1. What is your background (profession/ workplace/ training)?
I am a medical student, currently in my fourth year of study.
2. What inspired you to become a volunteer with The Water Well Project?
As somebody interested in public and global health, I believe health education and engaging communities in their health journeys is pivotal to their wellbeing. I came across The Water Well Project which echoed a similar purpose and was inspired to contribute in any way possible.
3. Please share one of your favourite The Water Well Project sessions or moments.
After a community session on Dementia awareness, an elderly member shared an anecdote of how they noticed a friend who had become withdrawn and quiet in the past few weeks and that she did not know prior to this session that it could be a sign of deteriorating memory. She then promised to check up on them and inform their family - it was a moment that captured exactly what we hoped to achieve through these sessions and was very fulfilling.
4. What tips do you have for new volunteers?
Be open to changing the sequence of your sessions and being led by the participants themselves. The purpose is to address their areas of concern and it is okay to prioritise and adapt from the initial plan to do so.
5. “I volunteer because…”
I love to engage with the community about health in an informal and non-medical setting. I also volunteer because it gives me an opportunity to learn from our incredibly diverse community.
