SINDA connections

MICA (P) 115 ⁄ 08 ⁄ 2010

COMMEMORATING 20 YEARS JUNE 2011

$500,000 Relief Package Unveiled at the SSC Launch

( P 11)

Contents SINDA

CEO’s Message (P1) EDITORIAL TEAM

STUDENTS

Blazing the path to University with SINDA ( P 02)

STUDENTS

STEPping Up in the Next Decade

STUDENTS

Aceing the A’s with Saadhana

STUDENTS

Amazing Race @ The Zoo

(P05)

YOUTH

Young Agents of Change

( P 06)

FAMILY

COMMUNITY

FAMILY

VOLUNTEER

SINDA

( P 03)

( P 04)

Advisor: Writers & Designer: Editors: Printer:

Green House Design + Communications Pte Ltd Corporate Communications Team, SINDA Stamford Press Pte Ltd

TO SUBSCRIBE SINDA connections: – Send your home or office address to connections@sinda.org.sg

Breaking Record @ Family Day

(inform us if there’s a change in address.)

e-Newsletter: (P08)

– Send your email ID to e-news@sinda.org.sg

Community Matters: Your Views Matter ( P10 ) $500,000 Relief Package Unveiled at SSC Launch ( P11)

TO CONTRIBUTE Towards the SINDA CPF Fund: (to start contributing or increase contributions.)

One-time Donations: – Tel: 1800 295 4554

V is for Volunteer ( P12)

– www.sinda.org.sg

Indian Businessleaders Roundtable

(P14)

Watch videos on your Smartphone! Look out for these Quick Response (QR) Codes in this issue!

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Turn on 3G 2. Download a free QR code reader to your smartphone 3. Scan the QR Code

Mr T Raja Segar, CEO, SINDA

Watch SINDA events now! Here’s a video of what we were up to in 2010 ONE MORE QR CODE HIDDEN INSIDE. FIND IT! Hint: It’s DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s speech!

AR NEVER F U FROM YO SINDA’s NDA’s now on social media!

Are e you?

Meet us online at: http:// http facebook.com/mysinda h tp ht http://twitter.com/mysinda http://mysinda.tumblr.com http LOOK OUT FOR EXCITING UPDATES ONLINE!

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CEO’S MESSAGE M

Y MESSAGE FOR THIS SINDA CONNECTIONS ISSUE is an excerpt from the speech I made at the Narpani-SINDA Family Day at Downtown East on 24 April 2011. I hope to reach more through this newsletter.

SINDA turns 20 this year. Looking back at the last 20 years, we see the Indian community progressing well. Thanks to efforts by schools, families and students who have realised that the path to progress is via a good education, more are passing PSLE, GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels and going on to tertiary education. But there is still room for improvement. There is still a performance gap at landmark examinations between the Indian average and the national average.

We need to bridge this gap by reaching out to the frontrunners in the race.

When students fail subjects like Mathematics, many opportunities are closed to them. Those who qualify for tertiary institutions tend to choose softer options in terms of courses.

This usually leads to economically less-viable career prospects, which leave many in the lower income bracket or below the middleincome band.

Our education system has multiple pathways for those with varied capabilities and talents. There are still many families that have not accepted ITE (Institute of Technical Education) as an educational pathway yet. If they visit the new ITE campuses, they will most definitely change their minds.

Education is a key enabler in upward social mobility and many amongst us have proven that time and again. For those with a strong drive for excellence, Singapore offers tremendous opportunity for career and success. Students and parents need to take that to heart to excel in their studies and their work and to be recognised. Only then will we be able to positively contribute to the progress of the nation and partake in the fruit of that progress.

What is needed is a new approach. A sense of urgency needs to be felt, in order to jumpstart the action that will once and for all address the shortcomings of ourselves and our community to leave behind a life of mediocrity.

A sense of urgency needs to be felt… to leave behind a life of mediocrity.

SINDA cannot do this alone. It needs a collaborative effort from teachers, volunteers, temples, mosques, churches and sub-ethnic community organisations to guide our chilldren. Hence, we invite more of you to come into the picture to ensure that, as a community, we focus more on doing the right things.

Parents, strive to create a good home environment for your children. Save more; spend on your children’s education; take action when you see them underperform and be involved in their schools.

Likewise, Second Language teachers can do more to reach out to these children. Whether from Tamil, Punjabi, Hindi, Gujarati or Bengali schools, you have first-hand contact like no other with the future Indian community. Leaders of community and religious organisations are also great agents for reaching out, motivating the community and addressing issues when you see them.

Finally, I appeal to our students to aim high and never give up. You have the power to create your own future. Seek and seize the opportunities that are around you. Life is an exercise in balance.

Don’t let time pass you by. Understand that time will not return. Do the right thing now. Seize the day!

As SINDA plans for the next 10 years, we must function in a different manner to ensure the community succeeds. Together, we can stand tall in Singapore.

Raja Segar CEO

Mr Raja Segar (extreme left) with a participating team in ‘Amazing Race at the Zoo’ (P05)

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BLAZING

A PATH

TO UNIVERSITY WITH SINDA NDA “MY NAME ME IS K. PAVITRA KANAIAH. I have been offere offered fered a place at the National University of Singapore pore to do a Science Degree.”

The pride that shines through this innocuous statement is wonderful. It is the heartfelt joy of a young girl from a disadvantaged family, who was once barely scoring C6 grades in school.

Pavitra’s story is one of triumph against tremendous odds. Her father is the sole breadwinner of the family. He suffers from heart disease. Her mother requires regular medical attention and is unable to work. The family was plagued by financial difficulties as she was growing up.

Pavitra shares, “Our only goal and aim was to pursue a Degree in order to improve our situation.”

SINDA became involved in Pavitra’s quest for success when she was in Secondary 1. She had enrolled at the Sengkang STEP Centre and soon started scoring good grades. She did well in her “O” level exams, earning a place at Serangoon Junior College.

Pavitra attributes her good results to her dedicated and patient tutors who spent their time selflessly with students.

However, while at Junior College, Pavitra found herself faltering in her studies.

By the second year, she was getting “Ungraded” scores ores in all subjects. She realised that she needed help and her zeal to succeed saw her enrolling in the Saadhana tuition programme on a full subsidy. This academic help and the redoubling of her efforts consequently earned her a place at NUS. “Even today, my family is still benefiting from SINDA,” says Pavitra. Since 2005, SINDA has provided both her and her brothers bursary awards and financial aid. She elaborates, “There was a point in time when we were unable to pay for my brothers’ ‘O’ Level and my ‘A’ Level fees. SINDA immediately responded with financial help. We would not have been able to carry on with our education otherwise.”

Pavitra’s two younger brothers are also former STEP students who have done well in the 2010 ‘O’ Levels. Both K. Rohinesh and K. Revinesh are now in junior college. Pavitra is grateful for the assistance accorded to her family, “My family and I are very grateful to SINDA!” And SINDA is proud of these motivated young siblings who are rising above their circumstances to take their place as stars of the future.

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++ + Mo Model Mathematician Sums Up Success Su +

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OHANDASS KALAICHELVAN received the SINDA Excellence Award in 2009 for scoring 8 ‘A’s in his GCE ‘A’ Levels. The 20year-old’s impressive college successes include making the Raffles Junior College (RJC) Dean’s List and receiving the Prime Minister’s Book Prize as well as several national inter-school sports trophies.

Mohandass is also an active supporter of non-profit projects such as Tapestry 2008 where he helped to raise $50,000 for Singapore’s visually handicapped.

He will be reading Mathematics at Dartmouth College in the USA from September 2011 on the Defence Science Technology Agency’s (DSTA) Overseas Undergraduate Scholarship.

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Join the ranks of students such as Mohandass and strive to be among the top Indian students in Singapore! The prestigious SINDA Excellence Awards now honours students graduating from top overseas universities as well.

THE CRITERIA FOR RETURNING GRADUATES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Students must have obtained a 1st Class Honours or equivalent.

He/she should be a PSC/Statutory Board/Government scholarship holder or from prestigious universities which are ranked higher than any one of the local universities (NUS, NTU and SMU) in The Times Higher Education - World University Listings (http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-universityrankings/2010-2011/top-200.html).

So, if you are a star achiever from a distinguished overseas university, you might be our next SEA winner!!!

FOR FURTHER DETAILS & REGISTRATION, CONTACT: Dilraaj Nithya dilraaj@sinda.org.sg nithya@sinda.org.sg 63937224 63937230

STEPping Up in the Next Decade S

INDA TUTORIALS FOR ENHANCED PERFORMANCE (STEP) was one of our earliest programmes which has proven its success with countless Primary and Secondary school students for about 20 years. There are now 21 STEP centres island-wide providing tuition in English, Maths, and Science.

STEP students are now able to opt for two Maths classes a week, letting them work more on a subject that has been a concern for them. Besides simply improving grades, the STEP programme provides students with opportunities to develop their self-confidence and take charge of their life, through various enrichment activities.

For example, in April this year, 74 upper primary students from STEP centres island-wide

participated in an invigorating Heritage Trail along the scenic Singapore River.

The inter-disciplinary activity had elements of National Education, Mathematics and motivational factors infused as the children learnt about Singapore’s unique history.

Aided by high-tech mobile devices, this made for an out-of-the ordinary experience!

At STEP classes, students’ performances are monitored through centre-based tests and recognised at both centre-based prize presentations and at the Joint-Tuition Awards Ceremony.

STEP also aids in imparting skills to parents and tutors on how to nurture these students’ abilities through open communication and regular dialogues.

Best of all, families can now pay even less under the new relief package (See page 11) . There are certainly ample reasons to step into a STEP centre today.

PROJECT TEACH: Study Help at Hand REACHING OUT TO MORE STUDENTS means bringing help right to the doorstep of schools. Cue Project Teach − SINDA’s quality tuition that is both accessible and affordable. Conducted within the schools, these classes work around school hours for the students’ convenience. Small group sizes offer personalised attention, and fees are heavily subsidised. Project Teach commenced in 2001 at Stamford Primary School with 13 students. Today, SINDA reaches out to 800 students through Project Teach centres in 40 primary schools.

On 16 April 2011, SINDA President Ms Indranee Rajah and members of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees visited Project Teach at Boon Lay Garden Primary School. Project Teach students, their parents and tutors shared their views on the education of Indian students and the Project Teach programme in general.

Mrs Christina Shirley, a Project Teach tutor of eight years, observed, “I’ve built bonds with each child, their parents and the school coordinators. It’s been a blessing indeed. Some of them are now in Sec 3 and 4 and I’m teaching their younger siblings − it really strengthens my commitment!”

SINDA continues to look for opportunities to commence Project Teach centres in more Primary schools. To know more about Project Teach, log on to http://www. sinda.org.sg or write to us at project_teach@sinda.org.sg.

For the Parents...

More than just Tutorials Thought SINDA’s education programmes are just for the kids?

Think again! We don’t just help our children with their schoolwork, we make sure that their tutors and families give them the right support as well. It’s all part of SINDA’s holistic approach to giving education a boost.

Across 19 STEP centres, 500 parents attended the Parent Orientation Programme emphasising the importance of their children’s education. It was a rewarding session for parents as they had the opportunity to meet their children’s STEP tutors and centre principals. This was an opportunity many parents took to discuss how the children could improve their performance with STEP. Parents also learned about the various activities organised in their respective STEP centres.

For the Tutors...

The Tutor Orientation Programmes held in January and April proved to be fruitful and engaging sessions for SINDA’s STEP and Project Teach tutors.

New initiatives were introduced and tutors benefited from the sharing and exchange of ideas.

They also learnt useful training strategies for the classroom.

For the Students...

An exciting e-Learning initiative was launched on 27 April for STEP students at Woodlands Ring Primary School. For these students, studies have become interactive and fun, even at home! e-Learning is part of SINDA’s mission to provide quality educational programmes.

STUDENTS

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ACE-ING THE

A’S WITH SAADHANA

Saadhana is an annual ‘A’ Level tuition project spearheaded by the National University of Singapore Tamil Language Society (NUSTLS) and supported by SINDA and Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET). This year’s Saadhana kicked off on 12 March. The subsidised programme will see our Indian ‘A’ Level students giving their all in pursuit of an university education.

The programme runs from March to October each year. Don’t miss this opportunity!

For more information, visit www.nustls.org Saadhana commenced on 12 March 2011. Students are still welcome to register for classes. The fee structure below is for those who join us after 18 June.

JC1

JC2

Cost (after 50% discount for Indian students)

Date

For the next 16 weeks, you only pay: 1 subject - $123 2 subjects - $246 3 subjects - $369

Every Saturday 18 June to 1 October (16 weeks)

For the next 20 weeks, you only pay: 1 subject - $165 2 subjects - $330 3 subjects - $495

Every Saturday 18 June to 29 October (20 weeks)

Time

2-hour sessions: - 0900-1100 - 1115-1315 - 1400-1600

Subjects · · · · · ·

Maths (H1,H2) GP (H1) Economics (H1, H2) Physics (H2) Chemistry (H2) Biology (H2)

- Classes for other subjects such as Geography/History available if a minimum of 6 students sign up - Max. 3 subjects per student

Help your kids mind their maths Parents, you can help your children score in Maths. Mdm Sivakami Alagumalai nee Mrs Segar, Senior Maths Teacher at Evergreen Secondary School, offers the following tips and strategies for parents.

TIP 1: Build your child’s interest in Maths from young.

When your child is interested, half the battle is won.

Strategy: Expose your children to ‘Real World Maths’ to stimulate their thinking.

Use everyday objects such as clocks, measuring cups and counting blocks, books, etc. to introduce general mathematical concepts. Develop their interest further through simple and fun Maths articles and investigative projects from the Internet.

TIP 2: Work with your child’s Maths Teacher to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses.

Strategy 1: Talk to your child’s school teachers at the start of the new academic year, to identify areas of concern. They would be able to offer follow-up actions for parents to help address the issues.

Strategy 2: If your child requires extra time and individualised attention, you can consider enrolling him/her in SINDA’s STEP classes or the Collaborative Tuition Programme run by the self-help groups. You can also engage a tutor with good credentials and experience.

Strategy 3: Alignment with the school’s curriculum will provide consistency for your child to grasp the concepts firmly.

Strategy 4: Monitor your child’s progress. If your child is confused or is not benefiting from the extra help, step in to rectify the problem.

TIP 3: Practice makes perfect.

Strategy: Try modifying the questions in school assignments and test papers to create more practice for your child. Rope in siblings and relatives to help!

TIP 4: Help your child learn from mistakes.

Strategy: Revise papers with your child to understand his/her mistakes. Make him/her do ‘corrections’ a few times. You might want to create your own worksheets with errors and get your child to identify the mistakes.

TIP 5: Foster good time management skills.

Strategy: Daily practice within stipulated time frames will help your child ace his/her Maths examination.

TIP 6: Cultivate a climate of high achievement at home.

Strategy: While you inspire your child to aim for high goals, remember to set realistic targets in consultation with the subject teacher. Celebrate every success!

Verbal and non-verbal affirmation (like putting up a “Well Done” card) will motivate your child to better the performance.

A supportive home environment is crucial in a child’s academic and social development. Believe that your children can excel in Maths, and reap the rewards with them!

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AMAZING RACE

at the zoo

W

STUDENTS

HAT WERE NEARLY 100 students racing (and horsing!) around the Singapore Zoological Gardens for? It was all in the pursuit of education, of course!

Besides solving Maths challenges, Science Quizzes and English Puzzles, these Primary 5 and 6 students from five schools had a day of team-building and confidenceraising fun as they defied the morning heat and afternoon rain to hunt down answers to numerous quizzes through various games.

This motivational activity held on 19 February was organised by SINDA in collaboration with the Raffles Institution Junior College Indian Cultural Society, as part of SINDA’s Project ect GuidE.

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Winning Strategies for PSLE Students

It was well worth the effort for about 200 students who turned up at Cheng San Community Centre on a Sunday morning.

Under the motivational coaching of Mr Vijayan Nambiar on 20 March and 5 June, this Primary 6 cohort of Indian kids tackled tricky Maths questions with renewed confidence.

Maths was no longer tedious work when a winning mindset was adopted, and by the end of the day, it was bright smiles all around as most participants showed remarkable improvements in their post-test results.

PLANET JC ‘Where to... after Junior College?’

Views and ideas were abundant as 50 Junior College students came together at the LASALLE College of the Arts to consider paths to success through Junior College and beyond. There to inspire them were three exemplary Indian youths who have excelled in their respective fields: LTC Gaurav Keerthi, Air Force Pilot; Mr Joel Arun, NUS medical student; and Ms Lingehswari Eisvran, Teacher at Bukit Panjang Government High School.

A GuidE to Excellence

Learning is always more effective when coupled with fun, and with SINDA, learning is always exciting!

More than 100 Primary 5 and 6 students had a whale of a time at SINDA’s Project GuidE motivational workshop on 16 April. Held at Republic Polytechnic, trainers and facilitators from Nascans Pte Ltd taught them how to maximise their potential with skills such as selfunderstanding, self-motivation, goal setting and time management.

They also benefited from fun English, Mathematics and Science enrichment activities.

P1 STARTERS ‘A RIGHT START TO A BRIGHT FUTURE’ - that’s what 50 parents pledged for their children when they attended the P1 Starters seminar on 26 March at SINDA. SINDA’s Senior Director, Mrs Sarojini Padmanathan; Principal of Fernvale Primary School, Mdm V Balakrishna; and Nascans

Pte Ltd’s Principal Consultant, Dr Chris Koh gave tips to the parents while the graduating kindergarteners enjoyed Maths and Science games in another room.

Parents took home key lessons on building strong bonds with their little ones and easing their transition from kindergarten

to primary school. “It was indeed very good.

We should have more such workshops,” enthused participant Ravichandran.

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LEARNING AT KERALA FROM 15 TO 20 MARCH THIS YEAR, seven of our Youth Leaders embarked on a community engagement and study trip to Kuchapuram, Kerala. Visiting the K. E. Carmel Central School opened their eyes to the importance of non-schoolbased support for under-achieving students.

Kerala has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia.

Leveraging on existing partnerships between Singapore’s Ministry of Education and Kerala’s educational institutions, the SINDA Youth Leaders Programme (SYLP) participants aimed to generate ideas and identify processes that can be modified for our own SINDA STEP pupils.

The interaction with the Kerala community proved insightful, and our SYLP participants will subsequently conduct a comparative analysis between Kerala and Singapore as part of the ‘Act to Change’ programme (see article below - ‘Young Agents of Change’).

In Conversation Series

Young agents of

CHANGE Developing the next generation of youth leaders has been an aspiration of SINDA, and under our flagship SINDA Young Leaders Programme (SYLP), there are currently 11 young leaders actively engaged in community building projects.

One on-going endeavour is SYLP’s ‘Act to Change’ programme, in which participants initiate, design and implement a local project based on an actual community need.

Complementing this is a requisite overseas study trip, (see other story, Learning at Kerala).

‘Act to Change’ has seen SYLP participants at SINDA’s STEP centres since January to study how Indian parents can motivate their children to achieve their best. SINDA is proud to champion these young leaders’ efforts.

If you are between 17 and 25 years of age and are interested in contributing to Singapore’s Indian community, do get in touch to find out more about the SYLP. Contact Ramesh at 6393 7256 or ramesh@sinda.org.sg

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NDIAN YOUTH ARE NOT SHYING AWAY from issues of community responsibility. On the contrary, 60 tertiary students and young working professionals took full advantage of an opportunity to engage Dr Maliki Osman, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development, in a lively debate on 11 April.

The event, centred on ‘Community Matters - From Service to Leadership’, had Dr Maliki sharing his experiences in the social services sector while the youths brought their concerns and offered fresh perspectives. The ICS is a regular SYC dialogue with prominent community leaders and outstanding industry professionals from various fields.

Look out for our next session with Mr Moonshi Mohsenruddin, CEO of CommGate Inc. Mr Moonshi will recount his journey of self-improvement from being a 14-year old school dropout to attaining his current success.

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16 TEAMS OF INDIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS battled it out at the SINDA-TRC Futsal Fiesta on 26 March 2011, in an exciting display of skill and fitness.

This was the first time that SINDA, through our Youth Club, has been a partner in the Tamils Representative Council (TRC)’s annual futsal competition, allowing us to reach out to more students for our STEP Tuition Centres and other youth based activities.

“The event was amazing!” exclaimed Jeremiaah George, 17, from the winning team, Stadio C. “We didn’t expect to win the trophy today. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.” His team beat Stadio A to bring home the challenge trophy and a $500 Sportslink voucher.

Mr Inderjit Singh, SINDA Term Trustee & Member of Parliament (MP) for Ang Mo Kio GRC gave away the prizes.

Little Steps, Big Footprints What did the well-received programmes, DraMaths, Amazing Race and Study Smart have in common? They were all organised by the Raffles Institution Junior College Indian Cultural Society (RIJC ICS).

To encourage their continued journey with SINDA, the President of SINDA hosted the young Gryphons to an appreciation dinner themed “Footprints”, in April. We look forward to these young volunteers becoming long-term champions and supporters!

A ROUSING ROADSHOW AT ITE WHAT MOTIVATES STUDENTS TO GIVE THEIR BEST AND ACHIEVE THEIR AMBITIONS? Four Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates shared their inspiring success stories at the ITE Roadshow on 15 April.

The 260 ITE students in attendance also heard from Mr Moonshi Mohsenruddin, who transformed from school dropout to tech company CEO. In addition, Vasantham artistes entertained the students at the event held at ITE College East.

Internationally lauded, ITE is at the cutting edge of vocational institutes. ITE students can look forward to a bright future on successfully completing their courses, with one in four expected to advance to the polytechnics by 2015, and 90% of job-seekers finding employment within six months. The encouragement from the roadshow will certainly motivate our ITE students further!

YOUTH

Fun-tastic Futsal!

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FAMILY DAY W

HAT A CELEBRATION! The Narpani-SINDA Family Day was a grand event, with more than 7,000 people at Downtown East on Sunday, 24 April.

The occasion was graced by His Excellency President S R Nathan, who called it “a very special event for all of us in the Indian community”.

As part of SINDA’s 20th anniversary, we partnered PA’s Narpani Pearavai for the first time in the Family Day event, which was organised together with the South East and North East Indian Activity Executive Committees (IAECs).

Both President Nathan and SINDA CEO Mr Raja Segar urged each family and the Indian community to work harder to eliminate the academic underperformance of Indian students. Mr Raja stressed, “We all know that education is a key enabler in upward social mobility.” He added, “A sense of urgency needs to be felt... to address the shortcomings (and) lack of vibrancy.”

The day’s exciting programme included 1,741 participants coming together to earn a place in the Singapore Book of Records for the ‘Most Number of People Painting at One Location’. Among them were Indians from all walks of life, capturing the spirit of the event tagline, ‘A Brighter Future, Together’.

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FAMILY

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We, as family and community, need to motivate our children and youth so that they would aspire for greater success in education and the attainment of success as they embark on careers.

President S R Nathan

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS included the donation of computers to 20 needy students, as well as a stage version of the popular “Enna Nadakuthu” or “What is happening?” Tamil television programme.

Visitors were delighted to interact with popular Vasantham artistes from the “Uncle Taxi” variety show, and enjoyed an Aarokkia Aattam demonstration, besides other games and fun-filled activities promoting active and healthy living.

‘Edu-tainment’ for the children came in the form of a ‘MAD’ Scientist and MatheMagician, while SINDA officers manned booths reaching out to parents to enrol their children in the various educational/ enrichment programmes. Participants also took advantage of the good weather to enjoy free entry to the WildWildWet and Escape theme parks.

COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY MATTERS YOUR VIEWS MATTER

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FTER 20 YEARS OF RAISING the educational and socioeconomic profile of the Indian community, SINDA is re-assessing its position in the Indian community and charting the way forward.

As we gear up to do more, we have reached out to hear the views and opinions of the community.

Sixteen Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) held from January through May this year yielded valuable feedback. The groups comprised of various educational, family and community stakeholders, involving parents, students, teachers, social workers, media personnel and beneficiaries, as well as community and religious leaders. Mr Bimel Ram, one of the FGD facilitators, remarked, “It was a rare opportunity to get a first hand glimpse into the psyche of various sub-ethnic groups of the Indian Singaporean community”.

In addition, two Dialogue sessions were held in April. SINDA consulted community leaders and professionals in retrospect of the last 20 years and in planning the initiatives for the next decade.

We engaged more than 250 members of the community through the FGDs and Dialogues.

This interaction has proved to be a constructive exercise. Significant themes were highlighted in issues concerning parenting, nursery education, youth motivation, and perception of SINDA. These qualitative findings will complement a quantitative study done by professional study teams looking into education and family issues.

The review will allow SINDA to further fine-tune our services to better suit the needs of the community.

Look out for the full report, to be released in September 2011!

So, what are some of the perspectives from the ground? Let’s hear it from two of our FGD facilitators...

MR BIMEL RAM

MR MAHENDRAN REDDY

• On the Focus Group Discussions:

• On issues facing the community:

“It was amazing how diverse the perspectives, understanding and thoughts about the state of the community and the approaches to handle them were.”

“The main feedback shows SINDA’s on the

• On SINDA’s performance: “SINDA, given its infrastructure, contribution from the community and connectivity, was seen by most, regardless of background as the organisation that is best equipped to handle not just educational pursuits but also the socio-economic issues of the community.”

right path, focusing on education to raise the standard of the masses; that this is the area to fund. Another main concern was the ability of parents to provide a conducive learning environment for their children.

SINDA needs to provide a programme to educate and equip parents for the task.”

• On what can be done: “The current cohort of Primary 1 Indian students needs to be nurtured. We’ll have to provide resources so they can adopt the needed skill sets for school and life. We will track their performance (in not just academic development but also Sport, Music and the Arts) until Primary 6, and then you’ll have the results to show for it. The financial contribution by every Indian Singaporean could be tagged to a percentage of their salaries to fund this. It’s a radical idea to achieve substantial momentum for educational excellence amongst Indian Singaporeans.”

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Unveiled at SSC Launch

S

INDA’S STEP AND TEACH STUDENTS are among those who will benefit from a $500,000 boost as part of the ‘Grow & Share’ relief package announced by SINDA. Amidst rising inflation, families can breathe a little easier with increased help from SINDA education bursaries, to the tune of $220,000. The current 1,650 bursary recipients from Primary to JC level can look forward to a monthly $20 top-up to their current awards.

The bursary criteria has also been tweaked to allow more students to benefit from the scheme, with ‘Nett’ income replacing ‘Gross’ income in the consideration, and the per capita income ceiling raised from $450 to $600 for families with special circumstances. $210,000 has been earmarked for students in SINDA’s academic programmes, STEP and Teach, on top of the existing subsidies SINDA already offers. Those whose household per capita income is below $600 will enjoy a full fee waiver, while those with a higher income will pay only 50% of the fees.

The rest of the relief package goes towards vouchers, ezlink cards and food rations for the beneficiaries of SINDA Family Service Centre to offset the increase in the cost of living. This additional family assistance is valued at $70,000.

The relief package was announced by DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman of SINDA, at the official launch of the SINDA Service Centre (SSC) on 26 March 2011.

Located at Jurong Point, the SSC is a more accessible one-stop information and referral point for families living in Western Singapore.

Preparing healthy meals for your child The best way to encourage your children to eat healthily is to set an example by eating well yourself. Try these simple steps:

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Whole-grains may not be the most palatable to your child, but they are healthier and keep your child full for a longer time. Have whole-grain bread for breakfast, chapatti for lunch and wholewheat biscuits at snack time. Use wholemeal flour when cooking or include brown rice as part of a main meal.

Healthy Snacks For The Growing Child Keep your fridge stacked with cheese, low-fat milk and yoghurt. If your child is not allergic to nuts, unsalted cashew nuts and almonds work well too. Limit snacks such as potato chips and cookies to special occasions. Bake chips instead of frying them.

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Get The Goodness From Fruit

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Be Creative With Vegetables

Cut fruit of variety of colours into fun shapes and chill them for a nutritious afternoon snack.

Be innovative. Include vegetables in your child’s diet by grating them into scrambled eggs or slipping them into sandwiches.

Want to watch DPM Tharman’s speech?

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INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Turn on 3G 2. Download a free QR code reader to your smartphone 3. Scan the QR Code

Whole-grains for a Better Fill

Go For Sugar-Free Drinks Curb your child’s sweet tooth by replacing sugary drinks with plain water. Water is the

best thirst quencher!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HEALTH PROMOTION BOARD

SINDA KIDS WIN LEGO LEAGUE AWARDS

J

UST TWO MONTHS OF TRAINING was all it took for two S SINDA teams from Project Athena to bag an award each at a LEGO robotics competition in January. Of the 37 competing teams, SINDA’s “Brilliante Challengers” won the Rising Stars award, while “Commando Machiners” won the Creative Quality award. 16 awards were given out in this FIRST LEGO League (FLL) event.

Ms Baonee Tham, the volunteer who coached our teams, won the Best Mentor award.

FAMILY

$500,000 RELIEF PACKAGE

VOLUNTEER

12

V is for Verve...

Vibrancy...

Vitality...

V is for Volunteer!

V OLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED

largely to SINDA’s success in the last 20 years.

As we look forward to the next 10, we hope there will be more of you who will share our aim of reaching out to the less privileged members of the Singapore Indian community.

Our volunteers are key to the success of our programmes; from reading to children at our Reading Circle programme at centres islandwide to mentoring youth. They distribute gift hampers to families during festive seasons. Lawyers offer free legal advice to families with issues. Of different ages and walks of life, they give freely of their time to assist those who need help.

There’s never a time like now to take that first step to be a volunteer. SINDA is constantly on the look out for enthusiastic,

A RECIPE FOR KINDNESS

committed individuals to join our team. Having twice won the National Volunteerism Award for our Volunteer Management System, SINDA is well placed to help translate your good intentions into action. Students, you too are welcome to fulfil your Community Involvement Programme (CIP) hours with us.

Every effort is valued, and we do our part to keep our volunteers motivated, honouring them through our appreciation tea events.

Log on to www.sinda.org.sg to learn about how you can help.

Call: 1800 – 295 4554 Email: volunteer@sinda.org.sg

At a Cairnhill Community Club event held on 16 January, Chef Dorothy raised $1000 for Project Give through sales of her book.

For some people, doing what they love is all the more satisfying when it is for a good cause. Take celebrity chef Mrs Dorothy Krishnan, who has dished up more than just recipes with her latest publication, ‘The EZ Cookbook’ − she’s stirred up a good deal of compassion for the less fortunate too.

Mrs Krishnan has donated 300 copies of her cookbook to raise funds for SINDA’s annual fund-raising campaign, Project Give.

Get a taste of her culinary creations and help the underprivileged at the same time, by purchasing her cookbook today! Copies of The EZ Cookbook are still available at $25 each − call 6298 5911 to purchase. All proceeds go towards Project Give.

{

ALL FOR THE LOVE OF READING

IAVE Delegates visit SINDA O

N 22 JANUARY, SINDA was

proud to host 15 delegates from the 21st International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) World Youth Volunteer Conference.

With the aim of gaining an insight into the local volunteering scene, the conference representatives learnt about SINDA’s various volunteer-driven programmes and services. These youths, who hailed from Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, observed our volunteers at work during a reading session, and later interacted with both volunteers and kids.

The IAVE Conference was jointly organised by the Singapore Management University (SMU), the National Youth Achievement Award - Gold Award Holders Alumni (NYAAGAHA) and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

{ } Mesmerising Entertainment for the Little Ones

What does it take to keep 80 young children rapt in their seats? A master story-teller! On 26 February, children from SINDA’s reading programmes were captivated by the storytelling skills of Ms Rosemarie Somaiah. The free session was conducted in collaboration with the Asian Storytelling Network. A big hit with the children, such events will go some way in spurring on their reading efforts.

I think that Project Read is one of the best projects that SINDA has initiated. We open up a whole new horizon when children can read...

I

T IS THIS STRONG BELIEF THAT DROVE JACINTA to be involved in Project Read, despite her busy schedule as a legal counsel with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). For more than a year, she has been working with children from a family that resettled here from India. Project Read has given her an avenue to contribute her time productively and work with children too, something that she enjoys.

Jacinta’s young charge Fatima is older than the rest of her Primary 4 cohort at school and she has two siblings − Karim, a younger brother in Primary 2 and Shahul, an older brother (pseudonyms are used for beneficiaries). Most Saturdays, Jacinta helps Fatima and Karim with English and their schoolwork. She even introduced phonetics to help fine-tune Karim’s reading skills.

Jacinta always finds new ways to make language learning interesting. She once bought Fatima a hardcover book with decorative stones on it; Fatima has been recording new words and meanings in the book. From time to time, they also discuss newspaper articles.

Jacinta has developed a good rapport with Fatima’s family. Knowing that one’s time goes towards a useful purpose is fulfilling in itself, but to be appreciated and to see results is the icing on the cake. Recently, Jacinta was heartened to learn that her students’ oral exam results have improved. She also observed that the children were starting to cultivate good reading habits, encouraged by their mother. These things spur her on in her journey of volunteerism.

... You need commitment to be part of a project like this. Once you have engaged a child, keep going. When you see that the child can read, you will feel a great sense of fulfillment.

– Jacinta Mahtani, a SINDA volunteer

VOLUNTEER

13

14

Indian Businessleaders Roundtable THE INDIAN BUSINESSLEADERS ROUNDTABLE (IBR) was established in February this year. A SINDA initiative, the IBR is set to engage prominent Indian professionals in Singapore on issues relating to the Singapore Indian community, as well as in fund raising efforts.

Mr Girija Pande, Chairman of IBR, had this message for these distinguished newcomers, “You may be surprised to learn of the large needs that exist even in a country like Singapore. The onus is on us to help (the less fortunate) lead more fruitful lives.” Mr Pande is Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, Asia Pacific and a Trustee of SINDA. IBR is the first formal forum through which recently-arrived senior Indian business leaders and professionals (the cream of the Indian diaspora now based in Singapore) are brought together. Invited members range from those serving on public sector boards, to senior leaders in private enterprises and multi-national companies.

They will bring to the table their collective expertise and networks to help contribute to the welfare of the local Indian community.

SINDA hopes to benefit from IBR’s advice, and leverage on their connections to support its wider mission. IBR promises to be an enriching and rewarding endeavour for those involved. This is a fulfilling way for recently-arrived Indian professional talent to contribute and sink roots in Singapore.

INSPIRATIONAL TALKS Tips for parents were aplenty at the workshop “How Parents Can Help Their Children Do Better in Their Studies and Behaviour” on 25 February this year. It was conducted at Beatty Secondary School by Mrs Sarojini Padmanathan, SINDA’s Senior Director. Dr M Andal, a Tamil teacher at the school, shares the feedback gathered from the event:

“The concise and inspirational talk helped parents develop more positive attitudes in their teenagers.

The speaker is very knowledgeable and had a good understanding of children. The concept she shared, of knowing your teenagers by getting to know yourself, is very helpful.”

PLEDGING TO SCORE Livesha is a 12-year-old who attended SINDA’s Winning Strategies seminar for PSLE students. It was conducted

by Mr Vijayan Nambiar. Livesha says:“Thank

you for having me at the seminar. I really learned a lot of simple methods to solve maths questions and also have made new friends! I will never forget this help and I will prove to you that I WILL get As or A stars for my PSLE!”

YOUR VOICE

FROM DETRACTOR TO SUPPORTER Mr Raghavan Prem Kumar approached SINDA as a beneficiary seeking assistance for his son’s education and other needs. He did not expect to receive much help and has since been touched by the courtesy and genuine concern shown by SINDA’s officers. He says:

“In these troubled times, most of us in the low income bracket have given up hope. However, the people at SINDA, especially Ms Vigneswari and Mr Ragu (both from SINDA Service Centre at Jurong Point) and Mr Saravanan GS (from the Youth Department) have put in their time and effort to make my life better. I really appreciate them from the bottom of my heart.”

15

About SINDA VISION To build a strong and vibrant Singaporean Indian community together

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MISSION To build a well-educated, resilient and confident community of Indians that stands together with the other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore

Chairman, Board of Trustees Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam

VALUES Respect, our culture Integrity, our foundation Service, our promise Excellence, our pursuit

Patron Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Life Trustees Professor S Jayakumar Mr S Dhanabalan Mr S Chandra Das Mr J Y Pillay Mr Sat Pal Khattar Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Mr K Shanmugam Dr N Varaprasad Term Trustees Mr Bobby Chin Yoke Choong Mr Ravi Menon

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Mr Inderjit Singh Ms Indranee Rajah Mr Haider M Sithawalla Mr V Shankar Mr M Rajaram Mr Hsieh Fu Hua BG Ravinder Singh Mr R Jayachandran Mr Gautam Banerjee Mr Girija Pande

President, Executive Committee Ms Indranee Rajah

Advisors Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Mr S Iswaran Mr Hri Kumar Nair

Treasurer Mr Subramaniam Iyer

Vice Presidents, Executive Committee Mr Viswa Sadasivan Mr Shabbir Hassanbhai, PBM Secretary Mr Sarjit Singh

Members – Executive Committee Mr V P Jothi Mr R Rajaram Mr Aaron Maniam Mr Naseer Ghani Mr Puvan Ariaratnam Mr P Thirunal Karasu, BBM Dr Joshua V M Kuma

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