Dear Friends, 5 years ago, we took stock of the contribution of volunteers within our organisation. We wanted a metric to monitor our progress in harnessing the inherent goodwill within our community to scale our work. Instead of meeting needs by proliferating professional helping services, we invited the involvement of volunteers into the lives of those we supported. This was in the spirit of our community development approach where a social issue was not just a problem to be eradicated but an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to cooperate toward a common good. So, for a start we looked …
Another Week Beyond – 1934
Dear Friends, “What is effective supervision and guidance?” A young colleague who was supporting the youth leaders of our outdoor adventure club realised that it is not just giving instructions and expecting those listening to simply follow. Having observed how much effort the leaders had been putting into organising an “Amazing Race,” she was concerned that they would be deeply discouraged if the event did not turn out as planned. So, she gathered them a day before and went through the programme flow meticulously. When she arrived at the starting point of the race the following day, she was upset …
Another Week Beyond – 1933
Dear Friends, A couple of weeks ago, we asked a group of mothers if the gifts we channelled into their neighbourhoods were important. We anticipated that they would say “Yes,” less we stop being a conduit for goodwill from the larger community. “Not always,” was their answer but they do find it comforting receiving presents for their children because they cannot afford to give them, and they want their children to be happy. Gifts are a tangible way of expressing care, concern and for strengthening a relationship. Over the past 3 years we have flowed in some $450k worth of …
Another Week Beyond – 1932
Dear Friends, To subtly introduce concepts such as colours, diversity, individuality and choice, the uniform at our Healthy Start Child Development Centre comes in a range of pastel colours. However, shorts come in navy blue for all and every T-shirt though different in colour is printed uniformly with the school’s motif. This feature evokes curiosity among parents and the children, and it has been a good conversation starter. Sometimes we ask the children why they think the uniform comes in different colours and sometimes we are asked the question ourselves. Our answer is usually not a precise explanation and we …
Another Week Beyond – 1931
Dear Friends, 6 years ago, to get young people into a meaningful discussion about teenage pregnancy, we cooperated with Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support to run a series of forum theatre performances. Together with the support of volunteers trained in drama, a colleague put together a play that got both adults and young people in a difficult but meaningful conversation. The following year, more volunteers with drama training created other plays to surface shared concerns within our neighbourhoods. On the third year, a young person from one of these neighbourhoods got involved with the programme and ended up being a lead …