NKF scheme matches patients with jobs

This post came out from The Straits Times (25 November 2015)

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) officially launched a programme to help patients with kidney failure to find jobs that can accommodate their three times a week dialysis schedules.

The Patient Employment Rehabilitation Programme, sponsored by a $2.3 million grant from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, aims to find suitable jobs for unemployed patients, both within the NKF and with other employers.

The programme aims to have 50 patients employed by NKF by the end of next year, and 120 by the end of its third year in specially created positions such as patients relations officers and exercise specialists. It also provides career guidance and job matching services through collaborations with external employers.

The launch event, held at the NKF centre in Balestier, also hosted a job fair. Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin presented Courage Awards to six patients with long service to their companies and Extraordinary Awards to their employers, which included DBS Bank and the National Environment Agency.

Thoughts:

1. While it is nice to note that NKF is taking the lead to create jobs for these patients, I do think that there must be more firms that will be able to support it as well. Currently there is a donation grant to help foot the pay of these patients, what happens if the donation has dried up few years down the road? 

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

NTUC Income programme helps poly student who works to support family after father's death

This post came out from The New Paper (28 July 2015)

Hari Raya is a time when Muslims come together to enjoy the month-long celebrations. But for MR Syaryan Ruzaini, 19, the month opens up old wounds. Last year, during the third week of the festive period, his father, MrAhmad Ruzizad Mohammad Isa, died from heart attack. He was 47.

The loss of his family's sole breadwinner meant Mr Syaryan, a first year nursing student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), had to work on weekends, time that he could spend on his studies.

Then NTUC Income stepped in. Under its new Future Development Programme, Mr Syaryan will receive a bursary of $3,000 a year to help with his family's expenses.

This programme is designed to help needy students from the polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) with school fees and living expenses, so they can focus on their education. 1,000 needy students from polytechnics will receive $3,000 annually while those from ITE will each receive $1,800. These bursaries will be given over out over three years. Students whose monthly per capita income is below $560 are eligible for the bursary and can apply through their respective schools.

NTUC Income will also offer financial literacy lessons and provide internships and contract jobs to the students to help in their personal and career development.


Thoughts:

1. A bursary that comes with financial literacy lessons and opportunities for internship is very helpful for low income families! Students from such families tend to have lesser social mobility and exposure to connections that can be useful for their employment opportunities. This move will therefore help these students get a head start, and hopefully reduce the cycle of low income from repeating!

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

Needy residents in Jurong Central get more assistance

This post came out from Today (15 June 2015)

About 60 families in Jurong Central will benefit from the latest round of the South West Community Development Council (CDC) Adopt-A-Precinct assistance scheme - the largest number of beneficiaries since the programme started in Hong Kah North three years ago.

As part of the latest roll out, the Science Centre Singapore and General Electric (GE) Singapore will hold enrichment activities for about 80 children from 60 low income and needy households, the South West CDC said. This exposure will keep them meaningfully engaged and equip them with practical skills.

The Science Centre said it would run two enrichment programmes and a carnival aimed at cultivated an interest in science in the beneficiaries, while GE hopes to organize excursions of provide job-shadowing opportunities to help the children widen horizon.

Since its launch in 2012, Adopt-A-Precinct has benefited more than 160 families in Hong Kah North, Choa Chu Kang, Taman Jurong, Telok Blangah and Bukit Batok. It is part of a S$2.5 million initiative by the South West CDC aimed at strengthening the social safety net for the needy as well as the vulnerable.

Thoughts:

1. It seems that this assistance program has an educational component where the students gain exposure to science and job shadowing. This is useful as the assistance that benefits the families did not miss out the children, which was quite often the case in my view.
2. Additional exposure to education, and especially such exposure to fun, enrichment and educational activities can not only spur more interest to enjoy studying among children from low income groups, but also to ensure that assistance given as a package to the family does not miss them out. Meaningful engagement for the children is something that we need to be mindful about.

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

12 hours of skipping - so the poor need not skip meals

This post came out from The Straits Times (11 June 2015)

When customer service manager Madeleine Png smashed Singapore's skipping record, she had only one thing on her mind - "charity". The 37 year old skipped 57,957 times in 12 hours, far surpassing the 35,000 she needed to break the previous record at OneKM mall last month.

The CP Skips for Good Food campaign, run over two months by CP Foods and the South East Community Development Council, saw participants skip a total of 8,361,246 times - enough for the sponsor to donate 4,100 hampers to the district's needy.

The campaign involved 53 schools and organizations as well as the public in the May 23 finale. Every skipping-related post on Facebook and Instagram sites with the hashtag #CPSKIPS added to the skip count.

The total value of the hampers donated - containing frozen items including breaded fish and dumplings - was $123,000 and recipients spoke of their gratitude at Tembusu Seniors Activity Centre yesterday.


Thoughts:

1. There is this increasing trend, I noticed, to involve the public to do something and raise funds to support the needy families in Singapore.
2. I see two trends here, firstly which is about raising awareness of the need through such activities. I feel that some of these activities (especially more of sports-linked) tends to tie in with healthier life that Singaporeans are happy to do, and more importantly, usually cost little to nothing to contribute than some energy and time. The sponsors will come up with the fund at the end of the day.
3. Another trend I felt was that such activities, while good in nature, might also be an indirect form of positive advertisement for those sponsors for the events. While they are doing a good deed,  events like these are eye catching and raise the brand awareness. A win-win situation and good marketing technique.   
4. It would be good if such sponsorship can be long term in nature. More often than not they are once-off events and might not be sustainable for years. Beneficiaries who are genuinely in need would really appreciate continuous support as would form be a security for them. 

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big