An NUS inter-healthcare assistance and medical aid
DAMAI is an acronym for “Delivering Assistance and Medical Aid Internationally”. Project DAMAI is an inter-healthcare project comprising twenty five NUS Nursing, Medicine and Pharmacy undergraduate students. Embodying its name, DAMAI also resonates with peace in Malay, symbolising our overarching mission to bring healing and tranquillity to communities in need.
Our goal is to create a powerful force for positive change by pooling the expertise of different healthcare students. We aim to improve the healthcare needs of communities where healthcare services and facilities are inadequate. As a long-standing project of over 11 years, our annual outreach efforts include health screenings and health education classes for Cambodian villagers, as well as refurbishment of village facilities requiring maintenance.
Our Project DAMAI students before heading off to Cambodia to commence the OCIP.
Taking manual blood pressure reading during a health screening session for the villagers.
In July 2025, through the Youth Expedition Project (YEP), we will be heading to Phnom Penh, Baray and Siem Reap in Cambodia. We would be working with non-governmental organisations like Temple Garden Foundation to conduct healthcare projects with beneficiaries like kindergartens, primary schools and villages.
Besides the health-related initiatives, we will also be conducting an exchange with healthcare students from University of Puthisastra as well as visiting Baray Santuk Referral Hospital to learn more about the healthcare system and culture in Cambodia. We will be visiting New Leaf Eatery and Singapore Medical Concierge, to learn about sustainable social enterprises that support education in Siem Reap and about how a Singaporean owned organisation based in Cambodia can provide Cambodians with medical aid respectively.
Healthcare students from the Health Education committee engaging children in a Cambodian primary school.
In AY24/25, Project DAMAI is sponsored by BEAM Space, where we store our donated items and medical equipment at BEAM Space in preparation for our overseas CIP trip. We thank BEAM Space for their generosity!
Interested to be part of Project DAMAI AY25/26 or want to donate to our cause? Follow us for more details!
As a member of Project DAMAI in my first year and later as Project Director in my second year, I gained invaluable experience in overseas community involvement. Immersing myself in Cambodian communities allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of their lives and challenges. Learning about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia’s history gave me insight into the nation’s ongoing rebuilding efforts and the struggles its people continue to face.
With this understanding, I was better equipped to serve the community, identifying key gaps in healthcare and providing sustainable medical knowledge, such as preventive health education. Applying both my theoretical and practical nursing skills, I aimed to empower the villagers with knowledge that could improve their well-being in the long run.
The warmth and hospitality of the Cambodians made me feel truly welcomed, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve them. The friendships and memories I made there will always hold a special place in my heart.