Meet the man who literally captures moments while capturing lessons
At Halogen, we recognise that giving goes both ways. This is shown through the value we place on our volunteers.
Since its beginnings in 2003, Halogen has always had the faithful support of volunteers from all age ranges. They are passionate for young people and leadership development. While volunteers offer their time and their resources, we offer our expertise, training and other opportunities for their growth.
An example of how Halogen does this is through workshops we conduct in schools. Halogen Academy volunteers start out as Assistant Trainers who observe a more experienced trainer and assists in technical ways. Later, they are gradually mentored to become Lead Trainers through chances to share their experiences, lead activities and manage the classroom. These volunteers would have grown in essential areas such as their presentation and classroom management skills as well as learning to connect with the audience.
Going through different life stages such as transiting from university to working adulthood, volunteers naturally do come and go. However, there are still others who stay on and volunteer when they can. One such volunteer is Marvin. Marvin tells us, “I started Volunteering in 2005. It was the National Young Leaders’ Day. I didn’t have a camera back then and I used the office’s camera. I had to figure out how to use the camera and ensure that I did not mess up any key photos moments then.”
In his willingness to help out, Marvin bravely picked up the camera, and a new skill to boot! It was that encounter that led to his foray in photography. He enjoyed it so much that he made it his full time profession – Marvin is now a professional photographer!
“In his willingness to help out, Marvin bravely picked up the camera, and a new skill to boot! It was that encounter that led to his foray in photography. He enjoyed it so much that he made it his full time profession – Marvin is now a professional photographer!”
Since then, Marvin has been consistently volunteering his expertise. I asked him – of all organisations, why Halogen, and why for six years? He says, “At the start, I needed to finish my Community Involvement Project (CIP) hours for my coursework in school. However, even after I finished my CIP hours, I still enjoyed volunteering for Halogen events. There’s always something to learn from the speakers at the events. I found it enriching and meaningful to do so. Nick Vujicic, is one speaker who has inspired me greatly. His ability to live his life without any limbs is simply awesome. From Nick, I have learnt to treasure the blessings that I have in my life and to use them to its fullest potential.”
While many people volunteer to give back to the community, life has its way of giving back; many others, like Marvin, have benefited from the sessions through service, and through the inspiration, education and action that happens at Halogen.
—Article by Faith Jinghui Luo
