Another Week Beyond – 2326

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear Friends, Last Sunday, we concluded the first run of our Community Fellowship Programme with a knowledge festival where 6 fellows from 3 neighbourhoods presented their efforts and their learnings to their neighbours as well as some service providers they had collaborated with. This programme received significant funding from the Bank of America for which we are thankful. It’s been 18 months since these 6 fellows secured the mandate of their neighbours to address needs in their respective neighbourhoods. It was most heartening to see them on stage confidently presenting their work.  These were initiatives that addressed neighbourhood health concerns, debt repayment, older persons …

Another Week Beyond – 2325

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear Friends,  We had a meeting with the leaders of a group of neighbours who call themselves Strong Women. When we reached their neighbourhood, we found these 3 women waiting for us and learnt that they had just returned from an early dinner together. Strong Women is about 18 months old, and it was formed with the purpose of nurturing mutual support and care among its members which comprised caregivers and homemakers living in 2 blocks of rental flats. They also organised activities for themselves and their neighbourhood and listed a ‘strong women’ walk, a writing workshop, window shopping and …

Another Week Beyond – 2324

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth

Dear Friends,  An intern facilitated an exercise on creating a LinkedIn profile for 5 youths whose ages were not too different from hers. On a worksheet, the youth listed their work experiences, strengths/skills, and interests. As these youth were still in school, they were told that the category for work could include their volunteering and caregiving experiences. However, we soon realised that our instruction was not exactly necessary as everyone in the room had no trouble making a list of their work experiences. They began working when they were 14 or 15 years old, and they have had a variety …

Another Week Beyond – 2323

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear Friends, These 2 weeks, we have been training 3 mothers as health ambassadors for their neighbourhood. Their homes are within 3 different housing blocks, and each was tasked to inform those who lived in their block about available medical resources and activities that promoted their wellbeing. Health in 5 or Hi-5! is how we have packaged 5 ways to live healthy and it covers Eating Healthy, Exercising Regularly, Having Friends, Mental Health as well as Health Check-ups and Jabs. Between them, these mothers have 16 children and for 2 of them with younger children, caregiving takes up most of …

Another Week Beyond – 2322

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community, Family

Dear Friend, Many years ago, a mother with 3 very young children came to our door seeking assistance. An older colleague who used to work elsewhere took me aside and heaved a sigh. She told me that she was the caseworker for this woman’s mother at her previous place of employment and it pains her to see this woman in the same situation as her mother. She also told me that I should be prepared to deal with alcoholism, violence, child neglect and perpetual crises. What I heard sounded like stereotyping but as a young worker, I took it that this …