Several seniors were playing a game. Seated in pairs, they were passing a large ball around. The challenge? Don’t drop the ball! There was laughter and cheers as the ball wobbled from one pair to another. This is one of many therapeutic activities at Dementia Day Care, a keystone service by registered charity Yong-en Care Centre.Â
A person in a wheelchair with much to give. A stay-at-home mum who misses working. An ex-offender who yearns for a second chance. A senior forced to retire early. These are some examples of people who want to work. They believe they can contribute to society. They also deserve the basic right to work and should not be denied from doing so.Yet, many of them face difficulties in securing decent jobs. In recent years, the gig economy opened up opportunities for individuals facing barriers to traditional employment or those who need flexibility. However, gig work comes with its own set of challenges, such as unstable income and a lack of employment benefits.
The earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on 6 February 2023 has become one of the top 10 deadliest earthquakes ever. Over 41,0001 people have been killed (as of 15 February), a death toll the United Nations expects will eventually exceed 50,0002. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred near the border of the two countries. Since then, more than 2,000 aftershocks have pummelled the devastated region.The widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure has left millions of people without homes, access to clean water, and basic necessities. The disaster has also led to countless casualties and injuries. First responders from all over the world are working tirelessly to save lives. However, with each passing day, the focus is turning from search and rescue to helping the survivors in desperate need of aid.
The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is honoured to announce that our Chairperson, Ms. Christine Ong, has received the National Awards (COVID-19) under the category of The Public Service Medal (COVID-19). This award recognises the Chairperson’s leadership and CFS’s efforts to serve the Singapore community during the pandemic.Since the outbreak of COVID-19, CFS has provided assistance to those in need through the distribution of grants to individuals and organisations. Under Christine’s direction, CFS disbursed a total of $57 million from March 2020 to December 2022, with $32 million going to the social & welfare and health sectors.
For the second time, the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is greatly honoured to have won the Charity Transparency Award at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2022. The accolade, given out by the Charity Council, recognises CFS’s exemplary disclosure and transparency practices.
As a follow-up to our last story, we now take a look at children as the next generation, and how we can empower them through philanthropy to be further educated.Education is the great equaliser, as the old adage goes. Coined by American public education pioneer Horace Mann in 1848, education was seen as the tool for the disadvantaged to basically find better jobs and lift themselves out of poverty. For the last almost 200 years, that has remained largely true.
CFS is honoured to be part of the inaugural OCBC Sustainability Day! Our thanks to the Bank of Singapore for the invitation to co-host a booth at the employee-driven event themed ‘Sustainability – it’s all in our hands!‘. This initiative was created by a group of passionate and dedicated OCBC Bank Group employees known as SING (Sustainability Interest Networking Group), which aims to encourage every individual to make more sustainable choices.The event was a tremendous success with hundreds of employees and partners who attended a mixture of virtual sessions, and a Bazaar showcasing OCBC Group’s sustainability achievements as well as companies showcasing green products and innovations.
We are proud to announce that the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) Annual Report 2022 has been published.Download your copy here to learn more about the year’s highlights and our impact on the community.
The education of a generation is an extensive and complex undertaking.Consider the span of time it takes to bring a single individual from nursery and preschool, through the primary and secondary school levels to the various branches of tertiary education. This journey could range from at least 12 years to almost three decades for the dedicated academic.
Technology and the Internet have made our lives better in many ways. But they are also facilitating an alarming increase in online abuse, particularly of young women. There is upskirting, where the perpetrator takes intrusive photos or videos up someone’s skirt without their permission. There is revenge porn, where explicit photos or videos of a person are posted on the Internet, typically by a former sexual partner.With the ubiquity of social media, there is flaming (insulting someone with offensive language), doxxing (revealing private information), and cyberstalking. And on encrypted direct messaging platforms, victims are being threatened with violence. As actress Ashley Judd noted in a powerful TEDTalk in 2016, the online abuse of women has spiralled out of control (Judd, 2016).
