Dear Friends, Nashir Uddin, 36 years old was brought up to believe that every kindness is a gift and blessing extended to him by God. Hailing from Bangladesh, he is now supporting 2 school going children, both parents and his wife who looks after the household in his absence. For the past 6 months, his sister-in-law and 2 nieces have also been counting on his support as her husband died suddenly from a stroke. 11 years ago, Nashir arrived in Singapore and began working in the construction sector. The last couple of years though, he has been employed as an …

Dear Friends, Early this year, we came across Danny, a 5-year-old boy entertaining himself with some building blocks outside his flat. His grandma who was his care-giver told us that this was him at his best behaviour. She elaborated that it took a lot out of her to care for Danny because ever so often he would throw a ferocious tantrum for no rhyme or reason and he will be hitting anything and anyone in his way. Grandma was also concerned that Danny hardly spoke and when he did, it was hard to make out what he was saying. As …

Dear Friends, Generation Acts Club International http://gen-acts.org/ is a partner who has been providing weekly learning support activities to 10 children the past 3 months. In all, more than 15 children have visited their programme but only 10 have been regular. These volunteers take pains to prepare activities that are engaging and fun. So, when children do not show up, it is understandably a little disappointing. Currently, these volunteers have stopped their activities to review their efforts and we suggested that that they visit the children’s families to get a better appreciation of their students’ background. At their first stop, …

Dear Friends, “If all of us are leaders, then who is leading who?” This was a question posed to 27 of our youth who were attending a 2-day leadership camp at Camp Challenge. These youth reside in different neighbourhoods and they were at the camp because they take on leadership responsibilities where they live. This question got our youth thinking about the notion of a leader. Is he just the guy barking the orders, or could he really be everyone who offers a leadership presence? At the end of Day One, the youth were told that they were responsible for …

Dear Friends, Last night was the third “Celebration of Learning” we have been holding these past couple of weeks. Another 2 more to go but this year-end event is one of the ways we encourage a culture of learning wherever we work. Children dressed in their best clothes, a child excitedly running up stage as his name was called, mothers congratulating each other for completing a basic English course and parents giving out certificates of achievement with warm words of encouragement were some moments that illustrated the relevance of celebrating effort and not just outcomes. I was also most heartened …

Dear Friends, Ever since I was youth worker running camps and basically running around with young people, I have always been asked 3 questions in my career in the social space. Firstly, “What is it you actually do?” Then, “Why is it important?” and finally, “How would you know that you are making a difference or what really is the impact you are making?” These questions may not have been phrased as such every time but those asking were seeking answers in a similar direction. In 2016, with funding from the Tote Board and the National Youth Council, Blackbox Research …

Dear Friends, Diljan and Fadillah had arrived punctually as arranged. They both had a daughter accompanying them and when I suggested that we head for dinner, they politely refused explaining that they had already eaten. I then learnt that they decided to have an early dinner because they thought that they would be too nervous to eat just before the show. We were on our way to Mediacorp as guests on Night Chat with Susan Ng on 938 NOW so I was a little nervous too but not their daughters who were mighty proud that that their moms would be …

Dear Friends, Many years ago, a mother of 3 young children was frequently at odds with her husband. It was not quite the marriage she had imagined. He worked long hours as a labourer and the warmth she enjoyed when they were courting in Malaysia had disappeared. To supplement the family income, she worked as a cleaner and after school, the children were in our care until she came home. As we got to know her and the children better, we became party to the disagreements at home and became concerned with mother’s expressed disdain for her middle child. We …

Dear Friends, “Forum Komunikasi Peduli Anak” is community initiative in Bandung that positions itself as a welcoming resource for children-at-risk. On 31 March 2015, 15 neighbours who were concerned about prostitution among the young decided to do something. They were parents themselves and felt a sense of duty to extend themselves to other children in their midst who lacked a sense of stability and were making poor choices. They held the belief that once someone becomes aware of a problem, not doing anything would make him or her complicit in sustaining the problem. Usman the leader leaves his home unlocked …

Dear Friends, A learning festival serves as a platform for the exchange of good practices. 8 mothers and 3 youth from Singapore who are in Bandung this week were surprised that their experiences and reflections were valued by participants from other parts of the world. They may not always be able to explain their efforts with a philosophical or practice framework but that did not prevent them from inspiring others. Khidir, a youth leader was listening to a sharing about the role of a local support team in a community. He was intrigued and sensed that he has been a …