Find out what it is like being in this volunteering group and how these youths juggle school life.
Story by Nur Syarafina | Photos by IM’VNSG
“The aim is to make volunteering a hobby, not just for youths but for everyone (inclusive) as a whole.” — Imran Mean
Volunteerism is a noble act that brings like-minded people together for a common cause, where they contribute their efforts towards the good of the community. While there are many volunteering groups in Singapore, many organisations are not well-recognised for their efforts and initiatives.
Enter Imran Mean, who started a volunteering network called IM_Volunteers Network SG (IM’VNSG) in May 2020. He is currently a full-time student at the Institute of Technical Education College West and spends his free time volunteering.
He was 19 when he started this network with a couple of his friends. At that time, there were many volunteering initiatives appreciating the essential workers owing to the pandemic. Imran was inspired by these initiatives and decided to start one himself.
Today, the network has gained more than 230 youth volunteers, worked with many leaders in People’s Associations and various corporate identities such as Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The network has conducted many campaigns, community outreach, door-to-door visits, food and mask distributions to those in need in the northern estate of Singapore.
Imran says, “Families who are in need are a crucial part of our job in IM’VNSG. We want to help as much as we can through welfare, distribution, various rations, aids, and rations assisters. Not just in Marsiling but also beneficiaries around the island such as in Bukit Merah, Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Woodlands, and Admiralty.”
Besides volunteering, this network has also organised interest groups and activities for the volunteers.
Youth leaders organising interest groups in IM’VNSG
Imran has a great network of members who have found a safe space in IM’VNSG. Members such as Camelia Sephiana, 17, and Aniq Akmal, 18, are the executive committees of the network. There’s also Rose Syahindah, 17, in charge of organising the interest groups.
Aniq says, “When I first joined, I was shy, Imran then started talking to me. From there, I started to have fun and became interested in helping out the community with him. It feels good to work with people you know that will have your back.”
Rose says, “I feel a sense of joy knowing that there was someone in need and I was there to help ease their issue. It makes me feel relieved that I was able to help these people one way or another.”
With their welcoming and supportive environment, they get to work well with each other in organising these events for the network. During the weekdays, they spend their time in school and during the weekend, they contribute their time in IM’VNSG.
Camelia shares, “Obviously it is a difficult process, but it is simply like how we do project work, everybody needs to play their part. I think it is nice that everybody can contribute to making it work so that we can reach success together.”
Camelia adds, “Volunteering is really essential for youths to take up especially, in our society right now. We are actually very privileged and not a lot of people can see that.”
