In 2020, Elizabeth was 6 years old. It was the early stage of the COVID pandemic, just weeks before Singapore’s Circuit Breaker. Our family understood the seriousness of the situation because her father was a frontline healthcare worker.

Elizabeth noticed how worn out her dad felt after each shift. She also overheard conversations about hospitals and clinics coping with long hours and overtime. Even as a young child, she could sense the weight healthcare workers were carrying.

At that time, Elizabeth loved crafting and wanted to do something to appreciate and encourage healthcare workers.

The idea: a collage of origami hearts

Elizabeth decided to fold paper hearts and compile them into a collage, as a simple way to say: “Thank you!” Soon after, she asked if she could invite her friends to join. She felt that more hearts would make the message stronger.

To make it easy for others to participate, Elizabeth also recorded a short instructional video to demonstrate how to fold an origami heart, so friends and schoolmates could follow along.

Inviting friends near and far

With our help, we created a poster and sent it to friends. Some of Elizabeth’s friends lived overseas, but they still wanted to be part of the project. They mailed their origami hearts to Elizabeth so she could include them in the collage.

When the hearts arrived, Elizabeth was deeply encouraged. It became a meaningful lesson that kindness can travel across distances, and that children can contribute to something larger than themselves.

Growing the project with her preschool

Elizabeth also shared the idea with her preschool teachers. The school supported the initiative, and children from different levels joined in to create more heart collages. What started as one child’s craft idea became a collective act of appreciation.

Delivering the collages

Eventually, we presented the collages to hospitals and polyclinics. The hope was simple: to help healthcare workers feel appreciated, encouraged, and not alone during a difficult period.

What this experience taught her

• A small idea can grow when you invite others
• Encouragement matters, especially during hard times
• Kindness can cross countries and still feel personal
• Children can play a meaningful role in supporting the community

How might we…

How might we help more kids turn simple craft ideas into meaningful support for people who serve the community every day?