How Volunteering With The Special Needs Community Led Me To Join MSF

If you told my younger self that someday I would be volunteering for Special Education (SPED) causes and eventually work in a Ministry, I would not believe you. Little did I expect a field trip to the Singapore Zoo would change my course.

We Are All Humans With Needs

My volunteering journey started in 2019 to satisfy my curiosity and learn beyond compulsory Community Involvement Programmes and Values in Action sessions.

While looking for volunteer opportunities, I realised that I did not have much knowledge about the deaf community, and I became curious about how they communicate through sign language. Beyond gestures, was there a deeper meaning behind their actions—how do they connect each sign to form a sentence?

When I was a student at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), I joined the university’s Regular Service Project for the Deaf Community (RSPDC), where I learned more about the Singapore Sign Language (SgSL). Subsequently, I organised field trips, tutoring sessions, and other deaf awareness activities for the deaf community.

One of the field trips, specifically the trip to Singapore Zoo, changed the course of my life.

The field trip to the Singapore Zoo with the deaf community

On that trip, I was paired with a child who was hard of hearing, and I communicated with her through sign language. Despite her limited SgSL vocabulary, I enjoyed getting to know her. When she squeaked in amusement at the different animals, I realised that she was, after all, just a child.

It occurred to me that, beyond her disabilities, she was a person who needed care and attention during her formative years, just like any other child. That encounter left an indelible mark on me and fuelled my desire to better understand the experiences of people from all walks of life in Singapore.

Using My Skills for the Better Good

Interpreting for the deaf at an event

That said, becoming fluent in a new language requires patience­–something I learned when I first started learning SgSL.

During a hiking excursion with the RSPDC, I found myself frustrated at how slow I was communicating with SgSL—I could not form sentences or understand what they were saying.

However, through this experience, I learned how to appreciate the effort put into communication, no matter how slow or difficult it may be. At the end of the day, people from the deaf community appreciate you taking a step further to learn and understand their language, instead of resorting to simple gestures or, worse, shunning or not caring to communicate with them.

Combatting covert biases takes time, and I’m still learning and growing in my capacity. Nonetheless, volunteering for the deaf community has opened many new doors for me.

From interning at a special student care centre to interpreting for the deaf, these opportunities piqued my interest in improving the experiences of the SPED community in Singapore further, which led me to a career at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

Finding Fulfilment and Purpose

My colleagues and I from the master planning team at MSF’s Sector Strategy and Development division

I was posted to MSF’s Sector Strategy and Development division as part of the master planning team. Part of my job required working with internal and external stakeholders to improve the services we offer.

By learning and understanding the different challenges faced by vulnerable families and persons with disabilities, I was able to identify gaps and contribute my own ideas and suggestions.

Although I have encountered several hurdles when making certain proposals, my job allowed me to feel fulfilled, and I owe it to my volunteering experience that gave me that purpose to serve in SPED causes and eventually, the Public Service.

Volunteering has also provided me with an outlet to explore different communities and experiences, which continually excites me as I serve in the Ministry. Many of us might have the misconception that volunteering demands a lot of time and commitment, but this is not entirely true.

First, you will need to understand your own bandwidth and time dedicated to your current personal and professional commitments before deliberately setting time for volunteering activities in your day-to-day schedules. If you cannot volunteer your time to a long-term programme, you can look for one-day or bite-sized events.

For myself, I set aside about an hour to two hours after work for any volunteering-related discussions, and I commit three to four hours during weekends for longer volunteering sessions or events.

On top of balancing your time between work and volunteering, it’s essential for you to consider what community, causes or skills you want to learn more about when deciding what to volunteer for. This alignment with your interests and curiosity will help keep you motivated.

Your openness to diversifying experiences contributes to how fulfilled you are. Stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing what is unfamiliar can also be a great opportunity to meet like-minded people.

Who knows, it could lead to the adventure of your life, just like it did for me!