Op Smile volunteers @ Youth Got Heart

Youth Got Heart is an annual event organized by the Raffles Interact Club of Raffles Institution (Junior College), aimed at exposing youths to community service opportunities available and therefore serving as a platform for them to translate personal passions into action by forming partnerships with VWOs. Each year, VWOs from across the country gather at YGH, helping to spread the spirit of volunteerism through the sharing of ideas and personal experiences with the youths. This year's YGH took place on 10 March 2012 at the National Library, and featured approximately 50 VWOs and student-initiated projects. Operation Smile Singapore was one of the VWOs featured and has reached out to almost 100 interested youths, bringing them in to our cause!

Here's a reflection from Student Chapter @ RI:

Although the Operation Smile Singapore booth at YGH this year was manned only by two people, Catherine and myself, the results have certainly been a pleasant surprise and exceeded our expectations. Though it was tiring manning the booth for close to 10 hours and interacting with the hundreds of youths as well as other members of public, it has certainly concretized our commitment to the cause. Being committed to the cause is not simply a matter of doing things in your own capacity, or within your own group(s) - being committed is also about drawing other people in to follow your footsteps so that they may carry on contributing to the cause and that what you achieve may be sustained in the future. This is why we feel that spreading the spirit of volunteerism, particularly for Operation Smile Singapore was so important: to find the individuals who will eventually carry on our work. We certainly hope we have achieved that!

-Kevin

Vice President

OSSSC@RI