Caption: Chea (third from left) has almost fully recovered from her open-heart surgery.

Chea Pheakdei laid on the operating table with her chest cut open, but there was no way that Dr. Shankar Sriram could continue the open heart surgery. The power had just gone out in the Angkor Hospital for Children.

The power outtage was just one of the daily challenges faced by the Cambodian hospital, which specialises in providing free healthcare to children, but it was enough to inspire Jonathan Ng, 21, to decide that he could -- and would -- do something about it.

“When I heard this story, I instantly felt that we could do so much more as youths in Singapore for the children at this hospital,” Ng said. “No child should have to be placed in such situations in future.”

Ng, a pediatrician-to-be studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS), was immediately drawn to the work that Sriram did for free at the Angkor Hospital for Children. Together with Sriram’s daughter, Smriti, they launched Mission Angkor in 2006 and raised S$350,000, far exceeding the expected S$200,000.

Emily Teng, 22, founder of Blessings in a Bag, said that it is encouraging to see many youths participating in volunteer work with her organisation, which builds eco-friendly orphanages across Asia.

YOUTH Challenge -- a once high-profile charity that brings students overseas for humanitarian work -- acknowledged in an AsiaOne interview that part of the reason why it was closing is that it was no longer relevant to youths with so many other charities now engaging young people.

Despite the apparent youth enthusiasm, however, Dr. Terence Chong, a sociologist from the Institute of South-east Asian Studies, is not optimistic. He is concerned that youth volunteers may be volunteering for the primarily self-centred reasons -- like to look good, or think of themselves as heroes.

“When many young affluent Singaporeans go overseas to do humanitarian work, they become ‘welfare tourists’,” he said. “There is often no long-term commitment to a project or cause.”

A New Approach

Raudha Fatin, 22, a regular volunteer at Club Rainbow, believes it is easier to maintain longer-term commitment to local volunteer work, adding that community service should start at home.

“Some people regard overseas charity work as a sort of holiday, and adopt a superior mentality towards those they are helping,” Fatin said. “Eye-opening experiences can be found right here in Singapore, and the shock is even greater because we were otherwise oblivious to it.”

Teng agreed: “We have so many things that many people around the world will never experience, such as quality education, safe water to drink, safety. But often, by plunging volunteers into an entirely new environment may bring the realisation home more effectively.”

According to Teng, many of her peers did not even think about volunteering because they thought a lot of money and time were needed. Those who joined Blessings in a Bag, however, realise that even the smallest of contributions produce tangible benefits.

Through the Blessings in a Bag movement, people travelling around Asia can carry donations and drop it off at their destination, and also gain insight into the lives of the people they are helping.

“It is difficult to convince youths to give up time to do something they might not enjoy as much as watching TV or hanging out with friends,” said Fatin. “I guess even if some feel like heroes when they volunteer overseas, at least it’s about doing something good.”

Ng is confident that youths today are trying harder, especially when they see that their efforts do pay off. Although Children of Cambodia (Singapore)’s last fundraiser was in 2008, Ng and his team still go back to the hospital to help out a few times each year.

Chea and her friends, many of whom love playing at the playground near the hospital, may all have long scars down the length of their chests, but they are alive and happy.

“So far, the cardiac surgical team from Singapore has operated on over 130 children without a single mortality,” said Ng. “It’s not about looking good, it’s about being accountable for lives.”