Fergus Lim Xuan Ye, 16

School: Fuhua Secondary School

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

Award: Special Mention, Senior Category, 2025

In a fast-paced, and modern urban society such as Singapore, organ donation has become a significant part of one of the government’s most prioritised concerns. Despite numerous campaigns and government efforts to raise awareness, many Singaporeans can still be hesitant to truly commit to organ donation. Cultural beliefs, religious concerns, and misinformation often find themselves impeding the advancement of Singapore’s organ donation campaigns and progress. However, in this context, roadshows in the heartlands emerge as one of the most effective methods to engage, educate, and encourage Singapore’s residents of all ages. This can span from perhaps the younger generation to those in their golden years, through ways such as their unique accessibility, increased interaction and emotional presence, and their cultural and national relevance. By using the many advantages of roadshows to act as the key to the lock on traditional Singaporean mentality and possible stigma against organ donation, these roadshows can be used to create trust, provide unbiased and precise information and promote meaningful dialogue to those who may still be unclear. 

Firstly, the reason why heartland roadshows are so effective lies in their accessibility and ability to reach wider audiences. Unlike obscure online campaigns and other similar campaigns, which will only ever reach those who are actively interested or seeking more information on organ donation and its process, roadshows in the heartland reach people in their everyday environments. Singapore’s top 3 most populated heartlands based on statistical reports made in June of 2024, are Tampines, Bedok and last but not least, Jurong West. These densely populated residential zones are filled with large HDB flats, town centres, and countless MRT stations. These are places where elderly residents shop for groceries, youths hang out with friends, families run their daily errands and the place where many neighbours even know each other personally because of how long they have stayed together. By organising roadshows in these densely populated and familiar areas, the message of organ donation is introduced naturally into daily life, ensuring that it reaches people of all ages, education levels, and cultural backgrounds without bothering and inconveniencing the daily lives of local residents. In particular, roadshows offer a rare opportunity to engage the elderly, who may not be digitally educated and may be less tech savvy and are less as likely to be influenced by social media or online advertisements compared to their younger counterparts. These face-to-face events allow for personal conversations, and unlike a digital campaign, where there may not be much of a physical effort involved to engage with the audience or provide further information, roadshow organisers and residents can engage at a much more personal and deeper level which will allow residents to relate better to the cause of organ donation and ultimately, lead them to support organ donation. 

Secondly, unlike one-way communication methods such as posters or television advertisements, roadshows are interactive and more personal. They provide a platform for two-way conversations between the public and professionals, including healthcare workers, transplant recipients, and volunteers. This engagement builds trust and humanises the issue. For example, a resident might have heard a myth that organ donation is against their religion. At a roadshow, they could speak directly with a volunteer trained in culturally sensitive communication or even with a religious leader supporting organ donation which will significantly improve their view towards organ donation. This personalised interaction not only dispels misinformation but also reassures individuals that their beliefs and values are respected. Furthermore, hearing real-life stories from organ recipients and donor families can leave a lasting emotional impact. These testimonials help bridge the emotional gap between the abstract idea of donating organs and the concrete lives saved by those donations. Seeing the face of someone who is alive today because of a kidney donation makes the issue relatable and powerful, far more so than statistics or slogans can achieve. 

Thirdly, Singapore is a multicultural society comprising different ethnicities, languages, and belief systems. Any successful campaign must therefore be culturally sensitive and locally relevant. Roadshows offer the flexibility to adapt their message and content depending on the location and the diverse communities in the area. For instance, a roadshow in a predominantly Malay neighbourhood may emphasize Islamic perspectives and reservations on organ donation and feature prominent figures from the Malay-Muslim community which will allow them to relate better to the cause, while one in a Chinese-majority area might focus on more traditional beliefs relating to Buddhism, Taoism and in some cases even Christianity due to recent growth in the Chinese Christian community. Materials can be printed in different languages to ensure none of the different races, the Chinese, the Malays, Indians and even the Eurasians are excluded due to language barriers. Roadshow volunteers are often locals or community leaders, further increasing credibility and the likelihood that residents will stop, listen, and participate and see what they have to say. However, roadshows have a hidden disadvantage that many may not see. It lacks appeal to the younger generation. Unlike the older generations or perhaps even working adults who may at least stop to hear what is being advocated at roadshows, the younger generation are notorious for having much shorter attention spans and being glued to their electronic devices which can pose as a significant problem when reaching out to those among the young adults, teenagers and perhaps even children. Nevertheless, there can be methods integrated in roadshows which can be used to appeal to the younger generation such as approaching popular social media influencers to talk about organ donation which will be sure to catch the attention of the younger generation. 

In conclusion, roadshows in the heartlands of Singapore are one of the most effective and powerful tools in the government’s ongoing efforts to promote organ donation. They bring education to the community in a uniquely accessible and culturally sensitive way that no digital campaign or advertisement can match. By creating trust, enabling dialogue and physical interactions, and encouraging action across all age groups and people of all walks of life, roadshows ensure that no resident is left out of the conversation. In a matter as vital and life-giving as organ donation, it is not just about spreading information, it is about connecting hearts.

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