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 …

Another Week Beyond – 2234

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, community, Family circles

Dear friends, After almost a year of meeting monthly online, 6 mothers in a mutual support group met in person for the first time. Each brought some food from home and the mood in the room felt like a reunion of old friends. A few remarked that being in the same room with each other gave them a very different impression of each other and made them question if they had really known each other for a year. It has indeed been a year and it was timely to take stock of everyone’s experience being a member of the group. So …

Beyond Expectations: A Learning Journey for both Mentor and Mentee

Comms Team Education, youth

Beyond Expectations began in 2018 as a mentoring initiative by NUS students serving as mentors for 13 to 17-year-old youths from our Redhill rental communities. The initiative has gone a long way and has since expanded and diversified its mentor pool to include students from other local universities. In this short interview, we ask the team more about how the initiative began and why it is meaningful.  1. Could you give me a brief description of Beyond Expectations—what are its aims, what the team does, and who it serves?  Beyond Expectations is a mentoring initiative in collaboration with Beyond Social …

Another Week Beyond – 2233

Comms Team Another Week Beyond

Dear friends, We used to be known as the Bukit Ho Swee Social Service Centre. When we adopted “Beyond Social Services” as our identity in 2001, we began envisioning what moving people beyond social services meant. Back then, our day was filled with supporting young people in conflict with the law or at risk of being so, as well as families with multiple problems. It was work where happy outcomes were few and far and between and we were always thinking that if only we could introduce the appropriate programme or service, those we engaged could move pass their problems. …

Another Week Beyond – 2232

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth

Dear friends,  Each year, we celebrate with pride and much gratitude our growth as a nation. At 57 this year, we had our National Day Parade live after 2 years and “Connections,” a short film highlighting resilience and solidarity was interwoven with the performances on The Float @ Marina Bay. “Connections” featured small acts of kindness that enabled us to weather the pandemic and stories inspired by medical workers, home care professionals, teachers, social workers, and artists were showcased to depict family, community, and togetherness.  All of us at Beyond beamed with pride as our members Riduwan, Norashidah, Akilah, Nursoleha and …

Another Week Beyond – 2231

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth

Dear friends,  We have a donated coffee machine at our premises and a month ago, an intern was showing 3 children aged 10 to 12 years old how to use it. This intern has been a barista at a café and to get to know these young people better, she “opened shop” for a few hours with these young people as her team-mates. The “shop” was well patronised by colleagues and volunteers who contributed whatever they felt their drinks and snacks were worth. Youth work is non-formal education where young people’s holistic development is facilitated through social, recreational, and learning …