CSR in Action: YSMOU Volunteers Bring Joy to BCJ Foundation - SeaVoices - Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) Publication

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26 Jun 2023

3 mins

CSR in Action: YSMOU Volunteers Bring Joy to BCJ Foundation

On 31 May 2023, 25 SMOU volunteers and cadets from the Wavelink CadetsPlus Programme (Bangkok) participated in a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, organized by Young SMOU (YSMOU).

The aim was to impart values such as “Caring and Sharing” to the youth, and through this project, the volunteers found a deep satisfaction in the act of giving back to the community at Baan Chivitmai Jaisamarn (BCJ) Foundation.

As the team of volunteers streamed into the centre that cares for underprivileged children and at-risk teenagers and disabled persons, they were warmly welcomed by Ms Siriorn Kamonmattayakul, Manager of the BCJ Foundation.

With the help from CadetsPlus Class President Tanapat Tananavanon and SMOU member Andrew Jiang and his wife in translating, YSMOU Chairman Dominic Yong thanked the foundation for giving SMOU the opportunity to play a part in blessing the less privileged.

Volunteers were grouped into teams to execute various tasks ranging from assembling shoe racks and bathroom racks to cleaning the home and the main gate. Others focused on befriending the beneficiaries and engaging the children through fun colouring activities.

Commending the good work of the volunteers, Ms Sirion remarked, “I’m very impressed with the cadets that will become the future of Thailand and this world. They were meticulous in tidying up the foundation. I am very impressed with their actions, and that this group of youth has been cultivated to do good deeds.” (Translated from Thai)

YSMOU arranged for a buffet lunch for the foundation as well as residents from the community. It was a heartwarming sight to see the youths serving meals to the elderly and conversing with them.

To develop a better understanding of the challenges faced by the residents, the foundation took the volunteers on a short tour around the community. This allowed the volunteers to witness firsthand the living conditions and gain insights into the daily struggles faced by the less fortunate.

YSMOU brought their visit to a close by presenting a memento and extending their support to the BCJ Foundation by providing provisions, such as rice, diapers, canned food, instant food and drinks, biscuits, stationery, and other essential supplies.

“Today I saw firsthand what SMOU is doing overseas, and I am so happy that we are introducing good core values to help the community. I think this is something that should be cultivated over a lifetime. And I believe when they go back to where they are, their community, they will have the initiative to start something, do something small to help the community.”

– Andrew Jiang, Member of SMOU for 36 Years

Tanapat Tananavanon, a Wavelink CadetsPlus Graduate (Bangkok), shared that he was delighted to be able to give back to the community.

“I feel excited to be able to share something with this community. And it is good because it has been a long time since I’ve given something back to the community. I am so proud and happy for helping the foundation.”