By Golly, Pow Wow!

"The Youth Expedition Project (YEP) has been a key programme to encourage volunteerism among our youth since its inception in 2000. YEP supports youth to embark on community Service-Learning projects with the objectives of building up self-confident youth volunteers who can identify needs and contribute to the community both at home and abroad."

Mich has been an avid supporter of charitable causes as a child. A soft spot is reserved for the weak, poor, children and elderly. She has participated actively in World Vision activities, had numerous visitations of old folks' homes and orphanages, gave free tuition to the poor and as a student in Temasek Junior College, Mich was in the Publishing Committee of the LEO Club, which had won the very prestigious International LEO Club Award while she was serving. ( Are you surprised? Heh. )

Then, priorities and commitments rattled along and cluttered a large part of Mich's life. She hopes to reignite this passion again. Currently, Mich is roped in as a volunteer at the World Vision Famine Camp in June and is looking forward to opportunities in the YEP.

Looking at her punishing schedule on Tuesday, she hopes that it would (albeit miraculously) permit time for this event, in which expeditioners are to share their experiences. The following is a list of what to expect :

• Presenter: Benjamin, Radion International
  Topic: Project which provides direct humanitarian relief for 8000+ Laotian Hmongs in a refugee camp in Thailand.
  Link: http://newlifeoutreach.blogspot.com/
• Presenter: Jared Tham, Refugees SG
  Topic: recce for a project for Burmese Kachin refugees in Kuala Lumpur. The aim is to create expeditions which are sustainable and practical, and can be carried out over several weekends with minimum cost.
  Link: http://thestar.com.my/youth2/story.asp?file=/2007/6/20/youth2/20070619185502&sec=youth2
• Presenter: Tay Lai Hock, Ground Up Initiative
  Topic: GUI is a group that initially came together to provide humanitarian relief for the Johor flood victims. It now works to foster kinship between Man and Earth through sustainable activities, and aspires to grow a flourishing community that drives local and global environmental initiatives.
• Presenter: Willy Ong, The Choice Initiative
  Topic: Sanlaap is a NGO in West Bengal which focuses on trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and forced prostitution. TCI has so far done 5 expeditions with this organisation.
  Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanlaap
• Presenter: Poh Jiansheng, Coast 2 Coast Team V, Ayer Rajah - West Coast CC
  Topic: Education project in Mumbai, for a NGO named Doorstep School, which makes basic education easily accessible to non-school-going children in the slums with slum classrooms and mobile schools.
  Link: http://www.doorstepschool.org/
• Presenter: Farheen Mukri
  Topic: Punjab Lok Sujag is a NGO in Lahore, Pakistan, working specifically on child labour and child rights. Its coordinator is keen to receive volunteers who can bring ideas of creative play into the lives of children there, and encouraging them to engage in non-formal education.
  Link: http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/28/nat35.htm
• Presenter: Lakshmi, Coast 2 Coast Team VI, Ayer Rajah-West Coast CCC
  Topic: Group assisted with the replacement of roof tiles, construction of toilets and shower rooms for Maranatha Home in Ooty, India, and also conducted lifeskills workshops for its 42 boys. It also painted murals & upgraded computers at Smyrna Home in Ooty.

Anyone interested? =)