Keity Weng Ruo Han, 17

School: Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)

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

Award: Senior Category, 2025

Curious about what it’s like to have organ failure? For over 9,000 Singaporeans who are undergoing dialysis, this is their everyday experience. According to the Ministry of Health’s National Population Health Survey, kidney failure is becoming more common, yet knowledge and awareness about organ donation are alarmingly low. The majority of Singaporeans still hold misconceptions or negative attitudes toward donating their organs because of cultural beliefs, ignorance, or sheer fear. To this end, one of the most effective ways of communicating with the public is through roadshows in heartland constituencies — a grassroots initiative that brings the message directly to the masses in an interactive, emotive, and educational manner. 

Heartland roadshows offer several advantages in communicating with the public. These are typically held in handy, high-footfall locations such as shopping malls, town centers, or community centers, where people of different ages and backgrounds naturally gather. In this way, the organ donation message can reach a wide and diverse cross-section of the population, for example, students, working adults, retirees, and parents. For example, a roadshow held at a busy local mall can attract the attention of teenagers returning from school, working professionals on their lunch break, and senior citizens doing the day’s shopping. It is this mix in foot traffic that makes roadshows a medium that can target a few generations at one stroke — potential donors, today’s decision-makers, and even those who themselves might become recipients of transplants someday. 

Roadshows are not just visual presentations. They are interactive and emotional. One of the most powerful is bringing real stories — either live or through video — by healthcare professionals, donor families, or organ recipients themselves, to the public. These stories consistently bring tears, prompt reflection, and break down emotional barriers. A mother, for instance, who relates the story of how a heart transplant saved her son’s life, can become emotionally powerful to a group of listeners. These stories give a face to the issue, making it more than mere cold medical concept. They cause the audience to see the life-altering power of organ donation — not just for recipients, but also for the donor families who made the brave decision to give. 

Storytelling is also a powerful mode of communication, especially in health education. Personal testimonies on roadshows elicit empathy and openness, especially among participants who are closed-off or fearful of organ donation. Hearing from someone who directly benefited from a transplant — or, on the other hand, a donor family who healed through giving — is more effective in transforming attitudes than presenting data. 

Besides emotive storytelling, roadshows are also a chance for myth-busting and disseminating facts. Organ donation is still an area where there are cultural myths, religious concerns, and superstitions. Some people believe that doctors will not try to save their lives if they are on the donor registry or that their bodies will be treated with disrespect after they have died. Roadshows often feature medical experts or trained volunteers talking about the science and ethics of organ donation, clearing doubts, and alleviating fears in an open and respectful environment. By clearing doubts and myths, roadshows build trust in the organ donation system. 

Roadshows also tackle different target segments with tailored messaging. Younger groups may be targeted through interactive games, electronic sign-ups, or social media challenges. Older respondents may be more responsive to face-to-face forums, printed brochures, or presentations in their familiar language. Roadshows can more effectively convey their messages by dividing the audience and crafting messages that appeal to their values and styles of communication. For example, the young can be encouraged to take a pledge of support and post on social media, and the middle-aged can be guided on how to discuss their wishes to donate with their families. 

Despite these merits, critics argue that roadshows might not be able to change long-standing, deeply rooted attitudes. Attitudes towards death and the body are also likely to be shaped by cultural values and family tradition, and a single roadshow is unlikely to reverse years of resistance or fear. In some cases, people will drop in briefly, listen politely, and leave unrevised. That does not, however, render the effort useless. Roadshows are also not a one-shot affair, but part of a longer-term strategy. They are beginnings — planting the seeds of information that will hopefully grow into informed decisions. Change, especially pertaining to sensitive issues like organ donation, is often slow and involves repeated exposure. 

Time is also a limiting factor. With most Singaporeans having busy schedules, organ donation is not a consideration for many unless they can relate to it personally. This is where roadshows play a unique role — they create a “break” in an otherwise busy day. Even moments at a booth, a video, or a reading testimonial can leave a lasting impression. For some, that single exposure will be all it takes to have them enroll to be a donor or spread the cause to their friends and family. 

Roadshows alone will not solve the shortage of organ donors in Singapore, as it is only one component of the solution. Combined with education in schools, media campaigns, and public discussion, roadshows spread the message and causes it to stay out in the open. It is a grassroots movement, coming to where people are and actively involving them in the conversation. 

Furthermore, heartland roadshows illustrate Singapore’s social values of care, community, and collective responsibility. By taking these events into the everyday spaces of our neighbourhoods, organ donation is rendered not just a distant medical issue, but a personal and communal one. It challenges individuals to consider what they can offer others even in death. It challenges compassion and the feeling that we are all collectively responsible for trying to save lives. 

In conclusion, heartland roadshows are a powerful and effective means of promoting organ donation awareness in Singapore. Through emotive storytelling, myth-busting education, and tailored outreach approaches, they break down barriers of fear, ignorance, and hesitation. Roadshows are not silver bullet, but are an essential catalyst for change across the country. With continued efforts and support, these kinds of events can go a long way in helping to make a positive difference towards a more tolerant, educated, and open society in which organ donation is more valued, appreciated, and accepted.

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