I arrived bright and early at 8:30am to help set up for the day! I started off sooo awkward as I was not really sure what to do. I was so intimated when there was a sudden horde of Singapore Polytechnic students!! It came to my realisation later that they were volunteers from SP's LEO Club (Leadership Experience Opportunity) and were also volunteers for the learning camp :)

I was asked to join a random group and there was a briefing for all of us to be role models for the children. We were banned from using any vulgarities (errr well we tried), and we were advised to build positive relationships with the children within boundaries and expectations to protect them.

In my new group 1, we sat in a circle and awkwardly avoided eye contact when I finally suggested for the group name to be 'pineapple' inspired from PiPPer Standard's Pineapple Power and one of the little boy's shirt. In the end we decided on 'Pineapple Kia' (Pineapple Kid)! 

We watched a video to raise awareness about recycling and learnt more about how PiPPER STANDARD is socially, environmentally and economically responsible. The Earth's resources are finite and we should obviously play a part in protecting our environment. Many products we use daily are harmful to the environment and we should try to the best of our abilities to use products that are environmentally friendly!

Next, each group created a poster about the environment to send the message of what we learnt. This was also a group bonding activities and we worked together harmoniously. Everyone contributed a lot of valuable ideas! In my team, one boy was very artistically talented and he drew very nice cartoon pineapples!!

The teams were assessed based on teamwork, cleanliness after we finished the poster, creativity, the short presentation of our poster and the number of likes our pictures had on PiPPER STANDARD Fan Club Singapore!

Pictures from PiPPER STANDARD Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pipperfanclubsingapore/

For the second part of the day, we played an ambitious 'Game of Choice'. Basically it was about the deals between buyers and sellers and how we have to make our decisions wisely of what 'contracts' to buy and sell! There is a strong element of luck involved in this game and whe we couldn't figure it out, we guessed our way through the game HAHAHAHA

Well, I learnt that it is not how you start the game but about how you end, which relates to how the decisions we have made in life, have already been made. We should take control of our own future and not dwell on the past. Quote by Benjamin Franklin: 'If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.'' No one ever plans to fail but many fail to plan, yet most of us have nothing to lose and all to gain.

We can all start by using our time wisely, so as to determine the future and Carpe diem (seize the day)!

We ended the day by packing some PiPPER STANDARD gift packages that was distributed by some volunteers to raise awareness about the event and vote for our 'Team Photo Competition'! Everyone showed great teamwork and worked very efficiently and speedily :)

When I arrived at the MightyKFC Centre, the children were already there! They were so enthusiastic and happy to see us, asking questions excitedly - it really brightened up my day! We were going to have an amazing race!!! I was appointed assessor for the group and was tasked to observe the children and their buddies' behaviour and award or deduct points from them.

Due to the train delay on the East-West line, some volunteers arrived late but the delay did not dampen our spirits!

My 'Pineapple Kia' group solved the puzzle quite quickly and we began our rush to Habourfront MRT to go to the VivoCity rooftop! What really surprised me was that the little kids were leading the way! They were very independent and could also communicate effectively with us.

After we completed our game at VivoCity, we proceeded to Bugis+ rooftop. However, most of us were pretty hungry and one of the girls actually got giddy in the midst of playing Charades. Troy quickly ran down to buy some fries for her, and even got extra fries for the rest of us as he knew were hungry too!

Although we bought Old Chang Kee and ToriQ on our way back, we couldn't eat them on the train back to MightyKFC. I ended up having gastric pain and was feeling a little down but my friends helped by cheering me up and asking if I was okay :)

When we alighted at Tiong Bahru MRT, we saw an old man and the little kids took out their wallet and generously gave him their meagre pocket money on their own accord! 'No amount is too small for a random act of kindness' :) I also noticed that although we had to walk a lot in the hot sun, the little children had no complains at all throughout the whole trip! This really got me reflecting, especially since I have younger siblings of my own.

These children, although, may have been a little cheeky and playful, maybe a little rowdy, but they were not spoilt at all. Not once, did they ever complain, not even when they were noticeably hungry! Instead of us mentoring, we gained so much from the children!

After a catered lunch at MightyKFC, some of the children asked us to play catching with them and it makes me happy seeing how energetic, active and happy the children are :) Ahhh it triggered memories of my fond childhood!

We ended off the day by writing cards for each other. I wrote cards for them all, thanking them for the wonderful time I have had with them, blessing them to be good children and most importantly, to be happy.

Since I was not technically their buddy and more of someone who just tagged along to have fun and take pictures for her blog (HAHAHA), I didn't receive any solo cards :( One of the little boys wrote a joint letter for my friends and I, and it was so sweet, he wanted us to come back to MightyKFC to play with him and said that he loves us! Thinking of him and the other children and my friends now, I feel like tearing up... :(

After this, I had dinner with my group friends! 

Frankly speaking, when I first realised that we would be mentoring children, I thought of those trouble-causing, naughty kids who always skip school to hang out and vandalise playgrounds. Yet, my misconception of them changed drastically. Compared to other children I know, they were not spoilt at all and listened to us. Kids are kids, regardless of age, they just require our guidance, love, care and concern. This principle is the same for ALL of us!

Within two days, there was a strong connection between the volunteers and the children. It was definitely an amazing experience for us as we brought a genuine smile to the faces of many! I forged new friendships, learnt more about different people from diverse backgrounds, and so many more enriching life lessons :)

Without any hesitation, I would definitely volunteer to do this again in a blink of an eye. I am so grateful to MightyKFC for supporting our communities. Thank you also to PiPPer Standard for sending me there! To the SP students I got to know, Alex, Troy and the others, thanks for being so friendly and accepting, hopefully I'll see you at SP next year!!!

Thank you also to you reading this! I hope you can take this blog post as an motivation to do something little that can go a long way by volunteering for a good cause! You never know until you try and the memories made will surely be unforgettable! Let me know what you think of this blogpost down in the comments section below! All pictures were taken with a Samsung NX Mini or Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3.

Hello everyone! This blog post will be different from my usual posts but I feel strongly to share about my family's journey in helping my baby brother's eczema as it may help others who also face eczema!

Most of you may know that my baby brother Darren is soon turning 1 years old this March. He has been such a joy to our family, always bringing laughter and happiness. Sadly, what most of you may not know is that my brother battles with eczema. When he was 2 months old, his eczema kicked in :( His skin started to become dry and thickened. It flared up in inflamed, red, sometimes blistered and weepy patches and he could not stop scratching!

The red patches were everywhere on his body, on his legs, arms, face and even his neck! It actually got so bad that he scratched till his skin bled. My parents bought many renowned moisturisers to help my brother but to no avail... When we held Darren's arms and legs to prevent him from scratching, poor baby Darren would cry in agony and pain. Seeing Darren in such severe pain, my family's heart broke into a million pieces... 

My mum has been breastfeeding Darren ever since he was born but eventually she had to introduce baby formula as a supplement for my brother’s diet when he turned 3 months old. Darren’s skin allergies progressively worsened, becoming even more serious.

Of course, my whole family was pained by Darren’s intense cries for help to ease his physical pain and discomfort and sought help.

I remember that my parents initially brought baby Darren to the Dermatologists and Paediatricians and confirmed that my brother suffers from Atopic Eczema. Atopic eczema is a chronic, itchy skin condition that is very common in children but may occur at any age. It arises because of genetic and environmental factors and will make the skin more susceptible to irritation by soap and other irritants such as the weather, temperature, etc.

Through tests done at KK Hospital in early January, it was confirmed that my poor baby brother suffers from food allergies. Only after months of Trail and Error could my parents uncover the potential causes and sources of irritants and allergens. 

Soon it was identified that my brother is extremely allergic to egg and cow's milk. Even if the traces of egg and milk was air-borne, Darren's eczema would kick in. This caused a reduction in his skin’s immunity towards irritants and allergens and made his skin even more sensitive.

As my mother was advised by the Dermatologist to continue breastfeeding, my mum recorded her diet and Darren's diet in her notebook daily. Even after trying different baby formulas, moisturisers and creams, his eczema condition showed no improvement. My parents got so desperate and distressed, they even resorted to the occasional steroid creams treatments! Using prolonged steroid treatment will lead to potential side effects.

Even after strictly eliminating egg and cow's milk from their diets, Darren's relapses occur frequently and persists. 

My parents considered removing potential chemical irritants that Darren may be exposed. They conducted intensive research online and joined several FaceBook groups, sharing with other parents with similar experiences. My mum shared Darren's struggle with eczema with her business contact and on his business trip to Bangkok, he bought 2 bottles of PiPPer Standard’s Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener in hopes to help my mum.

My family and I have always been saddened by Darren's terrible eczema. When I saw some pictures of children who have even more serious and drastic eczema, it seriously brought tears to my eyes... I can't imagine the amount of pain it must have brought to the precious child and the heartache it caused to the child's loved ones.

I am too scared to include pictures of baby with extremely harsh eczema as it is indeed horrifying... 

Just google 'severe eczema baby'... :(

Thus, I had an idea to share about 
PiPPer Standard's Laundry Detergent 
as it really did significantly help my brother battle eczema after my family switched to this brand.

Side note: I am not in any way, officially affiliated with PiPPer Standard

http://pipperstandard.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pipperfanclubsingapore/

PiPPer Standard’s products definitely helps Darren as the products are derived from natural sources, (pineapple) without any chemical toxins which are harmful to the body.

My mother believes that a healthy environment starts from home and decided to switch the whole family to use PiPPer Standard's products. We noticed that the Pineapple Power is highly effective in cleaning!! The Eucalyptus and Lemongrass scents in PiPPer Standard’s products are also very fragrant. I read from the back of the bottle that the scents are from natural essential oils which is not only healthy but also environmentally friendly!

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I decided to write this blog post as my mum and I believe that by sharing what my family have been through and learnt using PiPPer Standard’s products, can help parents and their children who are going through similar challenges and pain. It is truly very heartbreaking to see so many suffering from eczema, hopefully this blog post can lend a helping hand to many who are distraught!

Huge Thank You to PiPPer Standard!!!

not in any way officially affiliated to PiPPer Standard

♥,
Jermaine x