Safeguarding Against Scams: SJI NPCC Cadets VIA Initiative with Migrant Workers

The SJI NPCC Cadets collaborated with students from Tampines Meridian Junior College (TMJC) and Kampong Java Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) as part of the Building Community Champions (BCC) initiative by Ray of Hope. This was the second time the BCC was held in SJI to support Ray of Hope’s efforts to encourage youth to engage, interact with, and befriend migrant workers in the community.

The SJI NPCC Cadets recognised that migrant workers, like all residents in Singapore, are vulnerable to scams and they should be engaged as part of national efforts to safeguard against scams. The Year 3 NPCC Cadet Leaders then liaised with Station Inspector (S.I.) Nicholas Teo of the Kampong Java NPC to share their ideas and desire to contribute in the community as a unit. S.I. Teo provided significant guidance and worked closely together with the cadets to organise an Anti-scam workshop for the benefit of migrant workers. S.I. Nicholas shared that he was, ‘heartened by the SJI NPCC Cadets reaching out and wanting to support this important national effort against scams. They were also cognizant and mindful of ways we could make this effort more meaningful for our migrant workers, such as by having some of the cadets speak and share in South Asian languages’.

On the day of the BCC, the workshop included a sharing by S.I. Teo who also provided collateral by the Singapore Police Force to distribute to all attendees. Additionally, the SJI NPCC Cadets and Migrant Workers got into smaller groups to discuss and share their ideas about how members of the community can be more vigilant against scams. Each group also had the opportunity to present their ideas to all attendees at the end of the workshop. Year 3 NPCC Cadet Xabi Phua, one of the cadets that organised the workshop recounted how, ‘this experience made me better understand migrant workers. I got to hear their perspectives and views which enabled me to learn ways we can all protect ourselves and not fall victim to scams. The opportunity to organise this workshop and later share my views by presenting my group’s ideas to everyone also improved my confidence’.

Mdm Shanti, one of the Teacher Officers of the SJI NPCC Unit and who was present to give her support to the SJI NPCC Cadets, similarly added that, ‘this initiative is a good example and shows how CCAs are an important platform to develop our Josephians. They provide a strong sense of purpose and through opportunities such as these, our Josephians realise that they have agency and can make a difference in the community’.

For the remainder of the BCC, students of TMJC organised sports activities and an art jamming session for all attendees. These facilitated and enabled stronger bonds of friendship to be forged. Deputy General Manager, Dr. Alicia Altorfer-Ong expressed her ‘gratitude to SJI, especially the students who have supported two BCC initiatives and school leaders who have been generous with allowing activities to be held on campus during the weekend.’ She added that, ‘Ray of Hope deeply values this partnership with SJI, which began with the VIA Scubilion Fair held earlier this year at the school’.

We congratulate the SJI NPCC Cadets and all volunteers on a successful VIA initiative, and hope such efforts will inspire more Josephians to contribute in the community!