Dear Friends I was listening to 3 residents as they expressed the sort of improvements they would like for their homes and their neighbourhod. They wanted a drop-off point near their blocks that would shelter them from heavy rain and more living space. One wanted to move into a flat with a bedroom so that life could be a little more comfortable for his wife and 4 children, but he made it clear that he did not want to leave the neighbourhood. He explained that he has been a resident for 26 years and he feels a strong connection to the …
Another Week Beyond – 2104
Dear Friends Since the first day of work this year, we have been discussing in our different teams what it means for our members to have ownership of the challenges we are working together on. We questioned the value of the tasks we had completed in the name of progress. These activities were listed in our plans as indicators of success but on hindsight, they would be more accurately described as exploratory efforts. Our teams are organised to achieve specific objectives that arguably are rather abstract. For example, the nurturance of neighbourhoods with a restorative problem solving climate, a culture of employment …
Another Week Beyond – 2102
Dear Friends We bumped into Farhana, an 11-year-old as she was skateboarding in her neighbourhood. A week ago, a family we knew had introduced her to us incidentally and she nodded nonchalantly as we caught her eye. Farhana is the oldest of 5 siblings and cared for by her grandmother when dad is at work. When we got within speaking distance, we asked her for a minute of her time. We told her that we had a lot of toys and school bags which we thought children in her neighbourhood would appreciate. However, we did not know many families living there …
Another Week Beyond – 2046
Dear Friends, 5 years ago, Rani and her friend Manimala organized a Deepavali Celebration in their neighbourhood. They cooked up a biryani feast and kept their guests entertained with various party activities. It was a significant achievement that they were very proud of because they pulled it off without having deep pockets. All they had was a desire to celebrate the Festival of Lights with neighbours from different religious and cultural backgrounds. “There were regular Hari Raya and Chinese New Year Celebrations in our community so we thought the neighbours should also experience the joy of Deepavali,” they said beaming …
Another Week Beyond – 2044
Dear Friends, We got the meeting going by asking those present to say something about themselves, inviting them to share an achievement, or a strength. One shared that when she lost a kidney through illness, just staying alive felt like an achievement but it also gave her pause for what was important. She stopped working and started looking after her grandchildren because doing so would mean “being useful” to 7 young lives and 2 mothers struggling to put food on the table. Another recalled the success she enjoyed in “patching-up” discarded jeans and reselling them to foreign workers. We also heard how …
Another Week Beyond – 2033
Dear Friends, Rose called us on the phone to inform that she was at the hospital with her mom who had a fall at home. She wanted to let us know that she may not be attending a training session we were holding the following day. She sounded frantic but calmed down after we told her that we would organise another session for her if necessary. Thankfully, after treatment, her mother was well enough to remain alone at home and Rose showed up for the session. She told the others, “At the hospital, I felt so lost. On one hand I had …
Another Week Beyond – 2032
Many years ago, my boss hosted dinner during a stay-in planning retreat. He started the dinner conversation asking my colleagues and I to share what we loved most about Singapore. I told him “the trees” and got on with my dinner but eventually all of us put aside our cutlery as he revealed the reason behind his question. He said that he would find it hard to see how anyone could do what we do if there was nothing we loved about the country. Most of us did not think much about his comment as we felt that we were just doing …
Another Week Beyond – 2020
Dear Friends, There are now 8 women utilizing their sewing skills to earn a small income. This week, they proudly completed their first order of 100 masks and are now on their way to fulfilling the other orders that have come in since we mentioned this initiative on 1 May 2020. As we continued speaking with more people applying for financial assistance, it was clear that work did not just provide a salary. More importantly, it provides purpose and a sense of self-worth. Hence, thank you Sew-Forth and everyone for the warm support that has enabled these women to say to themselves, “As others overcome, Sew Can We!” …
Another Week Beyond – 2017
Dear Friends, When a single mother with 6 children aged from 5 months to 14 years old realised that she had a problem with bed bugs, she cleared out her furniture. Exhausted and distressed, she called us asking what more she could do to resolve the problem. She did not call just to ask a question, but to tell someone that she worries constantly about the safety of her children. She also said she found it stressful ensuring that her children finished their schoolwork with the one computer and 2 handphones that they shared among themselves. While we will ensure …