Another Week Beyond – 2052

Coco, Addie and Xavi aged 10, 7 and 5 respectively, knocked on our office door tentatively with their mom.  In accordance with safety directives, our doors are still closed but it would have been most improper if we had not welcomed them. These 3 angels had used up their Christmas gift money to purchase 6 “back-to-school” packs worth $50 each for   children who needed them.    

Happy Christmas and wishing you every blessing of the Season. I was deeply touched by how Coco, Addie and Xavi spared a thought for children who had less, and their gesture got me thinking that we have it in all of us to offer a kind thought to another person all year round. If so, the words of Calvin Coolidge ring true, “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”

In 2011, Zulayqha was pursuing a certificate in Community Care and Social Services with the Institute of Technical Education College East. As part of the programme, she completed an internship with us, but we did not keep in touch after she left. During the circuit breaker this year, together with her family she began Project Hills to assist her neighbours at a rental block at Mei Ling Street. 

Recently as we were mapping out the resources at the Mei Ling neighbourhood, we met Zulayqha and were amazed by how Project Hills had organised an effective mutual help group among neighbours.   We were then humbled when she revealed that her family had modelled their efforts on our approach and methods.   It was also a little embarrassing we could not place her. The colleagues who supervised her internship are no longer working here.  Anyway, we will now be directing resources to the neighbourhood through Project Hills.  

Zulayqha is now a social work associate and pursuing a Degree in Social Work. She has overcome much and 2 years ago, she was awarded the Straits Times Generation Grit Award.  She has taken the opportunities that came her way well but has never forgotten those who helped her along the way. We have only been a small part of her journey, but she reckons that the internship with us got her deciding that social work is the career for her.

“I could not believe that you guys trusted me with the key, and I valued the responsibility of opening and locking up the office,” she told me. “I was also given the opportunity to meet with stakeholders from so many different backgrounds and was trusted as member of the team.”  She then related events that I could only vaguely remember and even reminded me of a training session on community work I had conducted. She spoke fondly of Letch, a colleague who showed her how to manage a class and recalled engaging children in the neighbourhood as her most memorable and fulfilling experience.

It was so fulfilling speaking with Zulayqha as she reminded me that the gifts of trust, respect and positive regard are gifts that last and multiply in profound ways we could never imagine.

Wishing you and all your loved ones, a glorious day of giving and receiving the gifts that matter most.

Sincerely,

Gerard 

PAST AWB POSTS

2506 – Collective Wisdom, Community Building

Written by Wilson, Community Worker As is our practice at Beyond, we start every new year by sharing the goals we hope to achieve as a community. We gather young and old, have discussions and plot the journey ahead together. We call these sessions Community Conversations. Typically, everyone present introduces themselves and shares their experience volunteering in the community, and what “community” means to them. We then wrap up with a Beyond staff talking about the value of community development. That, however, was not how a session held in the Bukit Ho Swee neighbourhood went. The Beyond team just sat

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2505 – Saving Together, Growing Together

One of the most pervasive problems encountered by lower-income communities is building financial reserves. The daily demands for every cent, when you have little, usually takes priority. However, there is still a value of building such reserves, even if in small amounts. This is why we created the Community Tabung Programme. Loosely translated, “Tabung” means “money box” in Malay – an apt name for an initiative to help our members grow their savings in support of their children’s health and educational needs. It is a means to help our members achieve their aspirations and save for those rainy days. And

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2504 – Growth On The Sidelines

Amir* wasn’t always the calm, composed young man people look up to today. Not so long ago, he his fiery temper put him in the midst of a heated argument. So to witness him play the peacemaker recently was pleasantly astonishing. That moment could have shaped how others saw him — and how he saw himself — but instead, it became a lesson that helped him grow. Amir was playing at a futsal tournament. Two boys – Danial* and Josh* – got into an altercation. Danial accused Josh of “showboating” and not being a team player…costing them the game. Josh,

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2503 – How Roblox Helped James Minimize Screen Time

10-year-old James is like many of the children who attend our learning programmes. He has an unhealthy attachment to his phone with little interest in academics. When asked to focus on his schoolwork, he would often throw tantrums. Rather than play board games with Beyond volunteers, he’d stick to games on his phone. Still, James would voluntarily show up at our sessions, where he was always welcomed. Our approach isn’t about forcing change but about creating a space for it. We set a clear boundary — schoolwork first, then fun and games.  But getting through to James wasn’t easy. We

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2502 – Community wasn’t built in a day

Written by Shariffah, Community Worker What is community? This is a question that shapes much of what we do at Beyond. Building a thriving community isn’t just about solving problems or organizing activities — it’s about creating spaces where people can connect meaningfully, share ideas, and take ownership of their collective future. Community development often begins with small, intentional steps. Our “Community Day” is one such step. This isn’t just a celebration, but part of a process — a chance for residents to collaborate, discover their strengths, and build something meaningful together. Our last Community Day of 2024 was held

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2452 – A Fire, A Friend, A Community

When a fire broke out in a Jalan Bukit Merah flat last year, the damage wasn’t confined to just the one unit. Smoke engulfed neighbouring homes, leaving behind physical damage and disruption. One of the worst affected residents was Madam Tan*, an elderly woman whose flat directly above the burning apartment. While her story didn’t make the headlines, her struggles were very real. She clearly needed help. This is where H comes in. The 28-year-old coach and former educator was no stranger to helping others, but this experience would touch him on a personal level. “I didn’t initially think about

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2451 – The Grace to Give

I joined Beyond in 2005 as a community worker reaching out to children under 6 years old to get them registered for early childhood education and after a couple of years, I was seconded to support our main grant maker. After which, I left social services but rejoined Beyond in 2016.  I came back and rejoined the sector to meet my needs for meaning, connection and well-being. Last Friday, I was supporting a corporate volunteer group to distribute care packs comprising necessities for the new school year to children in a neighbourhood where we work. This group engaged youth from

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AWB 2449 – When LIFE Happens

Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” We at Beyond, wholeheartedly believe this. So we’ve made it one of our missions to bring education to life for the kids in the neighbourhoods we serve. So, it is no coincidence that we call one of our education programme, LIFE! or Learning is Fun and Exciting! LIFE is a child-centric initiative that’s designed to make learning enjoyable and meaningful. Activities are tailored to children’s individual strengths, interests, and learning styles. At every turn, we nurture them to become independent, self-motivated learners. We

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PAST AWB POSTS

2506 – Collective Wisdom, Community Building

Written by Wilson, Community Worker As is our practice at Beyond, we start every new year by sharing the goals we hope to achieve as a community. We gather young and old, have discussions and plot the journey ahead together. We call these sessions Community Conversations. Typically, everyone present introduces themselves and shares their experience volunteering in the community, and what “community” means to them. We then wrap up with a Beyond staff talking about the value of community development. That, however, was not how a session held in the Bukit Ho Swee neighbourhood went. The Beyond team just sat

Read more >

2505 – Saving Together, Growing Together

One of the most pervasive problems encountered by lower-income communities is building financial reserves. The daily demands for every cent, when you have little, usually takes priority. However, there is still a value of building such reserves, even if in small amounts. This is why we created the Community Tabung Programme. Loosely translated, “Tabung” means “money box” in Malay – an apt name for an initiative to help our members grow their savings in support of their children’s health and educational needs. It is a means to help our members achieve their aspirations and save for those rainy days. And

Read more >

2504 – Growth On The Sidelines

Amir* wasn’t always the calm, composed young man people look up to today. Not so long ago, he his fiery temper put him in the midst of a heated argument. So to witness him play the peacemaker recently was pleasantly astonishing. That moment could have shaped how others saw him — and how he saw himself — but instead, it became a lesson that helped him grow. Amir was playing at a futsal tournament. Two boys – Danial* and Josh* – got into an altercation. Danial accused Josh of “showboating” and not being a team player…costing them the game. Josh,

Read more >