CCAs of NTU 25’: WSC Overseas Volunteering Expedition (OVE)
Written by: Jovianne Tay, Chairperson of OVE AY 24/25
Overseas Volunteering Expedition (OVE) is a special project under NTU’s Welfare Services Club (WSC) that focuses on overseas community service. As a club, we aim to make a difference in communities across emerging economies by contributing our time, effort, and skills as students. At the same time, we’re also committed to giving back to our local community through regular volunteering sessions and supporting ad-hoc projects where help is needed.
In AY2024/2025, we organised Project Tala, where our team travelled to San Pablo, Philippines for two weeks. During the trip, we helped out with both teaching and construction efforts in the local community. It was a truly meaningful experience, from conducting lessons for children to helping build and refurbish parts of the community’s facilities. In previous years, we’ve also carried out projects in Cambodia, Vietnam, and other regions in the Philippines. We are always working closely with our overseas partners to ensure our efforts are sustainable and respectful of the communities’ needs.
Locally, we run monthly volunteering sessions with a range of organisations. Some of our past partnerships include:
Bread With Love, where we help distribute food to low-income families
Habitat for Humanity, where we take part in clean-up and community improvement activities
Glyph Community, where we spend time with kids from less privileged backgrounds through mentoring and games
Beyond just volunteering, OVE also hold bonding activities during the academic year such as a JB trip during the winter holidays and casual meals after volunteering sessions. We hope that such sessions can allow our members to forge more bonds between themselves and build a supportive and inclusive community within OVE!
For me, this sense of community and connection extended far beyond just our club activities. When I first joined OVE, I thought it would just be a chance to give back and to do my part to help communities in need. However, what I didn’t expect was how much the experience would give back to me. During my first overseas expedition, I still vividly remember how my homestay host prepared small gifts for me on the last day of my stay to bring back to Singapore for my family. It was completely unexpected and incredibly heartwarming, especially knowing that she didn’t have much herself. Moments like that made me realise that volunteering isn’t just a one-way act of giving but a two-way exchange of genuine human connection. And that was exactly what inspired me to stay on in OVE for a second year, hoping to create the same kind of meaningful experience for others.
So, if you’re someone who’s truly passionate about serving others, we’d love to have you with us. Check us out on Instagram @ntuwsc_ove_ or visit our site https://ntuwscove.wixsite.com/ntuwscove to find out more!
We’ll see you at Welcome Week 2025!
