ILC’s beginnings with ACTS (A Call To Share)
Started in 2006, ACTS (A Call To Share) was formed by a dedicated Singapore medical team. During a visit to the Don Bosco Phum Chreh School in Cambodia They were deeply touched by the optimism and strength of the children in the face of adversity and thus formed the non-profit organization.
ACTS aims to witness the joy of "serving others". For more than 10 years, they have continued their volunteer work, which has grown from a small diocesan initiative in Cambodia to a year-round, multi-parish program across Southeast Asia, and the number of volunteers has also grown from a handful to hundreds today.
Today, ILC Singapore has been associated with ACTS for more than 10 years. In 2012, Ms. Jessica Chen, ILC’s Director, went on her first mission trip together with her family. After that experience, the whole family couldn't help but think, "Wow, life could be so simple, we should be more grateful and share more.” Since then, ILC began to explore what can be done for the children in Cambodia, with the skills that the volunteers possessed.
This original intention has persisted till today, with Jessica stepping up from a participant to a committee member in the core team. Every year, she plans in advance, takes a break from her busy lifestyle and travels to Cambodia with her family and ILC teachers, students and parents to experience the simple things in life while spending a happy and fulfilling time with the students there.
During these 12 years, ILC under the leadership of Jessica, has actively undertaken the work of the ACTS education team. ILC teachers and students have launched online teaching services for Cambodian students, and ILC parents have conducted fundraising activities to help countless families. Most importantly, the ILC team, students and parents have experienced their personal change: being better able to face life’s challenges, achieved personal growth, learned to be grateful for the things they have, and even found their own dreams and the purpose in life.
A student who has been to Cambodia more than once commented,
"Maybe my presence is very insignificant in their lives, but I know that during this short week, I can bring them happiness and company. I don't need them to remember me. I just want them to be happy. When I get back to Singapore, I will always remember my experiences during this mission week. I am truly grateful and happy right now. They are the ones who make me feel that in this chaotic and frustrating world, there are still people who hold a beacon and tell me that every step is worth it, every step is meaningful, and it is okay to take it slow...”
I remember that during the COVID-19 period, although we could not go to Cambodia, the children knew that ACTS had not forgotten them, because they still received the annual T-shirts sponsored by ACTS for them. The students would wear ACTS T-shirts to school every Friday to express their longing for ACTS as well as their expectation to meet in the next coming year. As another student who has been there many times said,
"By teaching them English, singing and dancing with them, we can make them happy and let them realize that there are people in the world who really care about them and love them, and that they are not forgotten. Therefore, they can find a certain comfort in their hearts.”
