I have long suspected that the terms CIP hours and T3A were the focal points of any student-initiated activities. Phrases like ‘it’ll look good on my portfolio/testimonial/record’ are probably common when making any big decisions regarding a commitment of time and effort.
But was volunteerism and passion really dead? Would anyone make sacrifices just to pursue something he or she felt strongly about, even if it meant that no one else would notice? I ventured to find out if this materialistic world as we know it is really a slightly more civilised Hobbesian ‘survival of the fittest’ anarchic society of ‘what’s in it for me’, rather than an ideal community of compassion, virtue and moral values we claim to know, but conscience denies.
vSparks is a project that is undertaken by IP3 students upon their ‘graduation’ from the safe, comforting nest of an IP cohort that aims to be the spark that ignites a flame in the community. Along with the VCSD portal of T3As and e-CIP entry, the surreptitious connotation of the importance of community involvement has ironically capitalised the very idea of volunteerism.
I have great respect for volunteers who made it into the history books with their selflessness and altruism - Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale – and those of our time as well. A friend of mine is so passionate about saving the environment that she speaks strongly about her cause to anyone who cared to listen, and acts upon her word too. In one of her testimonies, she spoke about a campaign on using reusable glass cups from the drinks stalls instead of the typical one-use plastic ones (they are available on request) and the measures she took to ensure that no electricity in the school was wasted through needless air-conditioning and lights when a room is uninhabited.
I have big dreams for my vSparks project (which I shall not unveil for now), and I aim to make it a successful not simply because I want to, but because it’s for the common good.