Youth volunteer brings fun and joy to children

Nur Fadilah Binte Abdul Latif, 18, was eight years old when her mother brought her and her two siblings to TOUCH Young Arrows (TYA) Geylang Bahru. TYA reaches out to children from disadvantaged families. Since then, it has been a journey of self -discovery as Fadilah forged strong friendships with the friends and volunteers from TYA.

“My early days at TYA were really fun. We had help with our schoolwork and we played games. Our volunteer coaches were very patient with us,” said Fadilah.

Growing up and serving

Caption: Fadilah enjoys connecting with the children at TYA

After completing PSLE and graduating from TYA, Fadilah decided to continue as a volunteer, inspired by her brother who volunteered till he was in secondary four.

“I feel so happy being with children. They are always curious about things around them and enjoy learning through play. I like being their big sister. Because of that they tend to be more receptive to what I tell them,” added Fadilah.

Caption: Fadilah engaging the children through an interactive game

Caption: Developing leadership skills at Survival Camp 2016

As a volunteer, Fadilah helps out at camps for the children. At the age of 13, she provided support at the Survival Camp together with a team of volunteers both young and old.

“It was scary at first. I have never been so actively involved at a camp before and I felt overwhelmed. I also had a challenging time with a primary school kid I was paired with. I almost gave up as I could not manage the child’s behaviour despite my best efforts. Thankfully, the older volunteers spoke to the child who apologised. Surprisingly, I turned out to be her favourite mentor! I did not realise I had such an impact on her,” said Fadilah.

One of her most memorable moments was when she had to organise her first Chinese New Year celebration. She was touched when the kids gave good feedback.

Growing as a volunteer

Through volunteering, Fadilah has learnt to take hard knocks – to grow as a person and a volunteer. She sees herself as a role model to the children and the people around her.

“Don’t be scared to volunteer. We make mistakes so we just need to learn from them. No matter how young you are, you can always find ways to help out. It has been such a fulfilling journey for me. I want to continue volunteering as long as I can,” said Fadilah.

Like Fadilah, everyone can discover their passions and achieve greatness in life. Because #EveryoneCanBeSomeone.