Dear friends, Youth Day is commemorated on the the first weekend of July, but we got our own little celebration going last Saturday. We kept the ritual alive the past 2 years with an online event, but the young people showed us why some things should not be done virtually. As we prepared to board the bus to a bowling alley, there were cheers for 2 who decided to mark the day in costume. One was dressed as a dinosaur and another as a minion from the computer-animated media franchise Despicable Me. We did not specify a theme or a dress …
Another Week Beyond – 2228
Dear friends, We introduced the concept of self-esteem to 7 young people aged from 11 to 16 years old but only 1 of them has attended all 3 weekly sessions so far. However, we believe he will be sharing his insights with his friends and perhaps, more will join us as we continue the conversation. When asked what “self-esteem” meant, “confidence” was the most common word that emerged, and one summed it up as “how much we believe in ourselves” during difficult moments. While defining “self-esteem” took a bit of time, identifying what hurt it was easy. “Criticisms on social media, …
Another Week Beyond – 2227
Dear friends, 8 youth who are pursuing post-secondary education organised a webinar for children and their care-givers. They presented themselves as “Human Books” that revealed their experiences at school and to answer any questions about themselves that their “readers” were interested in finding out. To everyone’s pleasant surprise 25 caregivers and children made their way to this online Human Library. These youth were part of Ignite! – a group of young people living in public rental housing that have fared well in school. It is an achievement that none of them takes for granted and every word they spoke was delivered with much gratitude …
Another Week Beyond – 2226
Dear friends, As we camped with 11 youths at Pulau Ubin last week, we were pleasantly surprised to see how quickly they got on with each other. These young people were not acquainted with each other but from the get-go, they cooperated and supported each other. After arriving on the island by bumboat, they received brief instructions on how to read a map and a compass and were told to make their way to the campsite. It was a task they embraced wholeheartedly and 2 hours later they were cooking lunch with their mess tins after pitching their tents. We …
Another Week Beyond – 2217
Dear friends, 9 youth showed up for a screening of the movie “Inside Out” even though they have all seen it before. Some of them have seen it several times too. The movie was our way of continuing a conversation on mental health and inviting more youth to join HeadStrong, a safe and brave space for learning strategies to improve psychological and emotional wellbeing. Before the movie began, we asked what emotions they experienced regularly and while happiness and hopefulness were mentioned, so were sadness, fear, disappointment, and tiredness. One revealed that the moments he felt good did not last long and he …
Another Week Beyond – 2214
Dear friends, Early last month, after hearing her 3 children grumble that we have not invited them on an outing for a long time, the mother told her children to contact us to see what they could do for their community. She told them to gather their friends as well. So, 3 weeks ago, 4 youths showed up at our office to explore if they could meet regularly to organise activities for themselves and their community. After some discussions, they decided to meet weekly, and their first project will be to organise a breaking of fast meal happening later this evening. 7 …
Another Week Beyond – 2211
Dear friends, “We are here to create a safe and brave space. What do you think that is?” This was how we began our very first session for 4 youth to explore if they would like to nurture a small community where members help each other learn strategies for psychological and emotional wellbeing. A safe space is one where people feel comfortable with each other and experience a curious sense of trust and connection. It is also a space that protects them from the fear of abandonment or isolation, or being treated differently, after sharing in the space. They envision a …
Another Week Beyond – 2206
Dear friends, “My friends and I never thought that we could trust the boys,” declared a 15-year-old girl. “We never thought that they will care about our fears and our safety,” she added. Her friends who were with her nodded but together they said that they are happy to have been proven wrong. Since 2020 a group of girls have been coming together to discuss sexuality, relationships, and other topics that youth find difficult to raise with others (AWB -2043). They have benefitted from the experience and feel that they could do something to support their peers who may be at risk of sexual …
Another Week Beyond – 2151
Dear friends, ‘Tis season of giving and last Monday, 19 youth received an experience of normalcy. COVID-19 safety protocol still applied but masks were off once they launched their canoes at the Kallang River. For almost 2 years now, there has been no outdoor activities and this gift from the Singapore Canoe Federation was most thoughtful and timely. The afternoon began with much enthusiasm but as energy waned and the wind made it difficult to return to shore, some grumbles were heard. However, when it was time to leave for home, everyone concluded that they had a most beautiful and enjoyable day. As …
Another Week Beyond – 2134
Dear friends, Ellyn joined our after-school programme at 9 years old and she remembers that she was placed 3rd in a 5km race at the East Coast Park that year. She was having a shower when her mother told her that her name was being announced on stage and urged her to hurry up so that she could collect her prize. The occasion was the Streetwise Run, an annual Youth Day Celebration that was part of our calendar from 2001 to 2010. She also remembers learning circus skills and performing for a Sunday afternoon crowd at Toa Payoh and singing “Seasons …