As someone who was unaware of the volunteering opportunities around us, I was genuinely surprised when I first learned about Tzu Chi’s culture and its history of working together with families of different backgrounds, emphasising sustainable living. Before visiting Tzu Chi, I initially thought it was a relaxing and calm place created for the public to hang out with their friends and family. However, upon entering Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre (HYC), I realised that it was not just a place for people to spend time with their loved ones; it was also a place full of hope for the environment and culture. HYC has not only taught me to be a more patient person but has also allowed me to understand the true meaning of teamwork and friendship.

Hello! I’m Audwin, just an average student and I came to HYC with a couple of others from a program introduced by my school which I am grateful to be part of. There were multiple choices but I’ve chosen HYC and the name sounded more intriguing since we (or well, at least for me) don’t see the word humanistic or youth center everyday.

Hello! My name is ruiting , and I’m a student from Naval Base Secondary School. I was first introduced to Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre (HYC) due to the world of work programme offered by my school. I was selected along with my five other schoolmates to attend this programme at HYC. Initially, I was rather nervous and had a bunch of uncertainty as I didn’t really know what to expect working at HYC as I had never heard of it before till this programme. Not knowing what the work culture would be like, whether the team working here would be extremely strict or extremely intimidating however to my surprise, the team at HYC offered a tremendous amount of help and support towards every single one of us. They were quite open and willing to go the extra mile to help us out even if we did something wrong, there would always be someone there to help ensure that things are done smoothly. Thanks to the amazing culture and values fostered by the HYC team, my schoolmates and I became quite comfortable working in a new environment.

Date: 8 November 2023 to 15 November 2023

Hello! My name is Clarisse. I, along with my fellow schoolmates, are Secondary 3 student interns that experienced working at Tzu Chi HYC for a week, as part of our school’s ‘World Of Work’ programme. Working here, I had a lot of fun, and I also had many opportunities to grow as a person. I learned how to be more independent, but also be a team player and learnt how to be more responsible with my daily tasks. As we were allocated as the programmes and operations team, there were many events and things we needed to do and plan. For example, on our first few days, we needed to each make either a poster or coupon for the ‘HYC Turns 4’ event that was nearing the date. I for one did a movie poster to spread the word to members of the public that we HYC will be having a movie screening during the event and that more people should sign up for it. Thus, after making the poster, it was posted on Instagram so that it would reach a wider audience. My friends had to design a voucher for the food truck that was at the event. Things like this needed our creativity and teamwork for it to happen. We had to allocate a task to everyone, and if anyone needed help we could just voice it out and others would be able to help.

Stepping into the world of Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre felt like crossing a threshold into a realm of compassion and connection. The journey began with an insightful tour of the organization’s building and facilities, setting the stage for an immersive experience that would unfold over the coming days.