Another Week Beyond – 2239

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, health

Dear friends, 10 days ago, we had the privilege of being a part of the Caring Communities Carnival organized by Yishun Health. The carnival commemorated their 10-year endeavour in nurturing an asset-led eco-system that supports communities to take ownership of improving their health and wellbeing. Minister of Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung was the Guest of Honour and he did the honours of launching a publication entitled “Caring Communities – Production and Participation by People” that illustrated their work. From the book, we learnt that in 2017, the Ministry of Health announced its strategy of providing good and affordable healthcare …

Another Week Beyond – 2238

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear friends,  We initiated a meeting with 4 mothers who had previously expressed their concern about the well-being of children in their neighbourhood during incidental conversations we had with them.  To break the ice, we asked everyone to raise their hands if they identified with a statement we were going to put forth.  “As a child, I was often in trouble with adults for being naughty,” had a couple of hands going up. As we continued with statements about childhood experiences there was always a hand or two raised if not all until, we posed “I wished I had a trusted …

Another Week Beyond – 2237

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, health, volunteer, Volunteers

Dear friends, 15-year-old year Habib serves as an interpreter for his Tamil speaking mother regularly. Last Sunday was yet another occasion but this time he found himself really interested in what he had to convey to his mother. He was accompanying his mother to meet a chiropractor, and he found Dr Brian Teo’s assessment and explanation of the procedure intriguing.  His mother listened to him carefully as he assured her that when she hears a popping sound, it is not because her body is breaking but air is being released from her joints.  His mother has been complaining of pain …

Another Week Beyond – 2236

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, community tabung

Dear friends, Our Community Tabung is a savings programme to supplement children’s Child Development Account (CDA). Each month, families within a community, pool their savings and the entire amount is tripled with matching funds from donors and then divided equally among all who participated. We will help deposit the amount into their respective CDAs and the government matches dollar for dollar.  This programme began at our child development centre in July 2013 and since February 2017, it has been implemented at different neighbourhoods. Last Monday, 4 mothers came for a meeting with their children because a colleague who was managing the …

Another Week Beyond – 2235

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, Volunteers, youth

Dear friends, A teacher at our early childhood centre got her students to clap as they spelt out “papaya” loudly together with her and everyone was moving energetically to the rhythm of a rhyming cheer, “P-A-P-A-Y-A, P-A-P-A-Y-A, P-A-P-A-Y-A, PAPAYA-YEH!” When it was clear that everyone could easily spell “papaya,” she carried on with the lesson by introducing the fruit for the children to hold and to discuss its features. This was a learning experience that attended to the children’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. Importantly, it was one where each child succeeded in learning something new. Understanding how a student …