Medical students are paired with children and young people with disabilities. They become each others "best buddy" and they participate in various activities, in pairs or with a larger group.

Target

Disadvantaged sections of society and young people with disabilities, including children with physical disabilities, learning difficulty and children living in poverty.

Background

EMSA Best Buddy Project is an ideal project for EMSA to be involved with the community. Our medical knowledge and background should enable us to provide support to children and families. This will increase our understanding of the plight of such children and thus increase our compassion.

Aims and Objectives

To provide supports for less fortunate children and act as their mentor.

To be children and young people’s best buddy.

To share their burden and be their guiding light.

To make the community a better place to live in.

Methods

Training will be provided. Volunteers will attend training sessions lasting up to one and a half hours per session with professionals such as paediatricians, child psychologists and psychiatrists.

- Permission must be sought at all times.

- Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

- Contact with children hospitals, residential homes etc.

- Begin with ordinary illness and then proceed to more challenging ones. Strictly 1:1 basis unless 2 volunteers are needed for safety reasons.

- Volunteers are to spend free time with the child and to be the child’s best buddy by engaging in outdoor and indoor activities, sports, games sessions, reading, singing, living skills, creative projects etc.

- With living skills sessions or creative projects, outcome products may be sold and help them to gain some pocket-money.

- To increase self-esteem through creative work.