“We are not interested. My mother won’t be able to use the internet and there’s no point applying for her.” Our young volunteer was told in a rather curt voice. Although a little stunned and unsure if she would be disrespectfully overstaying her welcome, she continued to explain the government’s digital access scheme to the older woman whom we shall call …
Another Week Beyond – 2041
Dear Friends A group of children ran up excitedly to a colleague as she was on the way to a home visit. Dressed in similar tee-shirts, they greeted her with a big grin expecting a reaction. “Wow! You guys look so sharp and colourful. What’s up?” she obliged. Immediately the children gushed that they were now a sepak takraw team. …
Another Week Beyond – 2039
Dear Friends, 2 brothers in their 60s, told us that they were finding it difficult to stay in touch with their families in Indonesia. Without SMART Phones, calls were expensive and being illiterate, texting was not an option either. They lamented that sometimes, by pressing a wrong key, $10 to $20 worth of pre-paid data is depleted without a connection. So, …
Another Week Beyond – 2038
Dear Friends, Last week, 7 youth delivered 5 performances at the Substation. “Men with Pens” featured lived experiences they had penned down, and the show was part of Septfest 2020 Fringe which featured immersive experiences to generate conversations around issues faced by various marginalised and displaced groups. In January this year, volunteers Subhas Nair and Yanni Chia began meeting youth living in the Whampoa neighbourhood; listening …
Another Week Beyond – 2035
Dear Friends, Jobs and the ability to draw an income weigh heavily on the minds of many and it is no different for the young people we engage. After speaking to more than 50 youth between 16 to 25 years old, we discovered that most wanted to explore different career paths which they were interested in. However, they felt that they …
Another Week Beyond – 2031
Dear Friends, We continued to learn from our interns. This time, from those who were helping us with our efforts at providing internet connectivity to our members. They coordinated the distribution of donated pre-loved devices and often found themselves trouble shooting when members had difficulty connecting to wi-fi or were simply fumbling with an unfamiliar device. They made it clear to …
Another Week Beyond – 2029
Dear Friends, Morris (AWB – 2026) was all smiles as he got onto a WhatsApp video call with 2 volunteer mentors. One is a psychologist running his own practice and the other, an operations manager at a health and wellness business. Last week, the Court considered the supplementary report from his probation officer and he was given a 21-month probation order. …
Another Week Beyond – 2028
Dear Friends, Today, Singapore votes. At a virtual Youth Day Celebration last Sunday, we asked our young people what they understood or thought about the elections as they were enjoying a meal prepared and delivered by a family living near them. With COVID-19 looming, we are mindful that wherever possible we provide opportunities for our members to put some money into …