On 19 May, HUG Community had the privilege of returning to Hwa Chong Institution’s Well-being Centre (WBC) for the second session of Project Pawsitive under HUG Healers Programme.
Project Pawsitive, a student-led initiative by Hwa Chong students, seeks to explore how animal-assisted therapy can support the mental wellbeing of their peers. What made this second session especially meaningful was seeing the growth, not just in the programme itself, but also in the students behind it.
Compared to the first session, we saw the team engaging with their schoolmates with greater confidence and ease, creating warmer conversations and more meaningful interactions. It was encouraging to see them becoming more comfortable in their roles and beginning to understand that creating safe spaces often starts with simple moments of connection.
Beyond the sessions in school, the Project Pawsitive team has also been spending time with us at HUG’s Mai Gong Bo Jio Saturday Coffee Corner. Through these interactions with seniors, volunteers and members of the wider community, we have seen them gradually become more assured, empathetic and attentive to the people around them.
We are proud to support students who are not only seeking to care for the wellbeing of their peers, but are also taking time to learn what it means to show up for others.
Thank you to Hwa Chong Institution’s Well-being Centre and the Project Pawsitive team for having us. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of this journey together.
