Want to share about my volunteering experience at the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) YouthReach on 15 Dec 2011. YouthReach is a recovery programme for children and youth identified with emotional and psychological problems. Some of the chronic cases can develop into psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, mood disorder, bi-polar disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder.
I did a 1.5 hour jigsaw activity with the children and youth clients. See the preparation details in my earlier blog http://wengsworldjigsawpuzzles.blogspot.com/2011/12/wengsworld-preparation-for-activity-at.html
The activity went very well I thought. The pre-event preparations helped in ensuring that the fixing up was not overwhelmingly difficult. Most of the youth were fully engaged in the activity and no one left the activity before the end. A few did appear to be a bit discouraged after a while, but the SAMH staff and I constantly encouraged them not to give up and also helped to piece together the more difficult sections.
Many of the youth were not very vocal, but it was heartening to see some of them smile during the session. One of the girls even remarked that the jigsaw puzzle was her 'favourite' game. The remark needs to be taken in context of course, but it is still one of those things that I will remember I guess. :)
All in all, it was time well spent, and I would be happy to do another activity with SAMH in the future. The only thing is that I wouldn't be able to do something regular with them now that school term has started.
At the request of Mr Ang Poh Hee, head of the Centre and also my friend, I have not taken any photographs of the activity in the interest of the clients. I do however, have a picture of me and Poh Hee
As a follow-up to the activity, I also did a collection of used jigsaw puzzles from the participants of my jigsaw competition on 17 Dec. These were handed over to Poh Hee on 28 Dec. I hope that the youth will enjoy fixing them up.
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ReplyDeleteThanks!