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    NUS Engineering would like to thank all volunteers for their time and effort. Thank you, NUS Engineering community!
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    Mr Tian Hongyu (Engineering '13), posing for a photo after completing his choice of DOS activity.

Uniting Giving with Technology - NUS Day of Service with NUS Engineering

04 September

NUS Day of Service (DOS) is a yearly event for the NUS family to come together and give back to the community. For 2021, NUS Engineering partnered with SGAssist, a social enterprise co-founded by Mr Greg Tan and Mr Adrian Tan. SGAssist is a home healthcare service which aims to create a positive social impact through technology. Among many others, the organisations that benefited from them include Lions Befrienders, Keat Hong Community Centre and The Man Fut Tong Nursing Home. One of SGAssist’s key innovation is a mobile application that taps on the help of nearby Community Responders. Crowdsourcing the community for assistance, SGAssist functions as a platform for volunteers to extend a helping hand towards requests for aid. Depending on the requests received, the tasks may involve everyday activities such as purchasing groceries or accompanying the elderly to the polyclinic.

Leveraging on the platform allowed NUS Engineering’s alumni, staff, and undergraduates to give back to the community at their own time, and also the choice on the type of assistance they were comfortable with providing. NUS Engineering is grateful to the 37 successful volunteers who were willing to put in time and effort to this good cause, in the name of DOS. To raise some examples, using the SGAssist App, Ms Anthea Foong (Engineering ’21) committed to tutor for young children from low-income families for 30min to an hour weekly, Ms Tay Yen Siah (Engineering ’20) assisted with meals distribution, and Mr Tian Hongyu Tian (Engineering ’13) accompanied an elderly to his medical appointment at the polyclinic.

 After the session, Mr Tian reflected, “I accompanied [the elderly] from his bus ride to the polyclinic and back. I could understand why he needed assistance as it was a long wait, and the journey took half a day. The experience was meaningful, and I will do this again.” NUS Engineering would like to encourage everyone to continue their efforts in volunteering, as an each effort goes a long way in helping people in need.

Submitted by Ms Ellen Poh.

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