Another Week Beyond – 2308

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, HeadStrong

Dear friends, “What is it that makes you…YOU?” 6 undergraduates from the Singapore Management University (SMU)explored the question together with 7 of our youth. Any casual observer would see that these 2 groups of young people were different in so many ways and may even wonder if a meaningful conversation between them would be possible. To move them to common ground, we screened “Soul,” a computer-animated   film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. As people laughed and got teary-eyed, a felt connection and a sense of safety emerged that enabled a young person to reveal a rather peculiar strength. …

Another Week Beyond – 2307

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, health

Dear friend, As a community development agency in the service of people’s efforts to meet their needs, a colleague was heartened when he found himself doing janitorial duties in a roomful of adults and their children. 12 adults and 15 children packed a students’ care centre we had borrowed for a conversation to launch a neighbourhood hotline for neighbours to support each other with their health needs and challenges. Volunteers kept the children occupied with indoor games while their parents discussed the roles and responsibilities for a core group of neighbours to operate the hotline. With the food and the …

Another Week Beyond – 2306

Comms Team Another Week Beyond

Dear friends, After pairing up, participants were instructed to draw each other’s face  without looking at where they were putting pen to paper. “Please just focus on your partner so that she can feel your presence and care,” we added. Participants caught on that the instructions were difficult to follow and being fully present for someone meant not being distracted. This was the introductory activity for a session to explore how one may connect and care for someone in distress. For context, we elaborated that studies have found that victims of sexual or intimate partner violence usually disclose their pain to …

Another Week Beyond – 2305

Comms Team Another Week Beyond

Dear friends, Nancy, a young mother walked into our office and greeted us cheerfully. When instructed to acknowledge a colleague and me as “aunty” and “uncle”, her 2-year-old-child did so meekly and then started sniffling softly for mother’s attention. With her finger on her lip, Nancy gestured to the child to keep quiet and left her with us as she went to look for another colleague in different room. The child continued sniffling and my colleague instinctively looked around the office for something to comfort her. I then passed the child a toy bear dressed in a green trench coat …