Project Yim is a Youth Expedition Project under the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) in NTU. This year, the team travelled to Savannakhet, Laos for service learning from 28 May – 12 June 2018.
Nonmixay Village has a school compound limited only to primary school students. As such, students are short-changed as they are unable to continue upper secondary education. Most students would move on to work or help their family with farming, and some of them who have bicycles would travel to another village if they want to continue their secondary education.
On this trip, the team helped to extend the current school compounds, which will allow students to pursue their secondary education within the same school and village, and taught students valuable skills that can empower them for the future.
Tackling the social issues has helped the team to broaden their perspectives and give a different kind of exposure, which stimulated their thinking and enhanced their social empathy. The team also stepped out of their comfort zone and overcame language barriers to build strong bonds with the local host community.
“It was a great and unforgettable experience – from farming, eating local food cultivated by the villagers, to even experiencing a blackout in the entire village. Unlike all of us here in Singapore, many children in the village farm the entire day which meant that they do not have the opportunity to study. We have to be thankful for what we have in Singapore.” Ho Hsiao Shi, Games Programmer
About NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Club
The NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) Club is a student body organisation that aims to unify the SPMS population, build a strong SPMS identity and spirit, promote social interaction between students, and provide academic welfare support.
