Collecting wishes, memories for N-Day

Collecting wishes, memories for N-Day

SINGAPORE - About 200 young volunteers and children fanned out across Tiong Bahru on Sunday morning to collect wishes and memories for the nation's 48th birthday.

Organised by the Tiong Bahru Community Centre (CC) Youth Executive Committee, the project "Youths Give Back! 2013", was tuned to this year's National Day Parade theme of "Many Stories... One Singapore".

The initiative involving students from Anderson Junior College and children from Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre at Tanjong Pagar is part of Project Aspire by grassroots adviser Indranee Rajah.

It uses education to help children from less privileged backgrounds within the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru division.

"On the face of it, this may not seem like a give-back type of project but it's actually quite important because it's about the type of people and society we want to be," said the Senior Minister of State for Education and Law.

The stories collected will be displayed by Aug 9 alongside banners bearing birthday wishes, at void decks and community spaces in Tiong Bahru.

Student volunteer Valerie Ma, 17, said she enjoyed sourcing for stories in the neighbourhood.

"A particular one about a resident's primary school days struck a chord. He talked about how his classroom was big and roomy and his student-life was relatively stress free and filled with lots of play and laughter," she said.

Meanwhile Kim Tian West Residents' Committee (RC) celebrated National Day on Sunday with a "birthday cake" made up of more than 1,000 tins of food donated by residents for the needy.

Longvale RC and Woodgrove CC also held their own National Day themed activities which included reciting the pledge, balloon sculpting and clay art.

melodyz@sph.com.sg


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