Dear Friends, When the Rotary Club of Marina City wanted to provide a meal for 160 residents of a public rental neighborhood, we suggested that they engage 4 mothers who have acquired their food handling certification from the Singapore Food Agency. We have been supporting mothers to acquire this certification with a view that they may eventually start a micro-business catering for house parties and small events. There are no parties or events at the moment and this opportunity seemed like a nice little project to take on. The cook received an allowance of $12 for every hour’s work while …
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 – 2021
Dear Friends, This has been a very different Ramadan for our Muslim friends and on Sunday, Hari Raya Puasa will be devoid of visits to extended family. Community activities synonymous with the past month of prayer and reflection were missing but it was our experience that the empathy for those who are less fortunate, and acts of generosity and compassion were not. A group of volunteers outreaching to rough sleepers ordered a batch of cookies from us. They have been providing toiletries and sundries but felt that a little cheer in a bottle of home-made cookies during Ramadan would be appropriate. These volunteers …
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 …
Another Week Beyond – 2016
Dear Friends, It is Day 11 of the 28-day Circuit Breaker and on behalf of everyone in our membership, our volunteers, and my colleagues, I thank you for all the warm and encouraging support that has come our way. I also send you our best wishes and kindest thoughts. Food distribution was an ongoing challenge and when a couple of planned exercises had to be postponed because of safety concerns, anxiety levels increased. It was not just going to bed with an empty stomach but, from the few calls I received, I gathered that a comforting source of support was …
Another Week Beyond – 2015
Dear Friends, Trust you are keeping well and safe during this unprecedented time. Immediately after the circuit-breaker was announced, we reorganized ourselves to fulfill 3 essential services: financial assistance, food assistance and connectivity facilitation. While most of the work is done remotely, food distribution requires us to be in the community. Hence, we are very grateful to our friends who have been providing us with the safety gear that keeps us safe as we go about our work. In the light of the stricter precautionary measures, we reviewed our operating protocols and were confident that they were good enough. During …
Another Week Beyond 2014
Dear Friends, 6 weeks ago, when we spoke to 200 of our members, most were jovial and about half indicated that they were coping well. As we collated our calls this week, we got a sense that the mood is now sombre. Many are experiencing difficulties with employment and are worried about meeting basic needs. Those with school going children were concerned with their lack of connectivity. We have been responding with food and financial aid, retraining and work opportunities as well as facilitating connectivity. We requested for donations of pre-loved laptops last week and could certainly do with a lot more so please …
Another Week Beyond -2011
Dear Friends, “I am Generation Equality – Realizing Women’s Rights” is the United Nations theme for International Women’s Day on 8 March. Thus, it was fitting that 16 teens commemorated the day with their mothers by attending a conversation with body building champion Melissa Sarah Wee.Mel runs her own dessert business catering for the likes of FB, Twitter and Spotify and while she has made a promise to share some recipes, she came to our premises to deliver a more important message. “You can be the most beautiful girl in the world but if you are unhappy with how you look, …