Dear friends, Hope you had many joyful moments with family and friends this Lunar New Year season. During a family circle discussion this week, we were reminded that family is also a commitment to care and friends are an important source of support. After sharing how they spent their holidays, and exchanging festive greetings, Zoe shared that her husband had been …
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 was a regular check-in 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 …
Another Week Beyond – 2246
Dear friends, Last month we featured Ela her on our Facebook page. She shared her story with us as she wanted to acknowledge how being a part of Family Circles had benefitted her. When her circle met this week, she appeared rather upbeat, and others present complimented her for coming a long way. They recalled how they were deeply concerned …
Shahriza, on Family Circles
 “My name is Shahriza, I am a mother of two kids and 10 cats. I have known Beyond since early 2015 when my kids started participating in their outdoor programmes and art classes. A Beyond volunteer asked me one day if I’m keen to join Family Circles and I agreed since I had some spare time and wanted to meet …
Shariffah, on Family Circles
Family Circles was meant to bring together community members who had further financial difficulties during the COVID-19 period. We wanted to start by acknowledging that low-income communities have the potential and resourcefulness to improve their own financial and general well-being. We trust and invest in low-income families as well as the solutions they discover on their own and as they …
Ela, on Family Circles
“I moved to Singapore 20 years ago from my hometown in Sumatra. I’m very lonely. I don’t have any family here and very little friends. Sometimes I even choose to work on Hari Raya because I don’t have anyone to visit. So I joined Family Circles because I know it would be good for me to meet new people and …
Another Week Beyond – 2234
Dear friends, After almost a year of meeting monthly online, 6 mothers in a mutual support group met in person for the first time. Each brought some food from home and the mood in the room felt like a reunion of old friends. A few remarked that being in the same room with each other gave them a very different …
Another Week Beyond – 2222
Dear friends, A common aspiration among those in our Family Circles is home ownership. Currently, they live in a 1 or 2 roomed flat rented from the government at a highly subsided rate but they aspire to have a place they can call their own. 2 mothers. I shall call Jean and Joan have 4 and 3 children respectively. They have come …
Another Week Beyond – 2147
Dear friends, The 5 Family Circles met, and we were most encouraged when members of 1 circle told us that it was the best session they had so far, elaborating that they were no longer feeling awkward with each other and really enjoyed their conversation. This circle was meeting for the third time and seemed to have acted on a gentle provocation we …