Holidays with a heart...
By Yvonne Lim
[1] Students clean up Pulau Ubin's litter
THE sun was bright and the sea inviting at Pulau Ubin — but the 60 students there yesterday did not get a chance to enjoy them.
They were on the island to pick up rubbish. Armed with huge trash bags, they collected the litter left behind by campers, cyclists and other visitors.
The litter collected along the road leading from the main jetty and at the campsite yesterday filled nearly a dozen bags.
The Girl Guides and Scouts were part of a contingent of about 1,000 students who volunteered to spend their school holidays helping to clean up Pulau Ubin.
The week-long project is organized by the Nature Society of Singapore and Outward Bound Singapore.
Most of them did not regret spending their vacation this way.
Despite toiling in the hot sun for more than an hour, Lai Chee Han, 14, of Jurong Secondary School, was still enthusiastic. "We are doing something to help nature," he said.
Said Katong Convent’s Jacinta Tay, 13: "It’s educational, and I find it meaningful."
Schoolmate Lynn Foo, 13, added: "It's fun, and at the same time we’re helping the environment."
Mrs Evelyn Lim, secretary of the Nature Society of Singapore, hoped that these students would set an example to all Singaporeans to be responsible for their own rubbish.
The plea for greater environmental responsibility was first made by Mr Teo Chong Tee, the MP for Changi, at the launch of the project on Saturday.
Said Mrs Evelyn Lim: "It is not our intention merely to pick up other people’s litter. By cleaning up the place, we want people to stop thinking ‘there’s already so much rubbish around, what’s one more piece of litter'"
Scout teacher Chan Choy Ping felt it was "especially good for the young ones".
Mrs Lim agreed. "If we don’t start with the young, we’ll soon have a society where we’d have to pick up litter after everyone."
In addition to the clean-up, students were introduced to nature conservation through a photographic exhibition and nature trek.
They were also taught how to separate the trash for recycling.
Unfortunately, the original scrap dealers backed oft two days before the project, said Mrs. Lim. Another dealer will have to be found.
"Otherwise, we’ll just have to dump them into the recycling bins at BP stations ourselves," she said, referring to the bins at BP petrol kiosks for recyclable materials.
[2] 'Big sister' makes youngsters' day
By Tan Hsueh Yun
"YEAH! Beach!" yelled Shaanjay Kumar, seven, as he anticipated a day of fun at the beach and an amusement park yesterday with Joanne Yeap, nine, and their "big sister" for the day. Jennifer Liao, 16.
The two children did not get along at first. But by lunch time, Jennifer had them chattering happily to each other and sharing their french fries.
Jennifer was one of 14 Youth Challenge members who took 20 residents of the Salvation Army’s children’s home, Gracehaven, out for a day. The group each "adopted" two or more children, and were responsible for them the whole day.
The members planned the programme and chipped in $15 each to pay for hiring a bus, meals and presents.
Mr Vincent Lam, executive present of Youth Challenge, a volunteer youth group, said he hoped to get all 400 members to adopt a child.
He said: "Our members can visit them regularly, talk to them about their problems and maybe even take them out on weekends."
Jennifer, a Secondary 4 student at Anglican High, decided to adopt two children for yesterday’s activities.
During the bus ride to the home, she said she would first get the two to trust and like her.
She said: "If I talk to other kids too much, they may feel left out. So I'll spend lots of time with them and get to know their personalities."
Although Joanne was moody, Jennifer managed to get her to sing along with the others on the bus. Shaanjay was raring to go and belted out campfire songs like a pro.
Once there, the two played games like "whacko" and the coin game with the others. Then it was time to hit the beach.
"Oh shiok!" yelped Shaanjay and leaped into the water. Joanne did not want to change and sat moodily on a bench. Jennifer joined her and talked quietly to her while keeping an eye on Shaanjay splashing about in the water.
Later, Jennifer said that, among other things, Joanne was worried about her grades in mathematics, a subject she did not like.
Said Jennifer: "I advised her that the subject was important and that she did not need to worry if she concentrated and studied hard."
At lunch time, Joanne offered to get curry sauce for Shaanjay’s Chicken McNuggets and soon, the two of them were chatting happily.
After lunch, there were more games and then it was time to leave for the Ken-Air Funworld at Parkway Parade. There, Joanne and Shaanjay rode dodgem cars and played arcade games.
But Joanne seemed to be moody again and fretted when asked to pose for photographs. She preferred to play games with her friends.
Said Jennifer at the end of the day: "I am very tired. But I do not regret giving my time and money for one moment."
She also gave her telephone number and address to Joanne and Shaanjay, and will keep in touch with them.
But, she said: "Now, I’m going to shower and jump into bed!"
Source : The Straits Times, March 19, 1992
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