Dear friends,Ā Happy New Year. I wish you much kindness and calm as your year unfolds before you. My colleagues and I spent yesterday morning recalling experiences at work that we are grateful for and articulating milestones we aim to reach for the year ahead. Importantly, it was an occasion to honour each other’s efforts because it is so easy for such a “stock-taking” exercise to turn into a performance appraisal where presentations become a show of strength. As community workers, we are a commitment to journeying with those on the margins toward a meaningful and fulfilling life. This journey …
After almost 20 years.. and 912 posts…
https://youtu.be/Xo0wyEtEyMs While the team at Beyond takes a break to rest and recharge for 2023, our donation channels remain open throughout.Ā As always, thank you for your continuous support. Wishing all much peace, love & joy this festive season, and a happy 2023 ahead.Ā Warmest wishes,Gerard Ee Donate now
Another Week Beyond – 2251
Dear friends, I was in a meeting when I received a text from someone familiar. A woman we’ve known for a while. Let’s call her Felicity and she asked if I was at the office. When I answered “yes,” she replied that she was on her way, and I should wait for her. Felicity is a mother of 3 adult children who were once in an after-school care programme we ran for children.Ā The children left the programme when they were institutionalised after it was discovered that they were being abused by Felicity’s partner. Back then, Felicity was in the midst …
Another Week Beyond – 2250
Dear friends, This past month, we have been enabling families to acknowledge the learning efforts that their children have made this year. Thanks to the generosity of GIC Pte Ltd, the young people, their caregivers and volunteers were given a budget to decide how they would like their Celebration of Learning to look like. Some decided to dedicate a regular session to celebrate how volunteers, students and parents cooperated and cared for each other during the year. These groups felt that a cosy event would serve to strengthen the relationships and connections that have enriched their lives. Tomorrow, there will be …
Kevin: A Portrait of Statelessness, Part 4
āI would say that my strength is endurance, because I endure in any kind of situation, this is what Iām doing. This is my strength, going to work tired and after that just going on, but I managed to do, even coming back to do cleaning and all. Sometimes I really envy my strength. I thank God for giving me the strength, every single day. Without strength, you really canāt do anything, especially the mentality, wah. It can be mentally challenging what I have to go through, but I always put good words on myself, I know that out there, …
Kevin: A Portrait of Statelessness, Part 3
Just a few months into lockdown, not long after Kevinās second child was born, he received news that Nenek was unwell. āOne day before she already knew she was going. And surprisingly I also felt like going to my grandmaās house to stay over for one day. On the day I wanted to stay, she got more sick and we had to call an ambulance so I didnāt get to stay with her since. She started complaining of feeling cold then when I covered her with the blanket, she took it off as she was feeling hot. I felt confused, …
Kevin: A Portrait of Statelessness, Part 2
āSo I started my first job as a baristaā¦started working while waiting for National Service. One by one my friends were called up. I was like ok, just wait lah. I was then discharged from the welfare home, so I continued working, which is also how I met my wife. I was waiting to be called up for NS, but I never got that call. Looking back I should have called NS to find out why I didnāt get called up. That was my mistake that I didnāt call them up,ā Kevin disclosed. āI really didnāt understand why, cosā you …
Kevin: A Portrait of Statelessness, Part 1
Born and raised in Singapore, Kevin, 27, always felt a strong sense of belonging to this country. “To me, Singapore is really my home, Iāve lived here all my life, I feel proud like a Singaporeanā. It was only natural for him to feel that way, after all, Kevin grew up in the heartlands and like many other Singaporeans, sang the National anthem āMajulah Singapuraā in school. But despite having spent every minute of his entire life in Singapore, Kevin is stateless. Growing up for him was not easy, as both his parents were in and out of prison, from …
Another Week Beyond – 2249
Dear friends, 4 youths were waiting for another to show before starting a meeting to discuss the notion of financial independence. It wasĀ a regular check-inĀ where young people who have progressed in their studies mentor those attempting to qualify for tertiary education. However, the meeting started with disturbing information as the person everyone was waiting for, stormed into the room exclaiming that he was feeling very hurt and angry. “I have just returned from my mother’s workplace and her supervisor was not at all understanding or helpful!” He explained that his mother was crying when she called him from work complaining …
Another Week Beyond – 2248
Dear friends, The youth were surprised when a mother revealed that when she was violated as a child, the adults she confided in did not believe her. It was an experience the other three mothers present resonated with and they added that such was their reality when they were young. After a brief pause, one of the youth responded, “I am feeling rather sad because the trauma you experienced as a child has remained with you all these years.” These mothers and youth are neighbours who are working together to keep their neighbourhood safe from sexual and domestic/dating violence (AWB …