Where and When
WAFF: The Carnival will take place on 13 July 2008. The venue is *scape Youth Park.
Mission and Objectives
To support the efforts of the Cleft and Craniofacial Centre (CCRC) and bridge the gap of understanding of the craniofacial conditions, the carnival seeks to achieve several goals that will benefit both the centre’s stakeholders and the carnival participants:
- To raise funds for Cleft and Craniofacial Support Group (CCSG)
- To increase the awareness of the cleft lip and palate (CLP) conditions amongst the general public
- To provide the opportunity to the youth population to exercise their creativity, business skills and entrepreneur spirit in the proposed inter-school fundraising competition
- To provide opportunities for the children and teenagers from the CCSG to allow them to better integrate with society, and encourage them to foster a strong support network.
WAFF Carnival
WAFF stands for “Warm And Fuzzy Feeling”, which is the theme for the carnival, in conjunction with our tagline “Feel The Fuzz, Take The Step, Bridge The Gap”. This represents the three main aims that we hope to achieve from the carnival as a whole – that the public feels enthusiastic about doing charity work; that youths will be able to step up to the challenge of organising charity projects; and to spread the awareness and understanding of cleft lip and various craniofacial conditions to the public.
The carnival, held at *scape Youth Park, is integrated into the summer season and portrays a warm and imaginative ambience. There will also be a graffitti competition, as well as performances put up by various performing arts groups.
Below is the list of activities in store for the carnival. Click on the links below to check them out!
- The National Inter-School Fundraising Competition 2008
- Graffiti Competition
- Other “Summer Magical” activities
KKH Cleft and Craniofacial Centre
The KKH Cleft and Craniofacial Centre (CCRC) and its associated Cleft and Craniofacial Support Group (CCSG) works in unison to help children who are affected by cleft lip & palate and other craniofacial anomalies.
Full treatment progressively spans over 17 years, consisting of multiple operations and doctors’ consultations, speech therapy, orthodontic treatment, psychological assessment and other procedures to deal with consequent complications. In the midst of treatment, affected children may still look different from their peers.
Some children may encounter social and emotional challenges due to the condition. The CCSG aims to provide these children and their families with psychosocial, emotional and educational support, as well as promote public education on the craniofacial conditions and social acceptance of people with craniofacial anomalies.
The proceeds generated from WAFF: The Carnival will go towards Operation Smile Singapore. The collected funds will be channelled to the Cleft and Craniofacial Support Group. These funds will enable CCSG to provide affected children and their families with a strong support network. Support group activities encourage affected children and their families to foster strong ties with each other and empower the children to reach their full potentials. Public awareness of the craniofacial conditions and social acceptance is promoted through educational materials and outreach activities.
For more information, you may visit the Centre's website here.
USP Volunteer Project
The USP Volunteer Project Team (USP VP) has been in operation since December 2006, adopting the Cleft and Craniofacial Centre (CCRC) of Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) as our beneficiary. We are a volunteer group dedicated to children with cleft lip and palate, and work in conjunction with the Cleft and Craniofacial Support Group (CCSG). Our efforts are targeted at organising activities to provide the children with positive socialising experiences, build a strong support network among the parents and the centre, and bridge the gap of understanding about the people affected by such conditions.
USP VP volunteers learn how to relate to children with special needs by interacting with them. In addition, volunteers hold fund-raising programmes for the support group, which provides emotional, psycholocial and educational support for the children and their families. These fund-raising activities also aim to raise public awareness about the cleft and craniofacial conditions.
In summary, the goals of the USP VP for the KKH CCSG are:
1. EMPOWERTo empower the children and youth in CCSG with skills that will enable them to meet future challenges and reach their full potentials.
2. SUPPORT / COHESION
To provide the children and youth in CCSG with a support network should they encounter challenges and also to provide educational support.
3. PUBLIC AWARENESS
To create public understanding of the craniofacial conditions and awareness of CCSG so that people who would like to seek support from CCSG know where to find support.
4. FUND RAISING
To provide funds for CCSG's activities.
Listed below are some of the activities that USP VP has participated and/or organised over the past year:
Scene from Talking in Bed 1. University Scholars Club Bazaar in February 2007:
Many of the children's arts and crafts projects were sold at a booth set up by USP VP volunteers to raise funds for the CCRC’s operations. Held in the National University of Singapore, this bazaar aimed to raise the awareness of both students and faculty members about cleft and craniofacial conditions.
2. University Scholars Club Production "Talking in Bed":
A collaborative effort by USP VP volunteers and children from the CCSG, this theatre production inspired by Philip Larkin’s poem, “Talking in Bed”, boasted 5 short stories based on the theme of relationships. The production featured original scripts, and the children performed dances and songs. This effort was a great success with $27,000 raised in total for the CCRC.
These are some of the activities that are currently ongoing:
1. Monthly Support Group Activities:
USP VP is in charge of organising support group activities for the children in CCSG. Aside from arts and crafts (such as making puppets, cards and bookmarks), volunteers have also organized day camps and workshops for the children. These activities aim to foster greater interaction among the children and volunteers, and it is hoped that through these activities, the children will gain self-confidence, learn new skills, and above all, have fun!
2. Tuition Scheme: Among the children in CCSG, there are some who are from lower income families. Some of our volunteers commit their time and effort in helping these children by giving them weekly tuition. The KKH CCRC works closely with USP VP in identifying children who qualify for this scheme and in finding volunteers who can help as tutors.
NUS-USP
The University Scholars Programme (USP) is a premier undergraduate programme at National University of Singapore (NUS) designed to develop the intellectual, leadership, and personal potential of promising students.
Offering a rigorous broad-based multidisciplinary curriculum and exciting local and overseas research and beyond-the-classroom learning opportunities, USP fosters active learners who
- can think and write critically, clearly and effectively;
- make path-breaking connections within a discipline and among diverse disciplines;
- excel in a global context; and
- reflect deeply on themselves and their place in society.
For more information, you may visit USP's website here.