Missing Janelle...

As you are reading this, Janelle is already back in Australia...  She has to settle some of her stuff there, followed by a new year into her studies at the Australian National University in Canberra, where she is studying English Literature & Art History.

Janelle is one of the ladies conducting the DreamCatcher Creative Writing Programme that my two girls are attending for FREE!. 

Together with her best-est friend Sara, who is studying at the University of Queensland doing International Relations... they both pack a powerful Creative Writing Programme for children residing in the vicinity of the North during their summer vacation, here in Singapore. 

It has been our greatest pleasure to have had the opportunity to sign our two girls up for their programme. 

Why powerful?

Because in just mere short weeks into the programme, the ladies can inspire the children to write and I mean really write. Now we all know how (most) children dislike writing. But these two ladies did it. Apart from that, they have rekindled my passion for writing. Sara & Janelle make writing interesting and almost effortless.

Before she left shortly after last Christmas, I managed to grab hold of her for a short chat cum interview. LOL! Technology these days are superb that interviews can be done via any mode one prefers or the kind one has time for. *wink*

This had always been on my mind (since I first found out about this gem of a programme... 

Me : Can you share your motivation why DreamCatcher was set up and the objectives you girls hoped to achieve?

Janelle : We want to share our love of writing with the simplest of minds because we believe that children possess an immense capacity to imagine-a-purity of mind that ebbs away with age.

We wish to catch these special moments and put them on paper so that these thoughts may have an opportunity to be expressed.

Of course on a more philosophical note, the pen is always mightier than the sword. If there is any hope for the world to achieve a semblance of harmony, we have to start with our children. That's the gist.

On a personal level, besides making fruitful use of our holidays, we want to reach out to the various levels of society and to provide a platform for writing to take place with as little restraints as possible - either monetary/environment restrictions are no excuse.

Besides, as friends, I think we meld together on many levels and above all, we have a lot of respect and regard for each other's opinions. 

We wouldn't imagine doing this without each other!

We miss you tons, Janelle! 

We miss your beautiful luscious long locks that is so advertisement-worthy.. 

your infectious laughter.. 

your warm and effervescent candour.. 

your profound acceptance and understanding of every child's unique writing ability.. 

oh well.. just miss having you around.. Period. 

Here's the little trinkets DD2 left for you.

She really hopes you like them.

We wish you well, ALL THE BEST in everything 

you do and promise promise promise to 

stay in touch, ok? 

Pweeeze?

Volunteer..... because you want to. (Part 1)

Volunteerism comes in different forms. The act itself stems from varying objectives and definitely surrounding people of many unique backgrounds. But the one thing that is clear is that a volunteer project comes from the heart first.

I had that calling a couple of years back and boy was it an eye-opening experience... one that I will never forget... in fact, one i never want to forget. The memories are special and etched in my mind like it was just yesterday.

A few friends and I got round to form a group to offer introductory reading and literacy programme for underprivileged children from a non-profit organization. Suffice to say, the first step forward in this initiative wasn't exactly inviting nor was it smooth sailing. 

"FREE?" The man across the table asked. "Why?" His sceptism must've been a clear indication of what seemed like a wet blanket conversation starter. I hate him already... I thought to myself. But I understood why much later... and don't blame him for my unfriendly first encounter towards volunteerism.

The girls and I brought our portfolios and pitched our idea for a volunteer project for this non-profit organization. We came to know that the estate had many children who were underprivileged and many from dysfunctional families.

Fast forward 6 months later... YES... 6 long months of back and forth discussion! A member of a new-formed committee for this project had had enough and wanted to back out. Yup, just pull the plug. 

His stand. These children need help, yes. These children need hope, yes. But it is not fair to keep them waiting indefinitely for this glimmer of hope that was earlier promised to them. That got them excited. That got them hopeful. A hope that they are not forgotten by people within the community who were looking to give back.. people who cared enough to look out for them.. It's just a yes or a no. Since it (the project) appeared to lean more to a no, he will be the bad guy to convey the message across and bring the thought-out plans to a close. He then added, "It won't be my first time. It won't be OUR first time."

Those words he texted after our umpteenth discussion cut deep. Too deep. I couldn't sleep. 

The issue. What else.. funding. Let's call him Bro. Bro decided he would go ahead with it either with other trainers he could find or do it himself if he had to. He could not disappoint the children. How could he? He knocked door to door... of about maybe 20 to 25 homes? To talk to them, to interest them to come out of their shell, to coax them that it is all for the children and nothing else.

The expression that reads...

You can lead a horse to water, 

but you can't make it drink.

....... cannot ring more true than what my friends and I experienced during our stint with these children... with their families... No way to separate the two. They may be underprivileged but people, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do.

Long story short, bro, my friends and I; went ahead with our initiative... pouring in what limited funding we have from our own *SAHM pockets (*Stay-At-Home-Moms), unlimited resources from our teaching days, perseverance and ALL the LOVE in our hearts, where our journey began towards our volunteer initiative.

It was to be a project where we were supposed to teach them but instead, THEY... (all of them!)... taught US instead... and we thank them for it from the bottom of our hearts.

Follow our story...

*to be continued*