Students to adopt public premises in central district for a cleaner, more hygienic environment

Our pioner batch of YEG with our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng at the Central Singapore District Public Health Carnival







This is a press release on the YEGs. It shows the origin or the beginning of YEG


JOINT NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY & CENTRAL SINGAPORE CDC NEWS RELEASE

DATE OF ISSUE: 19 November 2006

The National Environment Agency and Central Singapore CDC launched a new programme today to groom and cultivate groups of young people who would develop and participate in initiatives towards a cleaner and healthier environment in the Central Singapore District.

2 The new volunteer engagement programme aptly named Youth Environmental Guardians (YEGs) will for a start recruit some 150 students from secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the district. The students will engage in activities such as creating environment blogs and public health roadshows.

3 A key activity in the new year will be the “Adopt-a-Neighbourhood” initiative. Under it, YEGs are expected to take on projects to improve the public health standards of the estate they choose to adopt. This will be done in partnership with stakeholders such as the Town Councils, NEA and grassroots organisations. Taking centre stage in this particular activity to begin with, are public health issues such as cleanliness of premises and mosquito breeding.

4 Twenty students from Mayflower Secondary School, Whitley Secondary School and Pierce Secondary School will form the pioneer batch of YEGs. The organisers hope young volunteers will gain a better appreciation of the public health challenges faced by their community through the programme. The initiative will also provide additional opportunities for the youth of Central Singapore District to contribute towards raising the public health standards in their community.

5 This new programme continues the Central Singapore District’s commitment to high public health standards. This year it has won the Singapore’s OK (SOK) Best Community award for having the commitment to push out the most number of SOK/Public Health programmes and activities, recruit volunteers to support these initiatives and engage the community to get their active participation. (Please see annex for more details on why the district won the award).

6 The district has identified five public health goals for itself:

Create a Litter-Free Central Singapore District
Spread No Germs, Be Hygienic
Clean Up, Be Free of Pests
Do it Yourself, Do Away With Dengue
Care for Our Environment, Own it


To promote awareness of the goals, a Central Singapore District Public Health Carnival will be held today at Bishan Park II. The event is co-organised by the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC GROs, National Environment Agency and Central Singapore CDC. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng, is the Guest-of-Honour. More than 4000 visitors are expected to turn up at the carnival organised in conjunction with this year’s Clean and Green Week.