An Introduction to Advocacy

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” These are the words of prominent Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai, and it encapsulates the essence of our Community Advocates motto: “Speak, Act, Change”. 

In a world teeming with complexities and contradictions, we often find ourselves ensnared in the web of our routines, barely noticing the injustices that simmer beneath the surface. Community Advocates seeks to be the voice that speaks up for the underprivileged, the hand that reaches out in action to them, the catalyst for change against the tide of indifference.

While it certainly is daunting to put yourself out there for the whole world to see, Community Advocates nurtures confident, budding advocates starting from our very own country. Our CCA serves as a stepping stone for anyone with a heart for the community, aiding them in making the first step to serve. 

About CA

CA is a service-based CCA that encourages students to go beyond direct community service and create a more profound influence on the community through advocacy and service-learning. 

Our face-to-face CCA sessions are held every Wednesday from 9a.m. to 11a.m. Besides CCA sessions, students are involved in mandatory weekly service. A typical CCA session usually consists of bonding activities, batch project and SIG projects discussions. We would also invite external speakers and go on learning journeys as well (to be explained below!).

Student Interest Groups (SIGs)

Upon joining CA, you can choose from three different student interest groups (SIGs), each championing a different cause. They are named endearingly—Lifeline (Healthcare), Empty Pocket (Poverty) and Doveswarm (Migrant Workers). 

Within these SIGs, you will go through a journey of service to a particular community, learning from your shared experiences and forming connections with like-minded individuals. Through these experiences, you can grow in advocacy, where what you learnt can be shared with the wider community, inspiring change.

Although every batch will be advocating for the same cause under the SIG, you will have the freedom to decide on your focus and target group for each year. Each batch will plan your own projects and liaise with different organisations related to your cause.

SIG: Lifeline

Lifeline’s 2023 focus is on children with autism and their caregivers whose difficulties and sacrifices are often overlooked by the general society. We participate in weekly service at Pathlight School, where we carry out planned activities to engage the students and learn more about them. We applied such knowledge to our SIG project to create a better support system for them  and inspire a more understanding society. 

SIG: Empty Pocket

Empty Pocket organises weekly tutoring and mentoring sessions for children from underprivileged households under the RI Mentoring Programme and TOUCH Young Arrows every Wednesday and Saturday respectively. Through these regular sessions, Empty Pockets aspires to provide these children with personalised academic assistance, establish long-lasting friendships, and serve as exemplary figures for these children through their life.

SIG: Doveswarm

Doveswarm volunteers with SG Accident Help Centre where we befriend migrant workers who are injured—due to reasons such as work injuries—by engaging in meaningful conversations with them over meals and playing games with them to build rapport. Through our dedication, we aspired to provide more than just assistance. We aimed to create a space where the injured migrant workers could find genuine companionship, a respite from the challenges they faced, and a reminder that they were not alone on their journeys. 

General Meetings

Aside from weekly service, CA members attend General Meetings every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. In each session, we discuss and plan for our advocacy projects. Different SIGs also have the opportunity to come together to bond and reflect on what they learned from their various service experiences, such that we can gain a better outlook on social issues, and improve on our advocacy skills. We also engage in fun games and activities every week.

Projects

Our 2023 Year 5 batch project is centred around advocating against the social and environmental impacts of fast fashion. In our preparation for it, we invited Ms Tan Yin Ling, co-founder of Cloop, a circular fashion enterprise focused on reducing fashion overconsumption, to share her experiences during a General Meeting session. To achieve our aim, we organised a dialogue session with speakers from various sustainable fashion businesses, gaining insights we can apply to our lives, such as conscious consumerism. We also ran a flea market in school, providing an accessible platform for students to practise sustainable fashion habits. 

To End Off

If you are passionate about speaking up on overlooked issues in society, and would like to touch the hearts of people to spark change, CA is the place for you! CA will provide you with a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and serve your community directly. The lessons you learn, the stories you hear, and the interactions you remember from all your experiences here will equip you with the right skills and knowledge to be an effective advocate. We look forward to welcoming you into our CA family!

Speak with passion, Act with sincerity, and be the catalyst for Change.

Raffles Community Advocates,