Christopher Joseph Bek Woon Chye and Chai Jing Xuan
Christopher Joseph Bek Woon Chye:
I joined PAP as an Ordinary Member and help whenever I can, in the PA Youth Group as a Youth Chairman (1976) as well as the Resident Committee in Marine Parade as an Exco member (1981 to 1983), as well as Hougang Constituency, (2007 to 2012) as a RC Vice-Chairman.
I also joined the Church Group, as an OLPS Church warden and met the POPE JOHN PAUL II, who came on 20th November 1986 at the National Stadium, where almost 70,000 parishioners attended at National Stadium. I managed to get close to the Pope and ask for forgiveness and kiss his ring, he then said a few words, and blessed me. (If you see the video, you will see a young man, running around beside his jeep, l protecting His Excellency, around the track, that is me).
I was the Director of Rotary Club of Makati West (1995 to 2004), Director of Foundation of Rotary Clubs of Singapore, Past President of Rotary E-Club of Singapore (2011 to 2015) and Past President of Rotary Club of Novena (2016 to 2021).
I was the District Chairman for District 3310 Disaster Relief for 2014, 2015 and 2016 and I went to help the earthquake victims in Nepal (12 June to 28 June 2015), and the earthquake victims in Aceh, Indonesia (26 December 2016 to 10 Jan 2017) and flood victims in Malaysia. I was a Judge, in a Summer Look Fashion Show on 2nd August 2015 at Hotel Royal, 36 Newton Road.
Chai Jing Xuan:
My Story
The legal definition of "legacy" refers to a gift of money or other personal property that is granted by the terms of a will. Likewise, most people think of legacy as something they leave behind that benefits others after they have lived their lives. For me, my goal in life is to use my existing skills to make a positive impact on the life of others.
Secondary School
One of the most memorable volunteering experiences in secondary school was when I had the opportunity to care for end-of-life patients at a hospice. While I was unable to solve their medical problems, I realised that my companionship could make a difference in their lives. This experience thus motivated me to pursue other volunteering opportunities.
Junior College
As part of the Red Cross Youth Chapter EXCO in Raffles Institution, I organised volunteering projects for my club members, and learnt first aid skills to help the injured. These experiences have been incredibly fulfilling, and I have further honed my empathy and leadership skills, which allowed me to better assist those around me. I also joined the Peer Helper's Programme in JC, where I learnt basic counselling skills to better support students who were facing mental health problems.
Bedok YN
Outside of school, I also took on the opportunity to join Bedok Youth Network as a Grassroots Leader. As a member, I help organise large-scale events for residents in my community. As an Assistant General Secretary, I ensure accountability by taking down official meeting minutes. I could now impact the larger community around me beyond my school population, at a much greater scale.
MPS
To better understand the concerns of my community, I then went on to volunteer at MPS sessions. In fact, it inspired me to pursue law in university. Listening to the stories of residents who encountered legal issues and seeing pro bono lawyers being able to provide legal assistance made me realise that legal issues can have an extremely deep impact on people's lives.
Through these experiences, I realised that I enjoy serving the larger community in Singapore, and hope to do so in the long run. If I have the opportunity to volunteer outside of Singapore like what Capt. Bek has done, I would not hesitate to do so.
University
Fast forward to University today, I have continued to carry on my passion for volunteering. As the Vice President of the NUS Law Pro Bono Group, I organise and spearhead pro bono projects for club members to take part in. As of today, our club has 11 existing pro bono projects and around 200 club members. We also serve a wide variety of beneficiaries, ranging from migrant workers, elderly, NGOs, to litigants-in person and survivors of alleged sexual misconduct, through activities such as legal awareness workshops and legal clinics.
These pro bono experiences have been incredibly meaningful, and allowed me to use my legal knowledge to help those in need. With these experiences, I hope to become a better student, friend, family member and future lawyer, who can make an impact on the lives of others.
