March 12, 2021
Photos and Words by: Tan Jean Hann
(Photo above) While most of their peers sought temporary jobs over the December school holidays last year, Ms Joyce Tong and Ms Christabel Ng, both 17, found greater purpose in volunteering instead. The pair took the initiative to run extra tutoring sessions (with games and badminton afterwards) for three girls in the Chai Chee community as part of KidzCare @ Kembangan-Chai Chee’s ‘Homework Club’ programme.
The words “homework”, “tuition” and “studying” are perhaps not as exciting to pre-teens as watching Anime and YouTube videos. Especially during the holidays.
But 17-year-olds Joyce Tong and Christabel Ng had been determined to make it work. They are one of the youngest volunteers among the regulars at the KidzCare @ Kembangan-Chai Chee’s Homework Club programme. In addition to its usual Thursday evenings, they initiated additional sessions over December 2020 to assist children from vulnerable families, who would otherwise idle the day away at home.
“During the holidays, tuition centres ramp up their lessons to prepare students for the next year,” Ms Ng said. “We thought that we could make use of the school break, to at least do some revision for the past year. This can help build up a good foundation for them in preparation for the coming year.”
At the club, volunteers engage children in Chai Chee through reading activities for the young ones, as well as tutoring for those of school-going age.
But the pair added sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays during the school holidays, specially for three girls, regulars at their usual Thursday sessions. The class size was intentionally kept small and manageable, so as to ensure that the girls, ages 11 and 12, would each get enough attention and guidance in their work.
The gig comes with some frustrations.
(Above) Ms Joyce Tong explaining a science concept to one of the girls. “Volunteering just felt more meaningful, and being around these kids has been very enjoyable. And when you teach them, you feel like you are making a difference in their lives.”
Children can be inattentive or lack motivation. Some can hardly sit still, while others get distracted by their phones. Ms Tong and Ms Ng also have been kept waiting multiple times, only to be stood up altogether.
Despite their best efforts, there is a seeming lack of progress in academic grades too. But they realised that their wards struggle with a myriad of factors that often are “a lot more complicated than just working harder”.
It took the wisdom of several older volunteers to remind them not to get too discouraged. “Our main goal here at Homework Club isn’t just to improve their academics, but rather to encourage these kids, keep them off the streets and provide a safe and conducive environment for them to come,” Ms Ng said.
“What we can do is to just to help them, be a role model and supporting pillar for them, to perhaps show them a reason to try and succeed.”
Ms Joyce Tong, 17
“Much as we try to motivate and encourage them, it is also their own personal choice to study hard and push themselves,” Ms Tong adds. “What we can do is to just to help them, be a role model and supporting pillar for them, to perhaps show them a reason to try and succeed.”
Recognising their own relative privilege compared to these tutees, volunteering has been humbling. The troubles have become real to them.
“It does also motivate me to volunteer even more,” said Ms Ng, noting that volunteering has been rewarding. In addition to it being enjoyable and meaningful, “when you teach them, you feel like you are making a difference in their lives”.
Being a friend
The two friends spent a few weeks deliberating how best to invite the girls to join the extra Homework Club sessions in December, finally coming up with an incentive: They promised to play games and badminton with them afterwards.
“It’s a way to make the session more interesting, and it makes sure that they don’t get drained after just studying all the way,” shared Ms Tong. “It can also motivate them to focus during the session so as to get this reward.”
To their surprise, it was not difficult at all to get the three girls on board.
(Above) In spite of its name, the ‘Homework Club’ is more than just improving academics, “but rather to encourage these kids, keep them off the streets and provide a safe and conducive environment for them to come,” shares Ms Christabel Ng.
For 11-year-old Beatrice (not her real name), the thought of having to spend the remainder of 2020 at home had been daunting. “I knew I was going to be bored with nothing to do at home,” she said.
“So when Joyce and Christabel asked whether I wanted to come for more Homework Club sessions in the afternoon, I said ‘Yes!’.”
The rapport with the girls developed over several months. Ms Tong herself started regularly volunteering at Homework Club since the beginning of 2019, while Ms Ng joined her more recently in October 2020.
“And through our interactions with them, maybe we can change how they view the world too.”
Ms Christabel Ng, 17
“Because the age gap between us and the kids is not as big, we can relate more to them as friends,” said Ms Ng. “And as we become closer friends, they also naturally start sharing more things with us; about their families and struggles at home. Even if we may not be able to offer advice, since we ourselves perhaps have never been in that situation before, at least we can offer a listening ear.”
“And through our interactions with them, maybe we can change how they view the world too.”
