Mercy Relief celebrates 15th anniversary with carnival
Mercy Relief has come a long way to become Singapore's foremost independent disaster relief agency.
Over the weekend, it will celebrate its 15th anniversary with the Ground Zero Carnival, its largest fund-raising initiative since its inception.
With 25 Asia Pacific countries and two million lives impacted, Mercy Relief has been a beacon of light when tragedies and natural disasters strike.
The agency, established in September 2003, provides emergency aid, such as water and sanitation, healthcare, shelter, education, and livelihood after disasters.
The head of Mercy Relief's international programmes, Mr Masahiro Ishizeki, said: "I am lucky to work here because I can apply and improve my experience and knowledge on the ground in the Philippines, Cambodia and other Asian countries."
The 54-year-old Japanese man moved to Singapore after the 2011 earthquake in Japan and has been with Mercy Relief for six years.
He has worked for international humanitarian relief operations and sustainable development programmes in various countries, including Bangladesh, India, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
He told The New Paper: "It is challenging to maintain and develop our disaster readiness, social development skills and knowledge effectively and efficiently."
Mr Khairul Norady has been volunteering at Mercy Relief for more than a year.
He said: "I believe we have to think both within and beyond our walls when it comes to reaching out to those in need."
The 27-year-old Singaporean's most memorable experience is volunteering to help plan the Ground Zero Carnival as part of a corporate outreach programme.
He worked on an activity, that simulates the experience of a disaster survivor. It helped him empathise with the victims and understand the basic operations of relief distribution.
The Ground Zero Carnival will be at Our Tampines Hub from 11am to 9pm.
Admission is free.
You can make a direct donations to Mercy Relief's 15th Year Anniversary Impact Fund or pledge a $15 MR15 Food Bundle to support a needy family in Singapore, of which $5 goes towards supporting the agency's efforts.
Online donation platform Giving.sg is also supporting Mercy Relief as official crowdfunding partner.
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