Dear friends, “Health is wealth” is a truism we are all familiar with but when one is of little means, the less visible barriers to a healthy life are many and perhaps, “wealth is health” would sound truer. A mother on a long-term social visit pass commented that she finds the cost of healthcare very expensive. She is part of a self-organised neighbourhood workgroup that aims to promote social relationships, community activities and opportunities that serve as protective factors against ill-health. She is aware of the importance of preventive medicine but any visit to the doctor would be a strain on …
Another Week Beyond – 2224
Dear friends, After exiting a Soccer Moms WhatsApp Group, a mother called a colleague during the weekend to inform that she was pulling her son Robert out of the football team. In no uncertain terms, she expressed her disappointment that her son was subjected to a racial slur during training, and this was not addressed. When my colleague returned to work, she gathered the other players to hear their point of view, but no one shed any light on what happened. So, she then visited Robert and he identified the teammate that made the demeaning remarks. He also explained that he …
Another Week Beyond – 2223
Dear friends, 11 youth were introduced to the concepts of self-regulation, triggers, trauma responses and coping mechanisms as they trekked the Southern Ridges last Friday. Agreeing to only use their phones for photographs, they endeavoured a mindful beginning where they practiced being aware of their breathing, the manner in which they were walking as well as the healing presence of nature around them. They had not imagined that a walk could be anything more than a physical activity to get around and most importantly, how it may surface an ableism they have not been aware off. Ableism is a prejudice, bias, …
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 to realize that without a job where their employers contribute to their Central Provident Fund (CPF) account monthly, they are unlikely to have enough savings to purchase a flat. CPF is a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions …