Another Week Beyond – 1825

June 25, 2018

Dear Friends
Community is a way of belonging. Members of a community experience a sense of belonging to a place that they also believe belongs to them. Sometimes it is really a physical place where people reside but often a shared purpose, or an interest brings people together. What’s important though is that that when people come together they enjoy a sense of connectedness and contentment.

InterNations reaches out to expatriates with the assurance, “Wherever in the world life takes you, our InterNations Communities help you feel at home.” It is interesting how strangers from diverse backgrounds can have a shared identity. Strangers from various parts of the world identifying with each other, valuing the importance of community and seeking to contribute to the place they call home; even if it is temporary.

Elsa Lillford arrived from Melbourne last Saturday and on Tuesday, she was in our classroom guiding our children to produce decorated key rings, pencil cases and tote bags for sale at Fairground our fund-raiser slated for Saturday, 3 September at SCAPE. The children got to choose and keep the items that they liked but we still amassed a healthy inventory.

This school holiday month, over 40 children from 2 different neighborhoods have been volunteering their talent to create craft for our fund-raising activities. The raw materials were sponsored by East West Artisans, a social enterprise run by John Davis who coordinates the volunteering activities for InterNations in Singapore. John tells us that he has had the happy problem of turning down volunteers for our art and craft sessions as there were just too many, but it also means that he is confident of support when he offers other volunteer opportunities with our children to his members. He has also encouraged his members to sign up as regular volunteers with us.

So, these holidays our children got to meet people from America, Australia, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Spain and Vietnam. They have not gone on a trip to see the world but through InterNations, the world has in a small way come to them. When community is a hospitable place, both visitors and hosts enlarge their experience of the world.

Enjoy your week

Gerard

One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller

PAST AWB POSTS

2515 – The Hand That Folded, The Heart That Shared

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Story contributed by Myna, Community Worker Ayu* is a single mother working toward the day when all three of her children can live under the same roof again. Due to financial strain, two of them are currently in the care of her aunt while Ayu focuses on rebuilding her stability. Recently, she left a job where she had endured months of bullying. The emotional and financial toll was heavy, but she was grateful to walk away from a place that had worn down her confidence. Since then, she’s been searching for work with one simple hope: a kind environment. But

2514 – Labour of Pride

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Story contributed by Hani, Community Worker Earlier this month, I was going door to door to invite youths to join a new sports programme. I stopped by a flat where two of the boys on my list lived. Their father, Jamal*, greeted me at the door and invited me to wait while one of his sons made his way back from school. We started with small talk. He asked about the programme; I asked about his day. The conversation flowed easily. He shared that his family had returned to Singapore about seven or eight years ago after living in Indonesia

2513 – Where It Hurts

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Story Contributed by Xu Yang, Volunteer During a recent session at Beyond’s Homework Support programme for primary school children, I was playing a math board game with two boys, Frank and Steve, and another volunteer, Stef. As I was still figuring out the instructions, Frank suddenly pulled all the tiles toward himself. Then, out of the blue, he turned to Stef and said, “You wear glasses and have an ugly face. Go away.” I didn’t quite know how to respond. I suggested that if he wasn’t comfortable, maybe we could return to our original table, since we had joined Stef’s.

2512 – The Burden of Education

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Written by Amelia, member of the community Growing up, I was always aware that I was the “costly child.” My school fees and medical expenses were a constant concern for my parents. My younger brothers were born in Singapore, so they had access to fully subsidised education. My schooling, however, came at a price – one that my family struggled to afford. In Malaysia, school-related costs were manageable. If I recall correctly, my school fees amounted to only about $100 a year. But in Singapore, the difference is stark. I saw it firsthand when my brothers started primary school. Their

2511 – More Than A Meal

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Story Contributed by Hani and Siti, Community Workers “This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful – in a word, more alive.” – Alice Waters During Ramadan in March, a group of mothers in Ghim Moh began planning their annual iftar gathering. This year, they wanted it to mean something more than simply inviting neighbours to break fast together. They wanted to open their doors wider and welcome not only familiar faces but new ones as well – families they hadn’t yet met, residents of all ages, races, and religions.

2510 – Trusting People As The Experts of Their Own Lives

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Written by Wilson, Community Worker In social work, we’re taught to see people as the experts of their own lives. It’s a principle that feels empowering – and in theory, it is. But in practice, I’ve often heard something quite different. Before joining Beyond as a community worker, I spent nearly five years in various social service settings. A recurring belief I encountered was that people from lower-income communities couldn’t always be trusted to make the “right” decisions for themselves and their families. “Look at where their choices have gotten them,” I’d hear. It was a perspective I came to recognise, but never fully accepted. And my time at Beyond has continued to challenge it. One moment in particular stands out.

2509 – If Community Isn’t Found, Can It Be Built?

May 30, 2025 No Comments

As shared by Wati to the Beyond Editorial Team As the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, Muslim families across Singapore prepare for Hari Raya Aidilfitri – a celebration that marks the end of fasting, and a time for reflection, forgiveness, and renewed connection. Homes will soon be filled with the aroma of festive dishes, the rustle of new clothes, and the warmth of reunion. For Wati, Hari Raya is more than just a celebration – it serves as a reminder of why she gives back. Wati is a mother of seven who recently moved to Kebun Baru.

2508 – The Pen is Mightier Than The Lock

May 30, 2025 No Comments

Story contributed by Shariffah, Community Worker The lock was heavy. Solid. Final. The street soccer court in Yio Chu Kang had been closed off after repeated acts of vandalism. A group of boys stood by the fence where they used to gather after school – a simple court that had been their meeting point and favourite hangout to kick the ball around with friends. “So unfair…”, one of them muttered. Another shrugged. “Aiya, nothing we can do. Just find something else.” But one of our Community Workers heard more than frustration in their voices. He saw an opportunity to show