You may have heard of actor and musician Benjamin Kheng. You may even be a fan.

But few would be aware that the singer with local pop band The Sam Willows has also used his talent and fame to nurture young performing arts talents with drama company inwardBOUND, and worked with Purple Symphony, an inclusive orchestra comprising musicians with and without special needs.

“It’s hard to explain the fulfilment,” says the 31-year-old, “but often, journeying with the beneficiaries and watching them grow — or even just enjoying themselves in music classes — is more than enough for me.”

The star of Ah Boys To Men: The Musical is not the only influencer to find fulfilment from doing good.

Social media personality Pamela Lee Nur Shuhadah first started volunteering as a Ngee Ann Polytechnic student with Youth Corps Singapore. 

She joined the Youth Corps’ Youth Expedition Project (YEP) in 2017 and taught English to underprivileged children in Kampong Speu, Cambodia. The province is a two-hour drive away from the capital, Phnom Penh.

The experience from the service-learning programme was so memorable that she arranged to return with friends to visit the children again two years later, to teach them skills like how to set up a business.

“We made mango jam and kaya, which we sold on toast in their school,” recounts the 21-year-old.

How did they manage their time? Says Ms Lee: “When we think of volunteering, we always think of the weekly commitments. I say: do what you can. If you're free once a month and that's all you can commit to, that's completely fine.”

Mr Kheng and Ms Lee are now fronting a series of activities as part of the Open Jio campaign, an initiative by the Youth Corps launched last month to make volunteering activities more accessible for the youth.

The two influencers’ efforts were filmed in a five-part video series, “What Are You Doing This Week?”, documenting their volunteer experiences.

Doing good across borders

Initiatives like the YEP are an example of projects designed for youths aged 15 to 35 to instill confidence and resilience while making a difference in communities in the region.

Since 2000, YEP volunteers like Ms Lee have been planning and executing overseas trips to countries in South-east Asia to teach disadvantaged children.

When the pandemic hit last year, the YEP pivoted to YEP Goes Online (YEP-GO), which allows volunteers to connect with overseas partner organisations to develop programmes such as online classes or training through virtual means.

To dip their toes into volunteering, youths can get involved with just a three-hour session each Saturday, says Ms Nur Rasheqah, 22, a YEP-GO leader.

Together with Ms Rasheqah, Mr Kheng and Ms Lee led a craft session and read stories to Indonesian children under the charity organisation HOPE Worldwide. 

“Ben and Pam are high-energy people, so the kids had a good time,” says Ms Rasheqah.

The part-time barista and social sciences undergrad at the Singapore University of Social Sciences says her two years volunteering with the Youth Corps inspired her to pursue social work as a career. 

A friend in the Youth Corps had invited her to join after she graduated from Yishun Junior College in 2018, which led to her becoming a volunteer leader. She signed up for the YEP-GO in 2020.

“My perspective changed after I saw how different our experiences were from youth from neighbouring countries,” she says. 

Adds Mr Kheng: “It was such an enriching time telling stories and interacting with the kids. It gave me fuel to go back to teaching again.”

Doing good for others

While YEP focuses on overseas volunteering, Youth Corps initiatives such as seniors befriending programme YOLDEN, allow volunteers to make a difference locally.

For the past six years, YOLDEN volunteer and former project president Saifuddin Arif, 23, has accompanied seniors at the Moral Home for the Aged Sick on their morning physiotherapy exercises, and organised activities like outings and board game sessions. 

With the pandemic, volunteers now engage with the nursing home residents via a video feed.

Mr Saifuddin is an engineering graduate from Singapore Polytechnic now serving full-time National Service. He began volunteering with YOLDEN when he was 17 and an Institute of Technical Education student. 

“I got a school email about the opportunity. My Saturdays were quite free, so I thought, why not?” he says. 

“I like to serve seniors. It’s purposeful. And when they remember you, it’s a special feeling.”

Volunteering has taught him life skills, including leadership, programme development and time management. He devotes his free time outside NS to the initiative.

“A lot of people say they’re busy, and that makes me feel sad. You can always volunteer on an ad hoc basis. If everyone can see it that way, projects can develop into something big.”

Mr Kheng and Ms Lee are also doing their bit to help seniors by stepping into their shoes.

As part of the Open Jio video series, they were filmed trying an ageing simulator where they wore gloves, headphones and glasses to experience life as an older person.

“I didn't realise that bad vision and bones would make daily activities so hard!” says Ms Lee. “I got a bit emotional thinking about how hard it must be for the elderly who are living alone.

“They won't ask for help, but when help is offered, it surely is appreciated.”

Doing good for yourself

With mental wellness becoming more of an issue because of the pandemic, other Youth Corps volunteer activities have focused on peer-to-peer support.

These include Project Re:ground, which offers a physical space — Re:ground @ Dungeon, at The Red Box in Somerset Road — where the young can engage in activities such as painting, puzzles, and origami.

Volunteers are also on hand to lend a listening ear to those facing difficulties in their personal lives.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic mass communications graduate Shirley Woo, 22, has volunteered as a peer supporter with Project Re:ground since March and at Re:ground @ Dungeon after it opened in September.

Since graduating in 2019, Ms Woo has been volunteering for various Youth Corps projects, including initiatives aimed at children, youth and family. 

“I was exploring different work, trying to discover what I want to do,” she says. Her experiences developed into a passion for tackling mental health. She now aims to pursue a degree in social work with a minor in psychology.

Mr Kheng and Ms Lee, who also took part in activities at Re:ground @ Dungeon, hope to encourage those in need to use the space.

“I like the idea of always having someone to talk to, no matter how you're feeling,” says Ms Lee. “Even if you don't want to talk to anyone, you can just drop by for games and other activities to recalibrate, which is great.”

Adds Mr Kheng: “Helping, and loving others, is an essential part of the human experience. As a young person, it’s important to realise that we’re part of a bigger tapestry, and it’s an honour to serve.”

Youth heed call to help

Social service agency Care Community Services Society (CCSS) has continued running essential services such as school-based student care centres, active ageing programmes, and counselling and financial assistance support despite the pandemic.

But it has not been easy. With safe management measures and restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, CCSS has grappled with limited manpower and resources.

“At our lowest point during the circuit breaker, we had to stop all volunteering as we regrouped internally to see how to move forward, bring access to beneficiaries to connect virtually with them,” says a CCSS spokesperson.

But they found hope from energised, motivated youths eager to step forward and lend a helping hand.

Thanks to ongoing partnerships with schools, institutes of higher learning and the Youth Corps, youth volunteers account for almost half of CCSS’ active volunteers.

“The youth volunteers are quick to adopt technology in their planned activities, willing to co-create and listen to the needs of the organisation, and have creative and fresh ideas to contribute to the engagement,” says the CCSS spokesperson.

One example is Weaving the Generations, an intergenerational event that paired young and elderly beneficiaries to make a tote bag out of a t-shirt. 

Spearheaded by youth leaders of the Youth Corps Leaders Programme in March, the young beneficiaries discovered the benefits of upcycling — the process of turning waste materials into products of higher value — while also learning how to empathise and be patient when communicating with seniors.

Last month, the Youth Corps and CCSS began the second leg of Coding Games for Kids, a programme that introduces lower primary students to the basics of coding.

The programme, which began in June, provides over 100 students with a platform to experience coding programmes across four weeks.

Over the course of the pandemic, over 1,000 youth volunteers have supported CCSS in serving more than 1,200 beneficiaries through their various programmes and services.

This feature is supported by the National Youth Council