“I attended 3 seminars, namely Glamorizing Suffering, We Are How We Eat, and Scientific Language. One common sentiment carried throughout the seminars and YYGS as a whole was the importance we hold as individuals in our world. Prior to YYGS, I could not grasp the concept that the simple actions we take in our daily lives impact the reality we live in. The choices we make and the actions we take allow us to change the future of our world, and it is only once we accept this responsibility can we truly strive to make the necessary change.”
Amongst other initiatives I have undertaken post-program, the biggest one is the creation of a first-aid club in my school. I undertook the project with a friend of mine and though it was a long and strenuous process to get the club off the ground, it has begun to run as of September 14, 2021. The idea of the first-aid club came from multiple observations and experiences. For starters, when speaking to the Pastoral Care Coordinator, I realized there was an extreme lack of knowledge of basic first-aid within the school. The Coordinator shared with me an instance when he fell down the stairs, skinning his knee, and the school nurse was unavailable, leaving him without care as non one else had knowledge on how to deal with the scrape and the sprain. The club itself was also largely sparked by the interest of medicine, shared by my friend and I. We wished to use the skills we had learned in first-aid to benefit society as a whole, and share the knowledge we had gained. The club itself is quite different from the usual first-aid training program. Meeting once a week, the club aims to teach fellow students’ important life-saving skills, create a safer and healthier environment, raise awareness about the importance of first-aid, and teach the general public basic first-aid. By teaching members both the practical and theoretical aspects of first aid, we aim to create a safer society, with students being able to help out during school and class events, recognize emergencies, and practice habits that promote a healthier lifestyle. We will also give talks and make posters regarding emergency recognition and procedure, and local ambulance and hospital hotlines. There is also an ongoing charitable initiative in conjunction with the first-aid club. Though still in the money-collection phase, the project aims to collect money to purchase and donate first-aid kits to children homes. Alongside these donations, staff from the homes will be taught first-aid to benefit the lives of the children and other staff working in the homes. This project is being undertaken alongside the pediatric clinic, as they will be providing the necessary equipment and setting to ensure safety due to the pandemic.