Dear Friends To sum up his internship experience Ziv, shared a quote from Che Guevera with me, “Let the world change you, and then you can change the world.” He elaborated that burdened by a personal problem not too long ago, he was conducting a session out of duty and could not wait to finish his shift. In other words, he was in no mood to “do good” and to put it mildly, he was preoccupied. However, his mood changed suddenly when his students invited him to occupy an empty seat next to them. “Ehhh cher come and join us lah!” Ziv told …
Another Week Beyond – 2109
Dear Friends Ian and Wilfred finish their internship today. They have been with us since November last year and listening to them at an exit interview 2 days ago, I was touched by their humble and honest reflections. “Before coming here, I had assumed that people assisted by a charity were unable to help themselves but now I see them as people who are constantly trying to improve their lives and themselves,” reflected Ian. Both Ian and Wilfred also shared that they were surprised how welcomed they felt among young people and their families. People were curious about their background but were …
Another Week Beyond – 2105
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 – 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 – 2045
“We are not interested. My mother won’t be able to use the internet and there’s no point applying for her.” Our young volunteer was told in a rather curt voice. Although a little stunned and unsure if she would be disrespectfully overstaying her welcome, she continued to explain the government’s digital access scheme to the older woman whom we shall call Rose. Our young volunteers have now knocked on 116 doors and spoken to 90 older persons encouraging them to utilize the free Wi-Fi connection we have installed near their homes. We have also assisted 22 of them to use their phone …
Another Week Beyond – 2041
Dear Friends A group of children ran up excitedly to a colleague as she was on the way to a home visit. Dressed in similar tee-shirts, they greeted her with a big grin expecting a reaction. “Wow! You guys look so sharp and colourful. What’s up?” she obliged. Immediately the children gushed that they were now a sepak takraw team. Intrigued, she asked them to say more. They told her that they had just begun and pointed out their coaches who were waiting for them some 50 metres away. The coaches waved and my colleague recognised them as youth who …
Another Week Beyond – 2038
Dear Friends, Last week, 7 youth delivered 5 performances at the Substation. “Men with Pens” featured lived experiences they had penned down, and the show was part of Septfest 2020 Fringe which featured immersive experiences to generate conversations around issues faced by various marginalised and displaced groups. In January this year, volunteers Subhas Nair and Yanni Chia began meeting youth living in the Whampoa neighbourhood; listening to their stories and encouraging them to write them down in a notebook. The sessions started with dinner and initially through structured exercises, the youth were guided to identify strong feelings they frequently experienced and to map out the context …
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 – 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 …