LIKE many 11-year-olds, Marissa Daisy de Cruz loves music and singing.

But unlike most girls her age, she sings about child labour and poverty.

The primary five pupil from CHIJ Kellock Primary School composed an award-winning song about the hardships faced by other children.

She sang her song, 'Spare some time', when she attended the Open Little Eyes (OLE) Symposium, which was held every Saturday last month.

It was organised by the United Nations Students Association of the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS), for pupils from various primary schools.

Marissa was then invited to the opening ceremony of the SCGS Model United Nations Conference yesterday.

During the three-day event, organised with the United Nations Association of Singapore, students simulate a UN conference and discuss global issues.

Moving lyrics

Marissa sang to the audience, comprising both local and international students:

'Don't think of the things you don't have, but count the things you have.

'Over there and other parts of the world, people don't own the tiniest share.

'Child labour and lack of welfare, nothing could be fair.

'Spare some time for those who are less.

'Slaving away each and every day, there has to be a way.'

Her lyrics moved the audience.

Said Yeo Tze Hern, 16, a student participant from Temasek Junior College: 'It was a very meaningful song that made me pause to think.'

More than 170 students from 15 secondary schools, including some from Malaysia and Hong Kong, attended. The students were aged 13 to 17.

Student organisers Jesslyn Chee, Cheryl Fang, Nicole Clarabelle Effendy and Tricia Teo, all 16, said the event aimed to heighten awareness of current issues.

They belong to the UN Students Association that was established in SCGS in October 2007.

Said Nicole: 'What we want to do is to start with their minds first in raising awareness of these very real issues. Hopefully their hearts will catch on to what others are going through, and they might start doing something to make even a little difference.'

Marissa is one example. Before last month, she didn't read newspapers and couldn't be bothered about what went on in the world.

But OLE changed all that. She said: 'I was appalled at what other children my age are going through.'

It is not all talk and no action for the SCGS students.

Besides their efforts at raising awareness, they have also been actively involved in raising funds to support the humanitarian efforts of several UN agencies, such as Unicef and Unifem.

Tying up with the UN Association of Singapore, they helped the UN's crisis relief efforts in various places.

They raised about $2,600 in cash and a substantial amount of food supplies for the victims of Cyclone Nargis last year, under their Hearts for Myanmar project.

They have also raised more than $55,000 for the UN's relief work in Darfur.

Said Mr Alexander Charles Louis, vice-president of the UN Association of Singapore: 'It's good to see these young people coming to understand these important issues at such a young age, and getting involved to make the lives of others better.'

Bernice Huang, newsroom intern

About Model United Nations

IN Model United Nations, students simulate actual UN conferences and play the role of diplomats. They are divided into teams of up to two students, each representing a particular country and its position with regards to a global issue.

In a formal conference set-up, participants investigate international issues, debate, deliberate and consult, before arriving at a consensus on a set of solutions to world problems.

This article was first published in The New Paper.