Inspired by a visit to the Genesis School, grade 12 student Giorgio Nguyen together with Jia Yang, organised a donation drive to help intellectually disabled children. We catch up with these busy grade 12s to find out more about this initiative.

Tell us about your used clothing donation drive. What inspired you and Jia Yang to organise a used clothing donation drive?

Giorgio: I visited the Genesis School for Special Education during my grade 11 excursion. While we were there, we saw many students with special needs and observed the difficulties they go through on a daily basis. This inspired me to start a CAS project where we collect pre-loved clothing and donate them to the intellectually disabled as we thought that it would be a good cause to strive for.  

Out of so many charity organisations in Singapore, why did you choose MINDS?

Giorgio: We chose MINDS because they offer a unique opportunity for the intellectually disabled that other charities do not. This is because the clothes that we donate are not only given to the intellectually disabled, they also sell them in a thrift shop. The thrift shop allows the intellectually disabled to play an active role in society, as they sort through and sell the clothes in their thrift shop. MINDS not only provides the intellectually disabled with resources, they also provide real-life opportunities for them. That’s why we chose them as the recipient of our donation drive.

What was the most memorable part of the experience?

Giorgio: The most memorable experience was seeing all the donations that we received. I placed the box in the atrium on a Monday and the next morning, I was astonished to see all the donations we’d received. It just shows what the CIS community can do when they come together for a good cause.

Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?

Giorgio: Transportation - since we did not plan ahead with the transportation, it took a while to get the donations from the school to MINDS. If we were to do this again, we would plan ahead by creating a schedule and actually follow it.

Were there any unforeseen problems that cropped up? Tell us about them and how did you manage these problems?

Giorgio: One of the unforeseen problems that occurred was the presentation we gave in the auditorium. Jia Yang and I had memorised a script for our presentation, but we started laughing during our presentation because we were nervous. At that point of time, we couldn’t control it due to nerves. We presented at another assembly and this time, we were more in control and less nervous. We still laughed a little though.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Giorgio: I would like to thank Ms Hosick and all the people who donated and made this CAS project possible.

About CAS: CAS (creativity, activity and service) in the Diploma Programme provides students with opportunities to develop interests, to collaborate with others, and to engage in meaningful service projects.