Signature Love Project VIII (SLP VIII) is an annual fundraising project under the NUS Students’ Community Service Club. Besides raising funds, we also aim to raise awareness for the adopted beneficiary. Living in an ageing society, we feel that it is important for the public to be aware of the aged sick. In order for us to accomplish these aims effectively, we made visits down to Bright Vision Hospital to interact with the patients and know more about them.

Through the simple handicraft sessions that we had planned, we managed to gain invaluable insights into the patients’ lives at the hospital. As it was the first time for most of us to be interacting with elderly patients, we were very uncertain at the beginning as to how to engage the patients in our activities and ensure that they enjoy themselves too. However, it was all much easier than anticipated for we found that the patients did not really mind what kind of activities we were having, but rather, they were happy just because we were willing to spend some time with them. Even though some of the patients did not talk much, the smiles on their faces showed us that we had made their day. Their simple need for companionship touched the hearts of all of us, and really conveyed to us the loneliness they experience in their long stay at the hospital.

Based on what insights we had gained during the visits, we settled on a theme for our fundraising drive, both on NUS campus and at Heartland Mall. The theme for SLP VIII is “A smile is just a piece away”. We will like to convey to all donors and the public that if only each of us shows a little care and concern for the patients, it will bring back their smiles as they know that they have not been forgotten.

With this theme in mind, we embarked on our internal fundraising drive on NUS campus, reaching out to both students and staff. SLP fundraising drive is known for its tagline of $2 for a signature. For every $2 donated, the donors will be able to write some words of encouragement or well wishes for the patients on little yellow jigsaw puzzle pieces (the signature items). All the signatures collected will go into piecing up a big smiley face, symbolizing their contributions in cheering up the patients at Bright Vision Hospital.

It was really heartwarming for us when the donors understood the purpose of our fundraising drive and were willing to spend some time to pen down a short message for the patients. This showed that we were successful in raising awareness for the aged sick among the NUS population.

With the experience we gained in doing the internal drive, we will set out to reach out to the general public next and hope that through our effort, we will be able to raise public awareness for the aged sick and instill in all a sense of compassion for the less fortunate.

By Lim Shun Wei, NUS Community Service Club