2607 – Refreshing Our Purpose

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Story Contributed by Shariffah, Community Worker In January, we gathered again in a familiar circle. Since then, three Capability Building sessions have brought together 26 Neighbourhood Leaders and Community Volunteers from three neighbourhoods. It was not a workshop in the traditional sense. It was a space to pause, reflect and ask ourselves what kind of community we are shaping together. The most recent session, Refreshing Our Purpose, did exactly that. It slowed the momentum of activity and returned us to the questions underneath the work: What are we building? For whom? And how do we know it is truly shared? …

2528 – Every Last Wednesday

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Story Contributed by Nadira, Community Worker I’m still new here. Some days it feels like I’m learning a new language – the rhythm of the neighbourhood, the way neighbours call out to each other from corridor to corridor, the moments when you realise someone has been carrying more than you knew. The birthday parties at Ang Mo Kio started as a simple suggestion during a small meeting. I remember sitting there, still figuring out my place, when Delia* said, “Why not celebrate together?” Instead of separate celebrations, there could be one gathering each month where everyone contributes in their own …

2527 – Two Heavy Bags

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Story Contributed by Colin, Intern It was mid-afternoon in Ghim Moh, and our team was halfway through distributing food rations to residents. Most came prepared with trolleys or had children helping them. That’s when Lisa* caught my eye. She walked toward us alone, empty-handed. She chatted with my teammates who were collecting details for a community survey. With no trolley and two heavy bags of rations to carry – including a 5kg sack of rice and a litre of oil – I offered to help bring them up to her flat. She smiled with relief. “Thank you, young man. That’s …

2525 – Three Humans, Figuring It Out

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Arts, Community, Community Theatre, Community Theatre

Written by Rachel, Beyond Editorial Team It was 20 minutes to show time. The crowd was settling in – a restless sea of chatter and expectation. The mic crackled sharply. You could feel the energy thrumming through the hall. For 10 months, youths and volunteers from The Community Theatre (TCT) had poured themselves into this moment. They’d gathered week after week to conceptualize a performance around a message close to their hearts – the confusing, and often, overwhelming experience of growing up. Then, right before the show, I heard that Jamie*, one of our volunteers, had stepped outside. The noise, …

2523 – A Little Braver Together

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, Community

Written by Nina, Beyond Editorial Team On 28 June, a small group of volunteers, neighbours, and new friends gathered in Jalan Bukit Merah for a Learning Journey. It wasn’t meant to be a tour. It was an invitation to see the neighbourhood through the eyes of those who live there, to walk alongside those who call this place home, and to witness how community grows when people build it for themselves. Ali* was among the community guides leading my group that day. Sixteen and soft-spoken, he mostly kept close to Madam Sita*, an older neighbour who had known him since …

2522 – The Chair at the Front

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, Community, Community Theatre, Community Theatre

Written by Jie Min, Community Worker Nenek* is a familiar and beloved presence at our office whenever The Community Theatre holds its weekly rehearsals. She’s there not for the theatre, but for her granddaughter, Sam** – one of the main actors in this year’s production. While the other youth bustle about in preparation, Nenek waits quietly in her chair, eyes on her phone, taking a brief moment to rest before the journey home. She never watches the rehearsals. Never intrudes. But her presence anchors the space. And over time, she’s become Nenek to everyone. A few hours before the big …

2520 – Finding Home, Finding Community

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, Community

Written by Amelia, Community Member In 2016, my family took a leap of faith. We left behind the familiar and stepped into the unknown, hoping to build a better future in Singapore. As a transnational family, with my mother and me being the foreigners in our household, we have faced and continue to face numerous challenges. At first, we felt lost. We weren’t familiar with the many schemes and programmes available to Singaporeans, let alone the welcoming spaces within the community that could have helped us settle in. One of the first hurdles was making our house feel like a …

2515 – The Hand That Folded, The Heart That Shared

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Story contributed by Myna, Community Worker Ayu* is a single mother working toward the day when all three of her children can live under the same roof again. Due to financial strain, two of them are currently in the care of her aunt while Ayu focuses on rebuilding her stability. Recently, she left a job where she had endured months of bullying. The emotional and financial toll was heavy, but she was grateful to walk away from a place that had worn down her confidence. Since then, she’s been searching for work with one simple hope: a kind environment. But …

2511 – More Than A Meal

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, Community

Story Contributed by Hani and Siti, Community Workers “This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful – in a word, more alive.” – Alice Waters During Ramadan in March, a group of mothers in Ghim Moh began planning their annual iftar gathering. This year, they wanted it to mean something more than simply inviting neighbours to break fast together. They wanted to open their doors wider and welcome not only familiar faces but new ones as well – families they hadn’t yet met, residents of all ages, races, and religions. …

2509 – If Community Isn’t Found, Can It Be Built?

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

As shared by Wati to the Beyond Editorial Team As the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, Muslim families across Singapore prepare for Hari Raya Aidilfitri – a celebration that marks the end of fasting, and a time for reflection, forgiveness, and renewed connection. Homes will soon be filled with the aroma of festive dishes, the rustle of new clothes, and the warmth of reunion. For Wati, Hari Raya is more than just a celebration – it serves as a reminder of why she gives back. Wati is a mother of seven who recently moved to Kebun Baru. …