Making Friends through Storytelling

"Inside each of us is a natural born storyteller just waiting to be released." – Robin Moore.

In July 2015, our Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs) community came together to commemorate International Friendship Day – a day that celebrates the idea that friendship amongst individuals help bridge communities and build greater cross-cultural understanding. Guided by Singapore’s award-winning storyteller, Roger Jenkins (who’s incidentally a SIV himself!), participants had the opportunity to learn the finer points of being a storyteller and how to use their ‘new found’ skills to connect with others. Our participants were also introduced to Our Better World, the digital storytelling initiative by SIF which finds, tells and shares stories of people doing good in Asia to inspire global action for good.

The event that evening was part of our regular get together sessions where we reconnect with our citizen ambassadors. That it was held on International Friendship Day made it an extra special occasion as the day is synonymous with SIF’s mission of making friends for a better world. Our programmes are designed to provide opportunities for people to connect and build mutual understanding while collaborating to enrich lives and effect positive change.

One of SIF’s signature programme, Words on Wheels (WOW) is a good example of how we do this. WOW is designed to spread the joy of learning with children in communities that do not have easy access to reading and internet facilities. SIVs who participate in WOW get to conduct storytelling sessions, learning workshops and share the joy of acquiring knowledge through the books and internet facilities in the WOW mobile library.

“The session has piqued my interest in volunteering with WOW as I feel like I am now in a better position to volunteer with WOW thanks to the practical tips I picked up, even though I have been a long-time Water for Life volunteer,” Maurice Tan, long-time SIV.

“It was very interactive and interesting and I believe that it was useful for everyone, no matter which industry you may be in,” Irene Toh, Physiotherapist.