Since the end of the previous year, our group has decided to work hand in hand with Food from the Heart to tackle problems faced by the poor daily. The journey till now, even before the execution, was never easy. We faced many difficulties on the way and have made many major changes to our original plan. However, there are many learning points picked up during this period of time.

Before I embarked on this project with my group member, sadly, I did not know much about the poor in Singapore. Apart from certain minor community involvement work, I did not initiated or approached any needy to give my helping hand. Only after starting on this project, I managed to know more about the poor around us, and not forgetting the problems that surfaced in their lives. Actually, I believe that I have grown to be more empathetic, not only towards the less fortunate, but also to the people around me, especially my group members. After understanding more about the lives of the less privileged from the charity organization, I am clearer about their lives and the troubles they face daily, and most importantly, financially. In addition, I am able to understand my group members more. Everyone, in faced of a similar situation, will think and act differently.

Helping the poor to lead a better life was my original motive for the project. I thought that it will be sufficient if we just provide our maximum ability to help them by the various methods. However, slowly, I began to realize that that will only be the minimum. As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish, he lives for a day. Teach a man to fish, he lives for a lifetime”, the project should not only be so simple, and we have to create a long term situation and a sustaining impact. For example, by the end of the project, the poor in some ways should be able to lead a better life on their own and not rely on others.

Since the start of out project, we faced many challenges that we have never expected at the start. For instance, some of our ideas were rejected by Food from the Heart causing us to change our original plan. One learning experience was the idea a setting up a café in school. The founder of Food from the Heart was supportive of the idea and we spent huge amount of time planning for the idea (looking for suitable location, doing surveys and more). However, the second time when we went to the organization, we realized that the café previously set up by them were closing soon and the in-charge for the café was also leaving the organization. This was a main setback for us as it meant that all the time spent have been “wasted” and we would have to come up with other ideas. However, we stood up again and brainstormed for new ideas.

Everyone will have their strengths and weaknesses, and our group is no different. I think that most of the group members lack the initiative and drive. We were unable to meet some deadlines and caused some delays with the project. I believe that to change a situation, everything has to start from a person which will be I. I will try my best to meet deadlines or even be earlier which can help in the project in many ways.