Nurani Isa

How did you get into volunteerism?

I started volunteering in Year 1! I was lucky to have been in Raffles Girls’ School, an institution that heavily emphasised the importance of engagement in community service efforts. We would receive frequent email blasts from Mr Lim Shi Zhi (the staff member who’d been my inspiration to kickstart my volunteering journey) pertaining to service opportunities with the various non-profit organisations our school had formed partnerships with. I signed up for ad-hoc opportunities offered by Singapore Cancer Society through these email blasts (i.e. the Relay For Life and Race for Cancer events), and eventually realised I’d found my calling — hence I decided to sit for an interview to tutor primary school children, and subsequently made the cut! I began volunteering weekly as a tutor at age 13, and from there, branched out to various other disenfranchised communities.

​

You’re involved in so many different projects and causes! If you had to choose one cause that you’re the most passionate about, what would it be and why?

I’m super passionate about uplifting migrant and foreign domestic workers; providing them with avenues for enjoyment and fostering greater inclusion and acceptance. I’ve had a domestic helper by my side ever since the day I was born — never a moment without! (That’s only a slight exaggeration.) My domestic helpers have been there for me through the toughest of times and I owe it all to them for providing me with a safe space to vent my thoughts and emotions. I’m eternally grateful, and I want to be able to give back to the community that has helped me exponentially over the years. The personal experiences I’ve had, coupled with the fact that migrant & foreign domestic worker causes tend to receive less traction on fundraising sites (due to the fact that they are wrongfully perceived to not require funding due to provided meals and housing) has further driven me to raise awareness for MW/FDW causes. Especially during this COVID-19 pandemic where MWs/FDWs have been heavily demoralised due to circumstances such as being deprived of the opportunity to return to their beloved families, it is essential that we render our utmost support to them!

​

What tips would you give to youths who don’t know how to begin their volunteering journey?

Start by identifying a cause that speaks to you! I first began volunteering regularly with organisations in support of poverty alleviation — specifically through education! I tutored for non-profit organisations multiple times a week and facilitated storytelling sessions to improve literacy rates and invoke a love for reading amongst younger children under a Values-in-Action team run by my seniors. I chose this cause to begin with because access to education had always been a cause that resonated strongly with me due to personal experiences. It became my goal to impart the knowledge I possessed to those who lacked access to resources such as revision material (many of these students did not own devices) or tuition (as it may be unaffordable to the underprivileged). I would curate lesson material and interact and check in on students or mentees beyond sessions. It was rigorous, but it never felt like a chore because I was passionate about it! Invest your time and energy into something you truly care about.

​

Why do you think it is important for youth to give back to their community? (Local context)

It is important for us to give back because we have been blessed with the ability to give. There exists a great deal of disenfranchised communities in Singapore that require our aid — ranging from the likes of rough sleepers, to underserved families, to victims of domestic abuse. Youths today have been blessed with avenues to render our help to these communities with the click of a button; volunteering has become accessible to us all through modern technology! Signing up for opportunities through sites like giving.sg or volunteer.sg has never been easier. We don’t necessarily have to spend hours on commuting if we don’t have the time, for volunteer opportunities through online mediums such as video conferencing platforms (i.e. Zoom) or chat helplines exist too! Service has become something so easy for us youths to engage in — and if not us, then who will?

​

How would you advise youths who are worried about balancing their volunteering commitments, academics and extracurriculars?

This doesn’t have to be a concern at all! The beauty of service is that it is something anyone can engage in. The nature of volunteering is that it is so broad and so flexible; you’ll always have full autonomy over the opportunities you choose to take on. You don’t have to feel compelled to volunteer on a regular basis if time doesn’t permit you to — it’s okay. We understand. We are all human, and youths such as ourselves have a bunch of other commitments such as school and extracurricular activities on our plates that we need to balance. If you can’t volunteer all the time, don’t fret! You can choose to sign up for ad-hoc opportunities instead on sites like giving.sg! Or if volunteering for sessions isn’t feasible, you could render your help in other ways that require minimal commitment such as writing one-off proposals for events, creating publicity posts, or making monetary contributions! There are always ways to get involved with various social causes. You may try writing to organisations via email to find out if they need assistance in certain areas such as the aforementioned, and liaise with them to find something that works for both parties.