GB Fortnight 2021: Your gift to future generations

GB Fortnight 2021: Your gift to future generations

Posted on 26 Aug 2021

GB Fortnight is the Girls’ Brigade annual donation drive that supports its effort to help every Girl fulfil her fullest potential. Do consider supporting the 45th GB Company with your financial gifts.

The 45th Girls’s Brigade Company

The Girls’ Brigade is a uniformed youth organisation and an Institution of Public Character, recognised by MOE as a Co-Curricular Activity in Singapore schools. The programme aims to help girls grow in servant leadership by discovering themselves, developing skills and grow to their fullest potential and live lives to the fullest by serving the community.

Since 1998, the 45th Girls’ Brigade (GB) company in Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) has been sponsored by KKMC. From a small group of 10 girls in the initial years, the company has grown to be 80-strong this year.

About the GB curriculum and programmes

The GB curriculum aims to develop girls holistically through its 4-fold programme based on Luke 2:52 (And Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and with man). Girls grow in character and life lessons through devotions and learn musical instruments like the guitar and keyboard to lead “Singspiration” each week.

Camp activities such as dragon boating, hikes and foot drills not only build them up physically but also bonds them and gives them a sense of camadarie. Girls are also equipped with new skills through badgework session where they learn sign language, coding and many other skills such as first aid and kappa (Isreali art of self-defence) to grow them and equip them to better serve the community.

At the heart of the GB programme is service and servant leadership. Yearly, the GB Friendship Day organised by GB Singapore reaches out to 3000 LENS (Lonely, Elderly, Needy and Special needs persons). The 45th Company also collaborates with Kampong Kapor Community Services to give tuition to underprivileged children as well as with organisations like Migrant x Me to better understand and advocate for the causes and difficulties that migrant workers here face.

During Chinese New Year this year, 45th Company girls packed Chinese New Year hampers for the needy families of the KKCS kids whom they tutored. Our girls also took part in a GBHQ organised campaign “Better MInds, Better Tomorrows” in which they reached out to other youths to in the area of Youth Mental Health, an issue of concern that has arisen in our schools today.

Last but not least, KKMC helped start the Shirim Bagpipe Band in 45th GB in 2002. Shirim means Song of Songs in Hebrew and to date the 45th Pipeband remains the only all girls pipeband in Singapore today! Girls are blessed to be able to pick up skills like drumming and playing the bagpipe and in turn bless others by bringing bagpipe music in hymns and carols to us all at KKMC enrolment services, Christmas events in KKMC neighbourhoods as well as GB national events.

A life that keeps on giving

This year, the theme of GB Fortnight is “Every girl impacted in GB is a life that keeps on giving to future generations”.

“Our heartfelt thanks to KKMC members for their generous donations to 45th GB at RGS all these years. Your gifts have enabled the girls to participate in many activities and grow physically, spiritually and in service to the community. May I appeal to everyone to continue to render us your financial support and prayers once again, so that we can continue with God’s Business (GB) in reaching out to girls. Your donations, no matter how small, will definitely go a long way towards this mission,” said Mrs Lee Hwee Ling, captain of the 45th Company.

Girls’ Brigade HQ conducts this fund raising exercise only once a year, and hopes to raise $800,000 this year to fund HQ operations, staffing needs and national programmes. Due to the pandemic, other than the regular donation cards, there are also online platforms of giving.

Please prayerfully consider making a donation. To donate, please visit https://givenow.gb.org.sg/ . In your donation, select the 45th Company which comes under the ministry and sponsorship of KKMC. 60% of the donation will go to the 45th GB whilst 40% will fund HQ operations and national programmes. Donations are eligible for tax deduction receipts for up to 2.5x the amount donated.