Music Sound Beam Bedok Peacehaven Bedok Day Centre – Initial Reflection
This service partners with the Salvation Army Bedok Peacehaven Centre to allow seniors to be able to lead meaningful, healthy lives. Students help to run activities and care for the elderly residents from the HDB flats in Bedok.
Why did I choose to partake in this service?
I decided to do this service as I wanted to become more involved in my local community of Bedok by getting to know some of the residents who live in the area. I was also really keen on participating in a local service as I really wanted to take an active, direct role in making a change. I wanted to develop better connections to the older generation of Singapore, as I felt that I do not get to interact with these members of society as much as I should.
What are my strengths and weaknesses in regards to this service?
Some of my strengths include responsibility, leadership, and communication. In most groups, I do enjoy taking more of a leadership role to help direct the team. Considering that this service only contains four IB students, I feel that I will definitely have to be very organized to tackle the many responsibilities going to be shared between us. I am also quite skilled at listening and talking with others, which will prove very useful in this service when trying to build relationships and trust with the elderly residents in the center.
However, I do have some weaknesses that I hope to develop in this service. Firstly, my shyness. I am quite shy, and sometimes find it difficult to approach new people. Although I do enjoy making new friends, taking the first step is still a challenge for me. This service requires for us to interact with new faces, whether that is a service partners or an elder, so this may be difficult for me. Another weakness is my ability to improvise, which is a vital skill to possess, especially in this service. Activities we have planned may not always work out, so I would need to be able to think on my feet to ensure that the elderly can still enjoy and participate.
What do I hope to get out of this service?
- Build connections and relationships to my local community of Bedok.
I want to be more aware of the issues going on in my community, specifically focusing on those that elderly residents may face on the daily. I want to be able to develop a deeper understanding for the them, being able to empathize with their struggles. Through this service, I hope to bridge a gap between the youth and the elderly to create a more unified community.
2. Improve upon my ability to improvise, time management and charisma skills.
This service will require me to step out of my comfort zone and try different things. I want to use this as a learning opportunity to develop my skills. I will be handling different responsibilities and tasks for the team, I need to become better organized to ensure that I get tasks done to the best of my ability when they are needed, whilst doing the IB. I will be interacting with different individuals, with the hopes of developing good relationships with them. I hope to become more confident in speaking to new people, practicing good communication and charisma.
3. Learn how to practice good leadership skills to tackle responsibilities efficiently.
Due to the small size of the group, we will each definitely have to carry a large responsibility, each taking turns to lead. I definitely will aim to get a leadership role in this service. Through this service, I hope to learn how to be a good leader, delegating tasks and guiding members to accomplish different things.