11 minute read
Programmes & Events
Back to school festival
With safe-distancing measures still in place, SINDA’s annual Back To School Festival (BTSF) last November had quite a different feel. Unlike previous years, there was no carnival to celebrate the end of the academic year, and the BTSF school kits—a cherished tradition—were collected over 11 days.
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Even so, parents such as Senthamarai d/o V Subramaniam were glad to receive the kits—comprising $180 worth of book, stationery and shoe vouchers—again. Senthamarai runs a small home-based business while her husband cares for their four children. Equally appreciative of SINDA’s support during a difficult year was single mum Nasheela Begum d/o Nizammudin, who says the family “always looks forward to BTSF”. She explained, “(It allows) me to purchase good books, stationery and shoes for my children.”
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and President of SINDA Ms Indranee Rajah noted that BTSF is “a huge part of SINDA’s DNA”, and testified that the spirit of the event remained despite its toned-down activities.
Meeting several of the BTSF recipients and their families virtually during the launch of the Festival, Ms Indranee urged them to remain resilient and to stay positive in order to prevail over trying times.
She also highlighted two key points: the first, that education continues to remain very important and the second, that getting the right support is also important. Ms Indranee assured parents that such assistance will continue until the Covid-19 situation eases. “Having the right support, and having it at the right time, will ensure that you continue to be cared for, while you overcome personal challenges,” she affirmed.
“When Covid-19 struck, our financial situation worsened and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to cater to their needs. It’s a relief to know that even in the current situation, I can rely on SINDA’s help to ease my expenses and ensure my children are prepared for school next year.
Senthamarai d/o V Subramaniam, BTSF Recipient “Take heart,” Ms Indranee encouraged everyone. “Lean on these support structures, so that these can be your pillars of strength in times of need.” Indeed, SINDA will be here for you.
Visit us at www.sinda.org.sg to explore how we can help today.
For BTSF 2020, a total of
$630,000
worth of school kits was distributed to 3,500 disadvantaged students from every academic level, primary to tertiary.
Connect with us at www.sinda.org.sg/contact-us to benefit from our various help schemes today.
SINDA Appreciation Ceremony 2021
Thank you..
…to our many supportive community partners, to our scores of dedicated volunteers, to caring schools, to tireless sub-committee and resource panel members.
On 13 March, 208 of our heroes were recognised at the biennial SINDA Appreciation Ceremony, with Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Chairman of SINDA, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Guest-of-Honour at the virtual event.
Even as SINDA President Ms Indranee Rajah highlighted the importance of collective action, award recipients shared what this looks like—like the Chong Pang Indian Activity Executive Committee, whose ground engagements together with SINDA enable it to identify needs and provide appropriate help, its Chairman Mr Subramaniam Ramasamy says. Or Sengkang Secondary School, whose Principal, Mr Koh Yiak Kheng, appreciates how working closely with SINDA provides extra assistance where needed to encourage every student to succeed.
SINDA’s programmes had to adapt to Covid-19 in 2020. However, with strong support from the close to 1,000 volunteers, partners and schools SINDA works with, students and families in need continued to be cared for.
For 19-year-old Sivakami Arunachalam, a youth volunteer with SINDA since 2018, Ms Indranee’s remark about how volunteerism “enriches the spirit” resonates. From reading to children when she started, Sivakami has gone on to connect with other groups within the community. “My volunteering journey with SINDA has given me so much confidence,” she says, calling her work “very rewarding!”.
Appreciated at SAC 2021
66 Community Partners 42 Volunteers
68 Schools
32 Sub-Committees and Resource Panels
The project has benefitted 14 participants thus far in improving their diets and maintaining healthy glucose levels.
DoVE Project
The Diet & Lifestyle Optimization and Value Enrichment (DoVE) pilot diabetic project started with an initial plan to engage participants through participating clinics. With Witz-U care team members, SINDA volunteers and HEB’s support, we are set to reach our target of assisting 200 middle-aged Indians diagnosed with diabetes to effectively and efficiently manage their condition through a guided wellness lifestyle.
SINDA volunteers have stepped up to be Care Coordinators for this project. Trained by professionals, volunteers will follow clients on an 8-week wellness journey by supporting them with food intake journaling and weekly reviews. Through this project, we hope to drive and develop better eating and wellness habits among our Indian community.
Vaccination Outreach Booths
Supporting the national drive to encourage more seniors to be vaccinated against Covid-19, SINDA has joined hands with the Ministry of Health and community organisations such as the Hindu Endowments Board to engage the Indian community. Through booths at various temples, mosques and churches, SINDA volunteers have been able to engage members of the public, helping them get up-to-date information on vaccination concerns and registering them for vaccinations. Seniors have been a priority target group as they are at a high risk of serious medical issues if they remain unvaccinated and many seniors among us remain unaware or misinformed about the benefits of the vaccine.
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such booth engagements were held in August. 3909 members of the public were engaged through these activities.
It is a big heart that welcomes students of every stripe and cares for them as its own. When it is a Big Heart that draws strength from the four Self Help Groups (SHGs)— Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Eurasian Association (EA), Yayasan MENDAKI and SINDA—the beat is all the more compelling.
In 2015, the four SHGs agreed to set up and operate 30 school-based student care centres (SCCs) together, tapping on each community’s resources. This venture was incorporated the next year as Self Help Groups Student Care Limited (SHGSCL) and branded as Big Heart Student Care. On 18 February this year, its 5th anniversary, their goal was met with the opening of the 30th care centre at Zhangde Primary School.
5 Years & 30 Big Hearts
Big Heart SCC@Zhangde joins the others in offering conducive after-school care in an inclusive, home-like environment, where students of all backgrounds feel welcome and accepted. Here, they receive complementary educational and developmental support, and learn to contribute to society. Subsidies from the SHGs mean parents have peace of mind about the cost of providing a safe and nurturing place for their children outside the home.
A total of 4,200 students are now enrolled across the 30 Big Heart SCCs.
Career Showcase Google CV workshop
A Community and Career Showcase with Workforce Singapore (WSG), highlighting the complementary roles of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and WSG in employment facilitation, was held at Bedok Town Square on 5 May 2021. About 300 jobseekers looking for immediate hiring opportunities were shortlisted for job interviews with employers. WSG received feedback from jobseekers that they benefitted from the services and information provided by the SHGs.
SINDA collaborated with Google, Mendaki and Codette Project, to conduct a virtual CV writing & job interview skills workshop. Attended by 64 participants from our Mentor Me programme, the workshop provided our youths with the right skills to attain a job of choice and the knowledge to work towards their desired career pathway. Some Google staff have previously volunteered with SINDA as mentors in the Mentor Me programme.
Mentor Me
Inaugurated in 2018, SINDA’s Mentor Me programme is designed to enable deserving Indian polytechnic and university students to achieve their personal, academic and career goals. Besides gaining access to specialised workshops, and these tertiary students are matched to relevant industry professionals based on their fields of study. With the aid of structured mentoring curricula, mentors interact with their mentees to share knowledge and experiences and provide quality guidance. In 2020, 104 Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET) bursary students were matched to 102 mentors. In place of the originally planned for face-to-face interactions, students had to embark on a virtual mentoring journey for the five-month duration due to Covid-19.
In 2021, in addition to 120 SIET students, SINDA is collaborating with the Hindu Endowment Board (HEB) and Nagore Dargah, Singapore to offer this programme to scholarship and bursary students.
Moreover, some 40 captains of industry through SINDA’s Indian Businessmen Roundtable (IBR) are mentors in the programme.
A Partnership for Success
“The sessions where my mentor and I discussed my strengths and weaknesses taught me that I can use my strengths to manage my weaknesses. Values have always been a big part of who I am. However, I never knew that my values could be interconnected. When my mentor Ameen asked which value was the most important, I was taken aback as they were equally significant to me. He mentioned the intention behind this question was to see how I connect the most important value to the rest of my values. “
— Pearlin Benita Love, Nursing at NYP (Mentee)
“With this being my first mentoring experience, I was truly happy to be able to guide my mentee and share with her my experiences and knowledge, and contribute to her growth. Also, it was heartening to hear during her sharing at the recent SINDA Youth Awards how I had guided her and contributed to her development. Thank you once again for the opportunity, SINDA.”
— Muhamed Al Ameen, Mentor
Platforms for Engaging with the Community
The Big Book Giveaway
Everybody loves a good story, so what better way to show some care than to share a preloved book? Partnering with the National Library Board for its annual Literary Festival, SINDA distributed over 1,000 books at various locations islandwide. The Big Book Giveaway ran from April all the way to July, in a bid to spur the passion for reading throughout our community.
Hari Raya Meal Distributions
We continued our Acts of Care during festive seasons, with a distribution of over 500 sponsored meals and goodies during Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji to the homes of 115 Indian-Muslim families. The meals, which were sponsored by Islamic Restaurant, were distributed across the island by SINDA volunteers, in compliance with safe-distancing measures.
13th IBR Dialogue
The 13th Indian Business Leaders’ Roundtable (IBR) Dialogue was held on 6 April 2021, as a hybrid webinar, conducted physically and virtually with 120 guests in attendance. Featuring Guest Speaker Minister Ong Ye Kung, the dialogue addressed inclusivity, cooperation between Singapore and India, steering the Singapore economy in a post-Covid-19 world, creating opportunities for job-seekers in a changing landscape and Singapore-India economic opportunities.
SINDA Community Impact Fund
The SINDA Community Impact Fund (SCIF) was set up with the aim of supporting innovative and impactful solutions for the betterment of the Indian community. SCIF provides seed funding to individuals and organisations whose inventive ideas are driven by a social purpose to improve lives.
In 2020, through SCIF, SINDA offered funding to Club2Care, an organisation that works towards bridging the gaps and upholding the mental well-being of our Indian community. The volunteer-driven organisation raises awareness of mental health issues through free counselling services and outreach efforts such as panel discussions and talks. SINDA’s funding helped Club2Care to launch several initiatives, including an online panel discussion in conjunction with World Mental Health Day and mental health training for Indian organisations. Encouraged by the public’s response, Club2Care is galvanised to do more.
We faced funding challenges but with SINDA’s support we have been able to continue our work, especially in these challenging times. Importantly, this has opened new opportunities to work with other organisations, increased public awareness and improved our visibility. With greater awareness of Club2Care, we hope that more people will step forward to seek help and utilise our services.”
Get in touch or find out more at www.sinda-grants.org or www.club2care.com
Shakthi's Care and Share Corner
Encouraged by her school’s Project Smile programme that helps less fortunate families, seven-year-old Shakthi Saravanan decided she wanted her June holiday Passion Project to help anyone in need. With the help of her parents, the Lianhua Primary School student set up a “Care and Share Corner” at BLK 170 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8.
Using her own savings, Shakthi launched the initiative by purchasing essential items such as canned food, cooking oil, packet drinks, instant noodles and biscuits so that anyone in need would be able to take what they required. The sharing corner has since gone on to help many people all over Singapore and has also seen family, friends and volunteers step forward to donate items.
Find her on Facebook and Instagram at Shakthi’s Care and Share Corner.
