Rallying Ground-Up Support for Water Appreciation and Conservation
The SIF joined the Public Utilities Board in World Water Day celebrations to raise awareness about water sustainability in Singapore and the region.
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu at the SIF booth with volunteers and partners from PUB and ITE College East.
The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and its volunteers took part in the first physical Singapore World Water Day event post-pandemic on 18 March 2023. SIF's iconic orange shirts could be seen as Singaporean volunteers or Citizen Ambassadors, joined hands with the international community or Friends of Singapore to participate in the 1.8km 'Walk for Water' (picture below). The group included lecturers and students from SIF’s long-time partner, ITE College East.
The walk started at Gardens By The Bay (East) and ended at the Marina Barrage, where over 2,000 visitors engaged in activity booths set up by PUB’s community and corporate partners. Among them was the SIF’s booth, where volunteers raised awareness about the SIF’s signature Water for Life (WFL) programme that brings access to clean drinking water to rural communities.
SIF volunteers and staff shared their experiences and stories about the WFL programme’s impact, inspiring visitors to volunteer.
Visitors at the SIF booth designed a memento tote bag to pledge their support to save water.
Azlina Ahmad, one of the volunteers at the event, expressed her appreciation for the SIF's efforts to connect communities, enable collaborations and effect change. She said, “In Singapore, where we have easy access to clean water, we may take it for granted. Building and installing bio-sand filters in Cambodia helps to remind me how precious the resource is. I have also made a lot of new friends. In my personal experience, the SIF marked the starting point for my volunteering journey. I have found that the connections and lived experiences I gained through volunteering overseas have motivated me to start my own initiatives in Singapore to give back and contribute towards building a better world.”
Azlina has been volunteering with the SIF since 2014. She has led more than ten trips across Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam to make friends for a better world.
The SIF has been partnering with PUB for Singapore World Water Day since 2019 to advocate for water sustainability in Singapore and the region. Most recently, the SIF organised a beach clean-up in 2022 to mark the occasion.
