New centre at NUS aims to power students to make change
Visiting people with disabilities in their homes gave Miss Michelle Wang a new perspective on them.
The 22-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) student said: "I used to have a tendency to see them for their condition since it was physically manifested in front of my eyes.
"But there's more to them than their condition."
Miss Wang visited the homes of people with disabilities to learn more about them and offer solutions to integrate them into society.
Her project materialised via her participation in the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Programme offered by NUS.
The programme was established in 2011 with a $5 million donation from Mr Chua Thian Poh, chairman and chief executive officer of Ho Bee Land Limited.
Since its inauguration, the programme has helped close to 350 students embark on 105 community projects.
The programme received a fresh injection of $5 million from its namesake to scale up alongside the launch of the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre on Monday.
The centre aims to become a focal point for community development activities on campus.
It will also offer two new modules on the theory and practice of community development.
At the launch, Mr Chua said: "I hope the new centre will create the right ecosystem to empower students to be a catalyst for change, to help forge relationships with fellow community leaders, and in the process make Singapore a more inclusive country."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now