[EVENT] Kindness Carnival in Celebration of Kindness Day SG (KDSG) 2018

Started in 2013 as an occasion for Singaporeans to come together in celebration of kindness and graciousness, the annual Kindness Day SG (KDSG) this year returns with the first ever Kindness Carnival. Organised by Singapore Kindness Movement, the Kindness Carnival aims to inspire more to embark on the kindness journey through fun-filled activities.

Held at OCBC Square, the Kindness Carnival is a free event that is open to the public from 10am in the morning to 9pm at night. Various stage performances by the Ground-Up Movements (GUMs) and local bands were being lined up throughout the day to keep the public entertained.

Different booths were set up by GUMs to share with the public on their causes, and to encourage them to make a difference. On top of that, engaging activities open for the public include a cycling cruise with migrant workers and making terrariums with the elderly.

For the kids, there is also a corner with games such as Giant Kindness Twister and Kindness Sticky Wall that they can play. Right at the entrance is also a giant dart board which players need to kick a velcro-ed soccer ball to the bullseye. Hitting the bullseye will let you walk away with a tower while all participants are given a very nice postcard. Everyone's a winner!

For those who love handicrafts, a total of five Singa collection boxes were placed there at the event to collect all the beautiful Origami Daisies. These iconic Singa boxes will be adopted by participating organisations and placed in various prominent locations after the carnival.

To mark the first weekend of Ramadan, a mass 'Iftar' session also known as 'Breaking of Fast' was held for the participants that includes the migrant workers, VIPs, representatives from NIE and GUMs.

Packets of Nasi Briyani were distributed to the public as well. I collected mine which I brought back for supper. As Singapore is a multi-racial society, it is important for us to have a mutual understanding between the various different cultures in our community. By going through the mass 'Iftar' session together, participants get to understand the significance of fasting and self-reflection better.

"Kindness Carnival promises to infuse kindness values into engaging activities, which I believe is a refreshing approach. I especially look forward to everyone coming together for the mass 'Iftar' session. It's a sign of our strength in diversity, how people from different beliefs can come together and accomplish something greater together." said Dr. William Wan, General Secretary of Singapore Kindness Movement. 

To emphasise that kindness is a collective effort, the public is invited to put their pedal to the metal by cycling for one minute to light up one of the 1,620 light bulbs on the main stage backdrop. It's nice to see how a small individual act creates something so beautiful collectively. As the sky begin to turn dark, Guest of Honour, Ms Grace Fu and Mr William Wan went up the stage to cycle the last leg to complete the whole spectacular backdrop.


This year, a new group - Voices of Loving Kindness (VoLks) is being introduced. "VOLK" in German means "people";  therefore individuals, representing people who resonate with kindness were being identified.

Photo Credit to Singapore Kindness Movement

During the Kindness Carnival, Guest of Honour, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu also did the induction of 10 GUMs (#Backalleybarbers, Be Kind SG, Cassia Resettlement Team, Cyclove, Dance For Kindness, Happy People Helping People, Portrait for Migrant Workers, Project CARE, You Can Reach The Sky, Volunteer Bike Patrol) and 4 VoLKs (Moses Lim, Alfred George, Farhan Fidaus, James Suresh) into the Kindred Spirit Circle -  a recognition of their efforts towards building a nation of kindness. These 10 self-initiated groups and 4 individuals have successfully promoted the message of kindness and graciousness to the society and aided in various social issues prevalent in communities, they all received the Kindred Spirit Circle (KSC) Certificates given out by Ms Grace Fu.

The event ends off with a performance by Synchroony - GUM Acapella Group. I always believe that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.


XOXO