YOUTH VOLUNTEERISM

YOUTH VOLUNTEERISM: **

(Trends and initiatives): **

8.

Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports what is the trend of youth volunteerism in Singapore over the last five years and what are the initiatives to promote the participation rate of Singaporean youths in community service.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: According to the National Voluntary and Philanthropy Centre's (NVPC's) biennial survey on volunteerism, the volunteerism rate for young Singaporeans between the ages

Column: 1489

of 15-24 has been rising over the past five years from 17% in 2002 to 25% in 2004 to 28% in 2006. This shows we are making good progress in building up civic consciousness amongst our youth.

Recognising that our young have the passion to make a positive difference to society, my Ministry provides support in the following areas to facilitate their contributions.

Firstly, we make information about volunteerism opportunities easily available. In addition to the NVPC website, our Youth.SG online portal not only provides a virtual space for youth participation and youth expression, it is also an updated source of information on various possibilities and avenues of volunteering.

Secondly, we empower our youth by providing funding for youth-initiated community projects through our Young ChangeMakers (YCM) Scheme. The decision-making and ownership responsibilities are also given to the panel of youth who assesses and disburses the funds. As of 31st December 2006, the youth panellists have assessed some 194 applications and approved 135 applications, amounting to about $233,000.

Finally, we support youth who are passionate to bring their volunteerism experiences overseas through our Youth Expedition Project (YEP). The YEP provides expertise and funding for youth preparing to embark on overseas volunteer expeditions. These exposure and experience will broaden their worldview so that they will return to become more active contributors to our society.

An example of strong service spirit is exemplified by the Nanyang Technological University Welfare Services Club (NTUWSC) which was conferred the Singapore Youth Awards (SYA) Medal of Commendation 2006. NTUWSC is an active contributor not only clinching the SYA for Community and Youth Services in 1999, but also getting international recognition with the prestigious Commonwealth Youth Gold Award in 2004. Their projects include 'Challenge Your Limits' (CURL), an annual community project that aims to promote interaction and understanding between the community and the less fortunate, through physically and mentally challenging activities, such as a kayaking expedition.

To bring about greater youth volunteerism, we need the public, people, as well as private sectors to play their part. Take, for instance, Citibank-YMCA Youth for Causes (YFC). YFC is a collaborative initiative by Citibank and the YMCA of Singapore to promote social entrepreneurship among youth. The programme functions as a 'social venture capital fund' to provide youth with seed funds and resources to execute creative ideas which they believe will benefit and support Voluntary Welfare Organisations of their choice. Our partners from the corporate and people sectors too have equally important roles in helping to raise civic consciousness amongst our youth.

Strong social capital is important to enhance a community's sense of belonging, resilience and cohesiveness. These attributes are essential to keep our social fabric intact and robust in face of adversities. Towards this end, the Government will continue to imbue in our youth the value of giving back to society.

**

**