Ryden Ng Zi Hua, 16

School: Punggol Secondary School

Topic: Roadshows are the most effective way to engage, educate and encourage all age groups on organ donation

Award: Distinction, Senior Category, 2025

Every day, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant. Roadshows in the heartlands are a good way to promote organ donation awareness though they do come with disadvantages such as limitation of locations. On one hand, roadshows are accessible to people of all ages and provide interactive, face-to-face engagement. On the other hand, their temporary nature and limited reach means that its effects are not always long lasting or able to reach many. 

Firstly, roadshows in the heartlands are held in areas where people live and gather like shopping centres, hawker centres, and community clubs. By holding these events in crowded, familiar locations, organisers are able to engage the public in a comfortable setting, making it easier to have conversations and encourage participation. These locations are often visited by residents of all ages, from students and working adults to the elderly. For instance, Nex Mall in Serangoon sees an average of over 3 million visitors monthly, and community clubs like Tampines Hub host events that attract families, seniors, and youth alike. This makes roadshows effective for reaching residents of all age groups, even those who might not usually go out of their way to learn about organ donation. Some audiences such as the elderly with neurological diseases or youths, while not able to pledge for organ donation on their own, are still able to spread awareness to their friends and family, educating them about organ donation. Thus, roadshows in the heartlands are effective because they occur in spaces where people of all ages naturally interact and feel at ease. 

Secondly, roadshows in the heartlands offer a personal, face-to-face approach, which is more impactful than online posts. Trained volunteers and healthcare professionals at booths can answer questions and address risk or health concerns. This helps build trust and encourages open conversation, especially among older residents who may be less familiar with online platforms, which prevents them from learning about organ donation via social media. Past transplant recipients and organ donors may also share their experience on how organ donation has changed their lives for the better. This allows audiences to better sympathise with people in need of an organ transplant as they can physically interact with one who is or has been in need of an organ. The memorable nature of heartland roadshows increases the likelihood that audiences will share information about organ donation with others. Hence, the personal and emotionally engaging nature of roadshows in the heartlands makes them a good way to educate and encourage residents about organ donation. 

Despite its numerous advantages, there are also flaws to roadshows in the heartlands. One limitation of roadshows in the heartlands is that their impact is often temporary. These events are usually held for just a day and once the booths are taken down, there is often little to no continued engagement with the residents who visited. While roadshows may spark curiosity in organ donation, this interest may quickly fade without sustained efforts. In a busy and stressful society like Singapore’s where people are either focused on their work or studies, people may forget the message or become distracted by other concerns soon after the event ends. Therefore, although roadshows can make a strong first impression, their effectiveness in raising awareness about organ donation and creating lasting change is limited as events are easily forgettable. 

Additionally, social media could possibly be a more effective alternative to roadshows in reaching and educating residents of all ages about organ donation. Unlike roadshows, which are limited by time and location, social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok allow information to be shared widely with a single post. For example, many health agencies wanting to promote organ donation often make use of social media platforms to share videos and real-life stories, all of which can quickly capture attention and reach thousands of people within just a few minutes. This allows people to access information at their own pace, revisit it anytime, and share it with their own friends and family. It is especially effective for engaging younger audiences who spend a significant amount of time on social media. Using social media to educate residents about organ donation requires little to no manpower. This makes it far more sustainable than setting up booths for roadshows in the heartlands. Although the older generation is becoming increasingly active online, there are still some elderly that do not use social media. Promoting organ donation on social media also lacks human touch, causing people to be less likely to care about organ donation as they are unable to see first-hand the effects of organ donation. Therefore, although social media has a broader reach and can serve as a more sustainable and impactful platform for raising awareness about organ donation across all age groups, it lacks real-life interaction and may not be able to target audiences of all age groups. 

After careful consideration, while roadshows in the heartlands are effective in raising awareness about organ donation through personal interaction, they are limited by their short duration and location. On the other hand, while social media offers a more sustainable and far-reaching platform for education, it often lacks the emotional connection and human touch needed to deeply engage older adults and those who are less tech-savvy. In contrast, roadshows encourage face-to-face interaction and immediate dialogue, making them particularly effective in reaching and resonating with a wider age range including the elderly and young children who may not be as active online. Despite the pros and cons of both roadshows in the heartlands and social media, roadshows in the heartlands do a better job in building trust and encouraging meaningful conversations. One is unlikely to want to participate in organ donation by just staring at a screen without human interaction, but hearing the struggles of past transplant recipients may help residents sympathise and be more willing to step forward. Therefore, I strongly believe that roadshows are a better way to educate and encourage residents from all age groups on organ donation as they have the power to influence hearts and minds in ways digital platforms are not able to.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2025 are those of the participants and are not endorsed by the National Organ Transplant Unit (Ministry of Health).

To learn more about organ donation and organ transplantation in Singapore, please visit www.liveon.gov.sg