NEWS FROM BOYS TOWN SINGAPORE4 Boys' Town students to help build India hospital
They are among 70 youth involved in project in May
By Lim Jun Yi -
WHEN the teenager's behaviour became too much for his parents to bear, they put the 16-year-old into the Boys' Town.
John, as he wishes to be called to protect his identity, has spent only 11/2 years there but he is making such good progress that last month, he was named the Boys' Town Model Student of the Month
He has come a long way. And in May, he will go even further.
He will be among 70 young people who will be roughing it out in India's Nilgiri mountains.
They will be working alongside skilled masons to construct a 2,600 sq ft hospital for the local community, which now has
no ready access to medical facilities.
The project, called Operation Vannakam, is undertaken by the Raleigh Society (Singapore). It aims to give youth of all backgrounds an opportunity to contribute to society.
Four of the 63 Boys' Town students who applied for the programme were accepted.
John and three of his schoolmates will spend five weeks involved in manual labour - foundation work, brick-laying, roofing, tiling, flooring and painting.
They will join other youth volunteers aged 15 to 35 from various fields, among them, bankers, lawyers and photographers.
The organisers hope that by providing access to medical facilities, they will help to improve the socio-economic and health conditions of the local community.
Mr Daniel Tan, the expedition's director, said: 'We wanted to include all youths. All the participants, without exception, should be allowed to develop their full potential and acquire skills that will stand them in good stead in life.'
John intends to keep a detailed journal of his trip.
'I hope that it will be a life- changing experience,' he said.
'The first people that I will share it with are my Boys' Town brothers, of course.'
With the spirits high, the houses relentlessly cheered for their runners, with one record being broken this year.For this year's mass participation, almost everyone from each of the 4 houses went on to the track in support of the Angsana Home. The teachers also ran a short race while the whole school cheered them on.
