Giving Voice to Change
By Communications Team
21 January 2026
Grade 8 student from East Campus, Sia, lends her voice to the global COPE audiobook series.
When Grade 8 student Sia first encountered the COPE Disaster Champions project back in Grade 5, she never imagined it would one day lead her to become the voice of a character heard around the world. It was her growing commitment to sustainability—nurtured through the Service Executive committee with guidance from East Campus leaders Tom Rous, Head of Primary School Service and Sustainable Development, and Primary School Principal Pauline Markey—that carried her the rest of the way. Bake sales, marine-focused service, climate initiatives: all these small steps formed the path that eventually led her to help bring the COPE books to life.
The COPE Disaster Champions books—created by Martha Keswick, illustrated by Mariko Jesse, and edited by Dr Timothy Sim—are a series of engaging stories that help children understand natural disasters and learn how to cope with them. Each book follows four young characters—Candy, Ollie, Ping, and Eddy – the COPE Squad—as they travel to different countries, discover local cultures, and support communities facing earthquakes, floods, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and more.
Produced by a non-profit organisation, the books and accompanying audiobooks are shared freely with schools and refugee centres around the world, offering messages of resilience, hope, and practical guidance.
Sia was selected to voice Ping, the COPE Squad’s creative networker and spokesperson. “She matched me as a person,” Sia explained. “They told us to choose a character we felt connected to—culturally and personality-wise.” Although she felt nervous at first, recording all of her lines in one session helped her grow into the character. “I had to improvise sometimes because I hadn’t memorised everything, but I think I improved throughout the series.” The project also broadened her understanding of natural disasters. “I didn’t realise how many types there were, or that countries like New Zealand even experienced them.”
Sia’s favourite part was learning how each country greets visitors. “Ping usually introduces the place, and I loved saying hello in different languages.” If Ping and the COPE Squad were to set off on another adventure, Sia knows exactly where she’d want to go next: places impacted by conflict or crises, to help children facing the world’s toughest challenges.
Recently, Sia was gifted a full set of COPE books by the creators and chose to donate them to the Junior School library. “I could have kept them as a trophy,” she said, “but they’re more useful when other students can read them.” Her choice reminds us that impact comes in many forms—sometimes through actions as simple as sharing a story.
