC)** __________________________________________________ ** Please underline surname
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Requirements •
First-time membership fee is pegged at $15
•
Uni-Y membership is tied to the YMCA Ordinary (Annual)
NRIC/ Passport No.________________________________
membership, i.e. A Uni-Y member needs not apply for a
Date of Birth ____/____/_______
separate YMCA Ordinary (Annual) membership as his
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Age _____________
Marital Status_________ Nationality _________________ Race_______________ Institution ____________________
membership equates to a YMCA Ordinary (Annual)
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membership and will receive the same privileges.
I, __________________________________________, NRIC/FIN Home Address
No.__________________________, declare that the information
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
provided are true and accurate.
S(____________________)
I hereby accept the Uni-Y membership and agree to abide by the
Home Tel ___________________ HP __________________
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Faculty____________________________ Year__________ School Email __________________________________________________ Personal Email __________________________________________________ Religion __________________________________________
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Name of Next-of-Kin______________________________ Contact No ______________________________________ Relationship _____________________________________
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terms and conditions governing my conduct as a Uni-Y member.
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________________________ Signature of Applicant
__________________ Date
Kindly return the form to Youth Development Programmes Department, Level 3, YMCA of Singapore FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY: Application received date: _______________________ Membership No. : ________________________________
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Renewal [ ]
Card Issue Date: ______________
New Enrolment
[ ]
Update of Member’s Details
[ ]
Others : ____________________
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Benefits - Exclusive Uni-Y T-shirt (one-time provision and not available for subsequent renewals). - Eligibility to participate in Uni-Y-organised and -led programmes. - Free access to the YMCA swimming pool. - Enjoy 10% discount off all F&B outlets at the YMCA, MYMCA, YWCA. - Various discount at merchant outlets. - Additional privileges in YMCA Ordinary (Annual) membership. More info can be found at ymca.org.sg.
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Terms & Conditions - We reserve the right to accept/reject a membership application without assigning any reasons whatsoever and are not obliged to respond to any request from an unsuccessful applicant. - The Uni-Y membership card is non-transferable. Fees paid for successful applications are non-refundable. - We may at any time and without liability to you, whether or not you continue to use the Card, disclose any information relating to you to any third party as we may deem fit and at our absolute discretion for the purposes of administration, achieving any of the YMCA objectives, or/and when required to do so by law or by lawful authority. - Members must notify promptly the change in personal particulars.
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uni-y events 2014 ! !! ! ! Month ! ! !! ! ! !! !! ! !! ! !! ! !! ! !! !! ! January
February
April May
June
July
August
September November
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Tri Uni-Y Annual General Meeting The YMCA Conversation Series Tri Uni-Y Alumni Gathering Tri Uni-Y Study Mission
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Uni-Y Exam Welfare Drive Uni-Y SMU ISP Trip Uni-Y NUS ISP Trip Uni-Y NTU ISP Trip Corporate Social Responsibility Internships YMCA of Singapore Internships
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YMCA of Singapore Internships Corporate Social Responsibility Internships Tri Uni-Y Mission Trip
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Uni-Y Step Up 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Internships International Exchange with CYMCAHK
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Uni-Y Welcome Tea/Matric Fair/Info Session Uni-Y Alumni Gathering The YMCA Conversation Series Uni-Y Exam Welfare Drive
Contacts
Respective Uni-Y Clubs • Uni-Y SMU: uniymca@sa.smu.edu.sg/www.facebook.com/uniy.smu • Uni-Y NUS: uniy@nus.edu.sg/www.facebook.com/uniynus • Uni-Y NTU: uniyntu@gmail.com/www.facebook.com/uniyntu
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YMCA Staff (Youth Development Programmes) • Administrative Matters: clementcheong@ymca.org.sg • Programmes: mariannetan@ymca.org.sg • Marketing & Publicity: yuzhu@ymca.org.sg
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Uni-Y Annual Report 2013
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Family
53 | Uni-Y Annual Report 2013