57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall

Annual General Meeting Report

KING EDWARD VII HALL
National University of Singapore

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Reports from the Welfare Cluster
8.30pm, 10
th
September 2014
Dining Hall






57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report

Annual Report from Green Team 2013/2014

1. Acknowledgements
I must express my sincere gratitude to our JCRC Welfare secretary, Zhiting. She helped us in getting
the budget, approval and support for our initiatives and giving us valuable insights and suggestions.
Id like to thank the hall office for their enthusiastic support in our initiatives, such as recycling and
donation drive, and Perfect10 Company for sponsoring our stickers.
I would also like to extend my gratitude towards the various CCAs who helped Green Team, namely
Block Committees, CMB, KE Motion, KE Angels, KE Press, SMC and Xin Yao.
Lastly, Id like to thank everyone who took part in our initiative and shared their opinions on how
Green Team can help make KE more environmentally friendly.

2. Major achievements
(1) Recycling
We set up a basic framework for recycling bottles& cans, and paper. With the help of block
committees and cleaners, we managed to transfer the recyclables to central bins in the dining
quite regularly.
(2) Energy and water conservation campaign
Stickers were put up and videos were made and screened in the dining hall during meal times
to remind residents to switch off lights and take shorter showers.
(3) Green Hunt
A half-day trip to the Kent Ridge Park, filled with fun and environmental knowledge.
(4) Represented KE for the first time in the Inter-hall Environmental Awards (IEA) competition,
and learned from other halls that building a base of support (participants and sponsors) is
important.

3. Problems encountered
(1) Membership recruitment: we need more dedicated members.
(2) Publicity: need multi-platform approach
(3) Budget & logistics
-budget: too limited for events such as Green Week and Green Hunt
-room space for storage: need a guaranteed/permanent corner in KEWOC room
(4) Support from hall management
-cleaners: need to enlist them in clearing and maintaining our recycling bins
-external trash collectors: unpredictable, usually comes in holidays. The donations we
collected for Flea Market were taken away by them
(5) Support from block committees
-publicity: need word of mouth reputation and recruitment

4. Future improvements
(1) Flea market for new residents
We need to safeguard the entire process of collection/donationstoragesale. We aim to
carry out a successful flea market at the start of Sem2 for AY14/15.
(2) Recycling
Need permanent bins to be installed for both bottles &cans and paper to reduce the
maintenance workload.
Manpower needed to check and clear the bins.
(3) Green Hunt
Possible escalation of project to involved more participants and explore more areas of
Singapore.


Prepared by: Peng Siyu
Head of Green Team




57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
Annual Report from KE Angels Welfare Committee 2013/2014

General comments

KE Angels was structured to have 3 committees this year, Food and Deliveries, Welfare and Facilities
and Events Support. There was also a sub-committee in charge of digital designs. The idea was to
streamline KE Angels roles to ensure more effective and focused delivery of services to the KEVII
populace.

We had 20 active members, split rather equally throughout the committees. Meetings were as per
required, mostly taking place in committee level.

Major events for the year

1) Recruitment drive + Baking
2) 6 Dessert Making Sessions and serving during dinners
3) Sheares Chicken Delivery
4) Exam Welfare Special Gong Cha and Laoban delivery
5) Blood Donation Drive
6) Student lounge cleanup and decoration
7) Study room clean up
8) Recreation Room revamp planning
9) First aid repacking
10) Block Supper Support

Problems encountered

1) Officially started with a total strength in the high 30s, which slowly became 20 active members only.
2) Limited funding for things such as baking which limited choices and quality.
3) Unclear roles of KE Angels led to confusion over what came under our purview, eg Blood Donation
Drive.
4) Holiday activities difficult to coordinate as members usually unavailable.
5) Delivery services put on hold as supper uncle now comes to KE.

Recommendations for the future/ New Initiatives

1) New heads to organize an orientation session with activities such as bonding through baking and
cooking.
2) Proposal to bring in better baking materials such as a mixer and proper baking tools.
3) Proper communication across the various CCAs and JCRC to decide what falls under our charge-
engaging a meeting before the academic year starts.
4) Earlier planning of holiday hours activities.
5) Expansion of roles of KE Angels such as exam welfare.
6) Revamp and maintenance of study room.
7) Creation of a stronger identity amongst members to inspire commitment.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Hall Master and Fellows, JCRC, and every KEVIIans for helping us in one
way or another.

Prepared by
Edwin Loh (Mr.)
Head of KE Angels 2013/2014




57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
Annual Report from OCIP Cambodia 2013/2014
General Comments
The current programme of NUS King Edward VII Halls Overseas Community Involvement Programme
(OCIP) has been refined over the years into its current form, the Cambodia Overseas Outreach King
Edward VII (COOKE7) project. This is the second year that the OCIP Cambodia team has adopted this
framework, which involves two projects held separately in Prey Veng province and Phnom Penh city.
This year, the team was comprised of a total of 21 members (10 female and 11 male). The entire
duration of the trip was 15 days, from 22
nd
May to 5
th
June. COOKE7 II was designed with the objective
of assisting our beneficiaries and partners in Cambodia in an effective manner, while simultaneously
spurring members to critically engage with questions on volunteerism, socio-structural inequalities,
and how best to deliver useful services to the disadvantaged.
Several improvements were made so as to streamline the various requirements of COOKE7 II. The
project was subdivided into 3 phases, with phase 1 consisting of fundraising sub-groups (semester 1),
phase 2 of programme sub-groups (semester 2), and phase 3 of the actual overseas sub-teams. Such
a rotation enabled the team to bond together well before the project, with opportunities to work and
grow with practically every other member of the team. A team-bonding camp in December was also
introduced to better bond the team so as to deliver even better services in Cambodia and Singapore.
Besides this, we have also consolidated existing partnerships and sourced for new ones through the
fundraising process. This year, COOKE7 II has engaged Loyang Secondary School for the second time,
with a very successful Rag & Bone fundraiser with an income of over SGD$3000. We have also begun
to work with subway to hand-bake cookies for fundraising, where members get to have a first-hand
experience in the entire fundraising process.
Finances were largely kept within budget, with income exceeding expenditure, allowing excess funds
to roll-over to the next years project. A problem this year involved slow disbursement of the first
tranche of funds, as NUS was introduced as the intermediary between COOKE7 II and the National
Youth Council. However, this problem is likely to naturally disappear as NUS becomes more familiar
with the entire Youth Expedition Project (YEP) process.
Main Projects
Project 1: Kampong Sleng
a) Needs assessment of the overseas community
During the pre-trip recce expedition, the leadership core has visited numerous villages in Prey Veng
province that potentially require certain new or upgraded facilities and institutions in order to become
self-sufficient villages. Our team has decided to work with Kampong Sleng, which is still a relatively
unestablished village as compared to the other villages which have received a number of teams in the
past few years. Kampong Sleng is the same village that the COOKE7 team has worked with for our
maiden project in 2013, and this year we seek a continuation of last years initial project.



57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
Quantitatively, the team will seek to construct a larger number of wells and toilets to enable to village
to be self-sufficient at a faster rate. However, the key difference that this project has from the
predecessor project is of a qualitative nature; the team is experimenting with co-building a house with
a family from Kampong Sleng, which involves a larger capital outlay and village-sourced labour than
wells and toilets. Should such a pilot be successful in Kampong Sleng, a final project may consider
rounding off our involvement with Kampong Sleng with the possibility of co-funded (between the
team and the villagers) buildings such as a community activity centre or additional annexes to the
village school, all of which are under consideration currently by the village council.
During a meeting with the village chiefs and community-based officers, they have highlighted that the
most pressing needs are housing, wells, and toilets, of which proper sanitation and a lack of water
become especially critical during the dry season. We intend to work with LOVE Cambodia, our local
partner, on meeting some of these needs, with the villagers paying a percentage of the total costs of
the house/well/toilet. This component of the project will completely be dependent on the villagers
needs, with the village coming up with a total number of houses/wells/toilets that they plan to jointly
build with our team. Being an active partner, our team will also jointly discuss on the final construction
project plans, and confirm with Kampong Sleng and LOVE Cambodia the final project that we are
willing and able to support.
b) Sustainability of the project after the team completes the project
The construction component of our project, involving houses, wells and toilets, will be the most
durable and sustainable part of the project. Through the construction of wells, villagers will have a
reliable source of water during the dry season, which has been a perennial problem for Kampong
Sleng. Toilets tagged to individual households also serve to improve sanitation as a whole, with the
household assuming personal responsibility for their own toilet, rather than having to compensate
with the ambiguous situation of sharing toilets with other households. Granted, a handful of locals
may be able to fully self-fund these wells and toilets themselves, instead of the current co-funded
scheme with the COOKE7 team, although to achieve the necessary funds would require a few years of
savings. However, a significant difference that our involvement makes is that the construction of the
house, wells, and toilets serve as an equalizing factor between villagers of different social-economic
status. Working with LOVE Cambodia, who determines how much a household contributes via a
means-tested needs-based assessment of each households financial status, these physical facilities
thus takes on an additional nuance of being a unifying symbol of the village, as no household is left
out from acquiring a decent standard of hygiene and water facilities. The sustainability derives from
the wells and toilets being a very durable asset lasting decades, while co-funding allows villagers to
take ownership and responsibility in the upkeep of the house, wells and toilets.
With regards to educational activities, interactional sessions pertaining to health, education,
sanitation, and hygiene will be geared towards understanding problems from the villagers
perspectives. Thus, instead of a simplistic justification that sustainability can be attained through
changing the villagers mindsets, we intend to understand the material limitations that villagers may
face which constraint their goals of attaining better health and hygiene outcomes. From here on, the
programmes that are planned will be focused on working around these limitations. For example, in
addressing hygiene issues when it comes to menstruation, instead of telling the villagers about the



57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
advantages of sanitary napkins that are expensive to obtain, the team can address such issues by
exploring alternative sustainable solutions, such as cloth washable sanitary napkins. Ultimately, our
assessment of the villages needs is decided by the teams student leadership in discussion with our
Halls Resident Fellows, A/P Daniel J McAllister and Prof Wong Yoke San. That is to say, we do source
for the villagers needs from the recce trip. However, the final factor deciding the scope of the project
depends on our funds raised and what we feel contributes to a mutually beneficial outcome based on
both the villagers and the teams perspective. In other words, the team is not there to merely accede
to every request put up by the village; instead we incorporate their needs and our input on areas
where assistance would be useful, to define the activities that the project engages in. That is not to
say that we are forcing our opinions on the villagers. However, in some cases such as hygiene, the
team would recommend some beneficial measures that fall within the villagers means, such as the
possibility of the cotton reusable sanitary napkin project, and educational games which spur the
childrens intellectual curiosity.
Project 2: Rainbow Bridge Orphanage
a) Needs assessment of the overseas community
Rainbow Bridge Orphanages main building currently is located in an old and dilapidated military
hospital in Phnom Penh. As the organization expands, with additional smaller buildings for HIV-
positive children located in other parts of the capital city, the main building now predominantly houses
the younger children from lower-primary and below. The organization has highlighted to us a possible
project involving repainting of the walls in two boys rooms and dining area, as well as plastering
numerous holes in the walls. The team will first remove all pre-existing paint off the walls, and then
proceed with whitewashing and actual painting. For the actual paintings and drawings that are done
on the walls, we intend to address certain concerns such as a healthy food pyramid based on a
Cambodian diet (with Cambodian names for the foods as written by our Cambodian team member,
Phengang Hout), as well as bringing over a few designs of cartoon characters that the children can
choose from. Wherever possible, the children will be invited to participate in the easier painting
portions of this project, as a joint effort that they can be proud to actively be a part of.
Besides the physical component of the project, the team will also engage the orphans in educational
and fun games as the painting is ongoing. There is a focus on encouraging the children to further their
interest in the activities, such as Sudoku puzzles to be retained with the orphanages guardians after
the team has left, and a cross-cultural focus involving Singaporean and Cambodian childrens games.
The House of Rainbow Bridge Orphanage is a distinct case from our main project at Kampong Sleng,
as the orphanage is technically self-sufficient in terms of basic physical aspects. What the orphanage
really needs are local Cambodian volunteers and regulars who are able to provide a sustainable source
of empowerment and fulfilling the emotional needs of the orphans, many of whom do not have much
human encounter besides the orphanage staff. This component is the critical limitation that overseas
projects have to understand. However, this does not mean that whatever efforts that we plan, in terms
of addressing the orphanages needs, are moot. While the team is unable to provide long-term
interaction and nurturance for the orphans, what we intend to instil is a sense of self-worth and
humanity for the orphans. Many of the orphans, upon being old enough to understand their condition,



57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
begin to de-humanize themselves and see themselves as less of a human being, and consequently
suffer from low self-esteem and a yearning for external human touch and care. Many other volunteer
groups visit Rainbow Bridge annually, and engage in games and activities which provide short-term
benefits, but may not leave any lasting impact on the children. As such, this year the team aims to
leave a lasting mental impact on the children, as we engage them in activities which realize their
agency despite the limitation of HIV, such as the belief in being able to actively improve their living
environments (through the join painting project), and self-efficacy skills in coping with their condition.
b) Sustainability of the project after the team completes the project
This side project with Rainbow Bridge Orphanage is a continuation of Project Love Beyond Boundaries,
which used to be King Edward VIIs Main Project in previous years. We have chosen to continue
working with the orphanage as there are still many areas in which the orphanage requires assistance
in, especially with regards to their physical infrastructure. Although the final product relates more to
aesthetics than physical functionality, as a project involving the orphans participation in small ways,
we hope to instil pride and a sense of accomplishment in them having the capacity to change their
living environment in a way that they choose. As the children are still largely in the primary and pre-
primary levels, hard skills are difficult to impart to the children. The focus for these children would be
through general cognitive aspects, such as Sudoku and culture-reduced IQ games, and strengthening
the sense of self-worth and self-efficacy in the orphans.
As not everyone has the fortune of interacting with HIV-positive children in a meaningful way, the
project aims to leave a lasting impression on our members with regards to the lives of HIV-positive
children, removing the stigmas and biases that they may have regarding HIV, and allowing them to
correctly interact with them as equal human beings.
Conclusion
This year, OCIP Cambodia has successfully concluded its seventh year, raising the standard of our
projects to an entirely new level. As one of the heads of OCIP Cambodia, I am glad that all our members
have taken the courageous first step into the world of volunteerism, allowing them to truly reach out
to other fellow human beings in the world that may require assistance.
It is with a heavy heart that I conclude the COOKE7 II project, and wish all my members, as well as all
others in hall including SCRC, JCRC, and fellow hall residents, only the very best in having a
compassionate and kind heart for others, and the courage and tenacity in stepping forward to act on
them.

Prepared By:
Mr Nicholas Toh Weibin
OCIP (Cambodia) Co-Head 2013/14




57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
Annual Report from OCIP Laos 2013/2014
General Comments

On a whole, the project proved to be success, bringing together people of different backgrounds who share
the passion to serve the community. Having a team comprising of 20 members, with the support of RFs and
our local host, Bee Somphet, we were able to improve the local school facilities so as to give the students
a more conducive learning environment that we hope can facilitate and encourage their learning.

Factors contributing to success

The team consisted of members of various backgrounds who were able to gel together and complete tasks
assigned. The composition of the team allowed for everyone to excel in their own niche. Moreover, unlike
previous years, we contacted a different host this time. Being an ex-KEVIIan, Bee was more than happy to
help us through our planning and even make arrangements during the preparation period. Furthermore,
the guidance from our RFs, Prof Dan and Prof Wong, was appreciated as they always made sure our project
was on track and contributed valuable advice throughout our preparations for the trip, including fundraising
events and YEP grant application. Lastly, everyone was assigned a role in the team, be it exco members or
events head. This allowed them to be more involved in the planning and thus have a greater sense of
ownership of the project.

General Overview of Activities in 2013/14

Date Event
October 2013 Rag and Bone 1
December 2014 Bonding Camp
December 2014 Pre trip CIP at Teck Ghee Youth Centre
December 2014 Recce Trip
January 2014 Souvenir Pouch Sales
March 2014 RunKE
March 2014 Supper Sales
April 2014 Rag and Bone 2
May-June 2014 Actual Trip
July 2014 Post trip CIP at Teck Ghee Youth Centre


Changes from previous year

We held a bonding camp during the December holidays rather than in the few weeks leading up to the
actual trip. This allowed the members to get to know one another better earlier on and allowed for more
effective meetings subsequently. However, it was difficult to get the whole team together in December as
some did not have vacation stay and it was also the period before IHG so many were busy with trainings.
Perhaps the next team can explore the idea of having two camps, one in December and one before the trip.



57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report

In the previous year, the focus of the project was on cementing the classroom walls and installing a water
pump for the toilet. This year, however, we painted both the interior and exterior of the school and installed
barbed wire fencing around the school compound. The team was also able to conduct more English lessons
this year as the students were more consistent in attending school.

Instead of taking a flight to KL and staying at the airport for about 6 hours awaiting the flight to Laos, we
took an overnight coach to the KL airport and arrived just a few hours before the flight. Although it was
more costly, it was the preferred mode of transport as there was time for the members to rest on the coach
before catching the next flight out. Also, we contacted a different host, who was very willing to help us.
Being an ex-KEVIIan, it was easier to interact with her because of the common shared experiences. To add
on, the location for R&R was changed and the team was involved in a lot more exciting and physical
activities such as cycling, kayaking and tubing which proved to be a great way to further promote
teambuilding.

Areas for improvement

The current leaders should groom their teams future leaders by involving them in the planning.
As this was not done the previous year, it was a difficult process trying to coordinate everything
as it was a new experience.
The various fundraising events were mostly carried out towards the end of the academic year. It
will be more consistent and less taxing on the members if the events could be more evenly
spread out across the year.

Conclusion
The preparation for the OCIP went relatively smoothly and we managed to achieve the goals set out by the
team. It definitely helps to always begin with the end in mind.

We would like to thank the SCRC, JCRC, fellow residents and very importantly our host, Ms Bee Somphet
for their contribution to this project.

Prepared by
Sharenya Chelvaretnam
Head, OCIP Laos 2013/2014




57th JCRC, King Edward VII Hall
Annual General Meeting Report
Annual Report from Project Mada 2013/2014

General comments
IN THIS NEWLY-INITIATED, STUDENT-LED 2 WEEKS OVERSEAS SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT BY KING EDWARD VII
HALL, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE(NUS), WE HOPE TO ESTABLISH INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP
BETWEEN NUS AND MAGEN DAVID ADOM (MDA) IN ISRAEL, THROUGH AN ATTACHMENT WITH THE MDA
AMBULANCE PARAMEDICS IN TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM IN MAY2014, AS WELL AS A SHARING SESSION WITH LOCAL
PARAMEDICS AND A POST-TRIP PUBLIC EXHIBITION. THIS WILL BE AN EXCITING AND PROMISING NEW VENTURE,
AND WE APPRECIATE ANY SUPPORT. YOURE MOST WELCOME TO CONTACT US @
PROJECT.MADA.SG@GMAIL.COM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES OR SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.

Major events for the year
1. SCDF ambulance 1 shift attachment for every member
2. Israel ambulance attachment + seminar over 2 weeks

Problems encountered
1. Safety concern having to manage and allay fears
2. Cost high
3. Cost Unna had to rebook air ticket. As initially her single lettered last name was rejected by
the system, and I input a wrong last name for her to push the airticket booking through.
Bravofly failed at assisting us, so we cancelled and rebooked with zuji

Recommendations for the future
1. Continue safety planning protocol
2. Read airticket booking fineprint before booking.

Improvements or new initiatives
NA. The whole project is new.

Acknowledgements
Project Mada would like to acknowledge the following people, without which this project would not
have been so successful:

- Hall Master & Resident Fellows & 57
th
JCRC
- Sharon Chan, Assistant Director, NOC, NUS
- LTA Masnita, LTA Joey, Singapore Civil Defence Force
- Hilmi, Vicknesh, Thomas, Prof Malcolm, Medicine Deans Office

Prepared by
Valerie Tan
Head, Project Mada 2014