There is a common saying which goes; “A home is where the heart is”. And what better way is there for us to show appreciation for the place we have come to call home than to dedicate some time to help maintain it.

On 27th April, a group of OECians volunteered for a clean-up exercise that was organized by the Hand-In-Hand Association (HIH). The aim was to encourage students to appreciate their surroundings by assisting the apartment management staff with cleaning up the facilities within the C7, C8, C9 and G6 apartments.

The exercise began at 9:00 am with a photo-shoot session that included a large number of volunteers and the overseas apartment staff in front of the C8 and G6 apartments. From the very beginning, it was clear there was a common feeling of joy and zeal about the event.

The volunteers, under the guidance of the staff then proceeded to clean various parts of the apartments including the kitchens, laundry rooms, hallways, storage rooms and even the outside surroundings. The volunteers worked in small groups and used innovative ways of completing their tasks. As the clean-up proceeded, many soon realized the extent of work our janitorial staff is responsible for. One volunteer exclaimed; “I did not know that the AYIs (fond name given to the ladies who clean the apartments) work so much! I wish we could do more to help them”. During the clean-up, volunteers were reminded of the proper use of the facilities provided within the apartments and were encouraged to take an active role in ensuring they are used correctly.

In addition, some volunteers organized an E-bike wash as a fundraising venture for Discover Initiative. The wash was deemed a success as a number of students supported the venture by bringing in their E-bikes for some special treatment.

The activity came to an end around 11:30 am, as the volunteers reassembled at the receptions of the apartments and a vote of thanks was given by the organizers of the event and the staff present.

Hand-In-Hand Association and Discover Initiative would like to extend a special vote of thanks to all the volunteers who dedicated their time and effort towards ensuring the success of the event.

Special thanks also goes to the staff of the overseas apartments, Olive Media and the Overseas Education College for their cooperation, coverage of the event and support respectively. We hope to have more volunteers on board during future events as we continue aiming to make a difference in our community.