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very safe when I’m with them. Going deeper into these relationships helped me find my kids’ different gifts and skills. They are competitive and very present in their daily interactions, with the desire to have as much fun as possible now. They are not as concerned about the future as they are focussed on what the present holds. As community workers, we’re trying to equip them to survive in a larger economy and environment that’s different from what they’re growing up in.” What role does education play for the kids you work with in rental blocks?
FRIENDS OF SATURDAY KIDS
We need to respect kids, honour their opinions and not take away their dignity. Even if their opinions and values don’t align with your objectives, it shouldn’t stop you from creating an environment where they can succeed – that’s our duty as adults.”
Sometimes doing good and making an impact is really not as straightforward or as simple as it may seem. While we’ve been running Code in the Community and working with corporates to run programmes for under-privileged kids for years, we’re continually learning about ensuring the impact we make is sustainable and meaningful for all involved, especially the kids.
Hey Abhi - could you tell us about your role as a community worker? “I’d call myself an enabler who plays the role of facilitating relationships between different groups of people.” You come from a technical background in data science. How did you end up doing the community work that you do now?
Sense.” What does community work mean to you? “Community work is definitely a two-way relationship. You’re not just giving to someone. I’m learning from the community as well about how to live, and how to have an impact on someone else.
“My journey began when I was growing up in India when I was younger – I lived in a community of families where we all knew each other. At 5.30pm, without fail, we’d all go out and play, and we’d all be well-fed and cared for wherever we were. I missed that when we moved to Singapore.
I wanted to understand the lived realities of communities and learn about what it’s really like on the ground, which led me to join Beyond Social Services as a community worker. That set me on the journey I’m on now, where I work with a community of families living in rental blocks at Kebun Baru through an organisation called 6th
CURIOSIT Y CHRONICLES
“In school, their learning focuses on theoretical academic skills, and isn’t always aligned with their lived realities. I believe they would blossom in a system that’s more child-led – where they can set their own objectives, and express their emotions and needs clearly. My wish for my kids at the age of 7-12 is to have a huge range of free play activities. To be able to practise their imagination, and never feel that there’s nothing they can do. I wish for them a sense of possibility to be and do whatever they set their minds to. Not just in the future, but in the present. What would benefit them is a child-safe area in rental blocks; currently, there’s no psychological safety there. It’s nearly impossible to learn and play in that environment.” What advice do you have for wellintentioned students or corporates who are eager to volunteer to help disadvantaged kids and families? “There are a lot of well-intentioned people who want to help. What I would advise them to do is: Break bread with the families. Sit and eat with them. Suspend your own value systems. Try and see things from the family’s point of view.
While studying, I worked on a carbon credit project in Sumatra and started volunteering with a non-profit organisation called Ground-Up Initiative. These experiences helped me connect with something I hadn’t felt in a very long time. Later, I did research projects investigating the effects of play on kids and the lived experience of people living in rental blocks.
People generally want to help and see Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a pathway to reaching communities perceived as vulnerable. I think there are some important questions to ask before planning a project: Who defines what is good? Who owns it at the end of the day? What, really, is your agenda?
When I meet the kids I work with, time goes by in a blur. Their raw and pure emotions help me reconnect with my childhood identity – it means so much to me. I feel
Start with where communities are, instead of where you are. Explore from the lens of a child, for example, and then try and understand where your programme or activity fits in.
Underprivileged kids should not be seen differently from privileged kids – all kids have so much potential.
by Tan Yee Hui
Here, Abhishek – who spends his time enabling the strengths of families in this neighbourhood and being abang (brother) Abhi to the kids in this community – shares what he’s learned from his experience, and suggests where those of us who want to support kids in high-need communities should start.
Leaders need to create the right container for these conversations.
It really all starts from the conversation you have with a child.
ABHISHEK BAJAJ ON BREAKING BREAD, BUILDING COMMUNITY, AND ENABLING OTHERS
Thankfully, we get to befriend and learn from change-makers who dedicate themselves to working with kids in high-need communities day in day out. Like Abhishek Bajaj, a community worker who runs 6th Sense, a ground-up movement to respond to community needs in Kebun Baru, a rental flat neighbourhood in Singapore.
It really all starts from the conversation you have with a child.
Many corporates do CSR from an accountability perspective; that’s not wrong, but it’s not always the most impactful way to approach social impact work.
Whether you’re an individual, corporate or student volunteer looking to do good – we hope Abhishek's story offers a thoughtful starting point to approaching social impact programming for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. If you’ve got further thoughts, comments, or insights, we’d love to hear from you. Scan the code to learn more about 6th Sense.