Dear Friends, A study of 147,004 patients conducted by the Singhealth Regional Health System reviewing the period 2012 to 2017, found that those who lived in rental housing were 1.57 times more likely to die in the period, compared with those who were living elsewhere. Public rental housing was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. This statistic hit home when we joined several neighbours to clean up a home in preparation for the return of an 8-year-old child who is on life-support after passing out while having a high fever. This was an active boy who attended our reading …
Another Week Beyond – 1946
Dear Friends, JJ, a 25-year-old married with 2 children dropped by at our office unexpectedly to say hello. “Beyond is like a guardian angel. People come here when down and leave when up,” he mused as he got comfortable in the seat, we offered him. “Oh dear JJ, are you in some kind of trouble?” we enquired immediately. He shook his head and explained that he happened to be in the neighbourhood and just wanted to let us know how he is doing after moving out 3 years ago. He said that he finally understood why we have been pushing …
Another Week Beyond – 1945
Dear Friends, Firstly, thank you for the tremendous support we received for Kumar Connects on Wednesday evening. Watching a full house at the Capitol Theatre laughing and having a good time in support of our work moved us. My team and I went home deeply encouraged and we are very grateful for your generosity and goodwill. Having recovered from a mild stroke she suffered last year. Rusnah 60 years old, took part in a recent Deepavali baking project. As a caregiver for 4 grandchildren, she feels blessed that she is well enough to fulfill her responsibilities. In 2014, when we …
Another Week Beyond – 1944
Dear Friends, In our attempt to bring about communities where its members can thrive, we bring the gift of connection. We focus on relationships and it is not just how well people are connected to their families and friends but what ties they may have beyond their immediate circle of support. A nurturing family and loyal friends would provide a sense of stability but to develop in the broader sense of the word, one also needs to be in touch with others who can link them with resources and opportunities. So, we are constantly connecting our members to programmes and …
Another Week Beyond – 1943
Dear Friends, The children were unable to come for the meeting held on a Sunday morning, but they asked us to share their views with their Member of Parliament. A resident put their views into a PowerPoint presentation, and we brought their drawings to the meeting. The children wanted a say on what a proposed playground and a hard court should look like and they were all smiles when we told them that their MP took their ideas seriously. So, like they wanted, there will be a fire-truck, garden swing and most importantly, monkey bars. This meeting follows an earlier …
Another Week Beyond – 1942
Dear Friends, My team and I thank you for the warm and encouraging wishes we received this past week. A good community comes from a collective vision of what we are building together. In our view it is a context where people are affirmed and appreciated for who they are and are enabled and given the opportunities to experience success. As such, a community produces caring people with the competencies to work at their shared challenges, aspirations and collective well-being. Last night, in commemoration of our 50th Anniversary and in conjunction with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, …
Another Week Beyond – 1941
Dear Friends, I joined the organisation on 15 October 1982 and so this coming Tuesday will be my work anniversary. I was the youngest and most junior in a team of 4 but it has not been the same job all these years. At one point we had close to 120 on our payroll and more if we counted our associates. I am deeply grateful to have had this tremendous opportunity to develop professionally and personally. Much has changed with me but one thing that has not after all these years, is a discomforting feeling that the availability of my …
Another Week Beyond – 1940
Dear Friends, A year ago, we broached the idea that “Families, not services, lead change” (AWB – 1839) to several families and we are glad that 11 of them have signed up for the Community Independence Project (CII). These families have been divided into 2 groups and they each received a tablet PC to login onto an online journal that tracks their efforts related to income and savings, health, education and skills, housing, leadership and connections. CII is a new model of social assistance that focuses on equipping families with social networks, capital and autonomy to improve their lives independently. …
Another Week Beyond – 1939
Dear Friends, As the children were occupied with balloon sculpting, sand painting and paper airplanes, their caregivers put down what they wished for in their neighbourhood on little heart-shaped papers. The hearts then adorned a wall at the void deck where a community meeting was being held. “My Dream Neighbourhood” was the theme and wishes included amenities such as a sheltered bus-stop as well as intangibles like friendly neighbours and a kampong or community spirt. Hence, an activity many took seriously was to indicate the neighbours they called friends. On a grid that listed every unit in the 2 blocks …
Another Week Beyond – 1938
Dear Friends, During a drama workshop in December last year, some participants spoke about an incident of sexual harassment in their neighbourhood. It was disturbing to say the least, but the matter was eventually acted upon by the family of the victim. The authorities were informed, and both the victim and her family decided to move on. However, from various other conversations with the youth, we learnt that male chauvinism and inappropriate behaviours were prevalent and girls were feeling unsafe. The youth were obviously raising a concern and in different words and ways, we posed 2 questions to them. Firstly, …