Stories Of Impact

Helping migrant workers with a home and a heart

Stories Of Impact

Home Donors Stories Of Impact Helping migrant workers with a home and a heart

Stories Of Impact

Helping migrant workers with a home and a heart

John Doe

When Li Meimei*, a single mother of two young children from Chongqing, China came to Singapore last year, she had hoped to be able to work to pay off the loan of RMB 200,000 (SGD 40,000) which she had taken out in her home country.

However, she got far more than she had bargained for when she started working for a beauty and massage parlour in Singapore. Not only did Li have to pay kickback to her employer, she was also coerced to perform illicit acts for customers. When Li refused, she was punished with menial labour such as cleaning and clearing out rubbish.

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While working, Li suffered a fall and fractured her tailbone. Her employer was unsympathetic, and after discovering that Li would take a long time to recover, cancelled her work permit and attempted to repatriate her without compensation of salary or returning her kickback.

Eventually, Li managed to seek reprieve when she approached the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME). HOME is supported by the Migrants Emergency Assistance and Support (MEANS), a Community Impact Fund (CIF) managed by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS). HOME provided Li with shelter, food and a transport allowance, even paying for her medical bills which allowed her to continue treatment for her injury.

Singapore is host to more than a million low-skilled and semi-skilled migrant workers from countries in the region, and many of these workers experience similar situations faced by Li Meimei. Unpaid salaries, overwork, physical and psychological abuse are the problems that some of these men and women have to endure during their employment in Singapore. A significant number of migrant workers are also victims of forced labour and human trafficking.

Through CFS’s casework team, HOME was able to assist 1,400 marginalised migrant workers in 2019. Out of that number, 409 workers were provided with financial assistance to pay for temporary accommodation, seek medical care and buy food. CFS disbursed a grant of over $47,500 in June 2019 using donations via Giving.sg. Such financial assistance is also extended to support male migrant workers who are evicted from their dormitories, or for migrant workers to purchase flight tickets and bus rides to reach their home countries safely.

HOME received IPC charity status in 2004, and continues to be one of the few organisations in Singapore that provides support to migrant workers and is dedicated to upholding their rights. Their efforts are primarily directed towards the welfare and empowerment of migrant workers, which are focused on but not limited to shelter, transport, crisis support, skills development, counselling and medical needs.

*not her real name

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John Doe

The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.
L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛：比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后，他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到，从此爱上了玩拉密，每次可玩上三个小时，在中心是“常胜将军”。

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND, DIRECT AID, DONOR STORIES, INCLUSIVITY & INTEGRATION, MIGRANTS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, STORIES OF IMPACT

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Stories Of Impact

Equipping the marginalised to create a future for themselves

John Doe

Photo credit: Bettr Group

When Zaza’s only daughter was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Zaza felt lost and powerless to decide the fate of her child. Coupled with the ongoing process of a divorce, her situation grew more desperate, plunging her into depression and hopelessness. She had a diploma in pre-school education, and had to reject offers to further her studies due to her circumstances. It was desperation that kept the single mother going; it was all she could do to keep her head above water and not succumb to the overwhelming pressure.

‘I didn’t know what to do,’ Zaza recalls. ‘I was about to give up. Bettr Barista was my last hope of surviving towards becoming an independent, single parent. That was my last shot.’

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Yet against all odds, Zaza has come far to become a Barista at The Social Space café, located in Kreta Ayer. This is all made possible by Bettr Barista (BB), a coffee academy whose mission is to empower the lives of marginalised women like Zaza through professional training and teaching them life management skills. Bettr Barista is a partner of the Learning Initiative for Employment (LIFT) Community Impact Fund, launched by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) in July 2019.

LIFT aims to support programmes like Bettr Barista’s proprietary Holistic Training programme, which provides vocational training for marginalised women and youths at risk, equipping them with the skills to secure jobs in the open market.

Pamela Chng, CEO of Bettr Barista, first had dreams to start a business to do good when she left the tech industry after eight years.

‘I found myself burnt out because I derived little emotional satisfaction from my work. I knew I wasn’t motivated by money – I had realised this much earlier in my life,’ Pamela explains. ‘If I continued to work hard at a business, it had to mean more – to myself, and to society.’

Bettr Barista has certainly made an impact on many of the lives it has touched, including Zaza’s. As the first B Corp certified company in Singapore, it is BB’s mission along with 2,750 other B Corp companies around the world to redefine success as a business and use it as a force for good. These companies have a responsibility beyond just maximising profit, and must operate in an ethical manner that gives back to the community.

Unsurprisingly, Bettr Barista was named the social enterprise of the year in 2017, and 94% of their trainees found jobs upon graduating from the academy’s Holistic Training programme. Not only that, 80% gained improved self-confidence and emotional management skills after having gone through their training.

‘Confidence is the main factor I got. When I started with BB it was difficult in the beginning,’ Zaza says. ‘I had no confidence, only a sense of being lost and a lack of hope. The moral and financial support that BB gave me helped me get back on my two feet. Now I move forward and I will never let adversity control my life again.’

What started in 2011 has grown and developed into The Bettr Group. Apart from selling home-grown specialty coffee in Singapore, it now encompasses a training academy, retail products, events services, and social impact programmes. At the heart of it all is a social mission — to empower vulnerable groups and equip them with skills to create a future for themselves. Pamela hopes to bring Bettr Barista into the future through expanding into the rest of Southeast Asia to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia.

‘We want to diversify the social programmes that we can offer and to continue building partnerships and in-house capabilities to adapt our programmes to impact these populations,’ says Pamela. ‘Bettr Barista creates a positive impact in every ecosystem it operates in, and helps people maximise their potential to become better versions of themselves.’

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

John Doe

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.
L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛：比赛限时反应要快

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND, DIRECT AID, DONOR STORIES, INCLUSIVITY & INTEGRATION, MIGRANTS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, STORIES OF IMPACT

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Stories Of Impact

Apex Harmony Lodge – Empowering dementia patients to live well

John Doe

Is dementia an inevitable part of ageing? Can nothing can be done to change its course?

Dementia patients are oft-times negatively perceived as ‘senile’ or ‘confused’, with little measures taken to empower patients to maintain an active mind. If their symptoms are ‘generalised’, this may lead to care that negates the patient’s individualised needs.

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As Singapore’s first purpose-built lodge for dementia patients, Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL) views each patient as someone who is ‘beyond their condition’, and who can be empowered to live with dignity and well-being, explains Mahathir Rahim, former Community Engagement Executive at AHL.

Informed by the latest medical research as well as Person-Centred-Care (PCC) models of dementia care, each resident at AHL receives an individualised care plan, recognising their specific stage of dementia, background and personal interests.

This approach is especially relevant for patients with mild to moderate dementia, who comprise almost 70% of AHL’s 180 residents. For around 60 patients who are still mobile, they exhibit greater psychosocial needs, including maintaining identity, autonomy and socialisation.

Forming a key part of AHL’s care plan is a curated programme of activities that not only keeps patients engaged and happy, but also helps maintain brain plasticity for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, a key finding in recent neuroscience research.

Tapping into two donor funds via the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), AHL has been able to scale its programmes to benefit more residents and sustain engagement levels in recent years. The funding has also helped AHL diversify its programmes to cater to the niche needs of its residents.

Take for instance AHL’s ‘Ignite My Life’ programme: its variety of recreational and learning activities are tailored to the abilities and interests of residents, enabling them to live well. This includes equine-assisted therapy, where residents who display an affinity for animals get to interact with rescued horses. The initiative has benefited more than 20 residents so far, who delight in bonding with the horses. For residents who enjoy cooking, a baking programme enables them to take part in monthly sessions, whipping up a spread shared with fellow residents. This helps to boost their self esteem as they learn to create something on their own and share their successes with others.

AHL has also tapped into CFS’s Outing for Seniors Community Impact Fund to expand its number of outings to local museums, Gardens by the Bay and even on Duck Tours, greatly benefiting a pool of residents who are immobile. Such outings often require significant manpower, with each resident assisted by one volunteer or staff. Getting funding support has helped AHL to manage the significant transportation and food costs incurred, thereby bringing outings to more of its residents.

AHL’s efforts to offer personalised programmes for dementia patients has been recognised by not just the residents, but also their families. “The families are very impressed by the unique programmes we provide, especially for patients who aren’t able to move on their own,” expresses Mahathir.

Bryan Lim, AHL’s current Community Engagement Executive, adds, “At the end of the day, it’s about honouring the human being and helping retain one’s dignity. Instead of telling a patient what he can or cannot do, we give them a chance to explore their capabilities.”

Photos: Apex Harmony Lodge

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND, DIRECT AID, DONOR STORIES, INCLUSIVITY & INTEGRATION, MIGRANTS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, STORIES OF IMPACT

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Media release: CFS launches community impact fund to raise marginalised groups’ participation in the workforce

John Doe

Partners with social enterprises and charities to concurrently provide WSQ*-certified vocational training and social support.
Targets for 60% of participants to attain sustained employment**.

Singapore, May 23, 2019 – The Community Foundation of Singapore (“CFS”) has launched a new community impact fund to address social exclusion from the country’s workforce. Called the LIFT – short for Learning Initiatives for Employment – Community Impact Fund, it will support programmes that provide vocational training for marginalised groups in Singapore and place them in jobs in the open market.

The programmes are targeted at four marginalised groups – persons with disabilities, persons recovering from mental illnesses, disadvantaged women and youth-at-risk. Its focus is on helping them navigate and overcome barriers to securing sustained employment. This is done through equipping and supporting them with both hard and soft skills for obtaining and maintaining jobs in the food and beverage industry. The programmes may be expanded to span more industries in the future.

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Migrants Emergency Assistance and Support (MEANS) Community Impact Fund – Helping migrant worker in need

“Marginalised groups have largely been excluded from the labour market because of various stereotypes, stigmas and prejudices. This often leads to economic and social vulnerability that follows them for life. We hope to pilot new pathways to help the vulnerable make a living, improve their self-esteem and become more involved in society,” said Joyce Teo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at CFS. “LIFT meets this need in a holistic manner by concurrently providing participants with technical training, social support and job coaching to help them manage socio-emotional and financial stressors while they learn and work. Ultimately, the aim is to help them get and stay employed with the help of the community.”

The fund aims to support an initial 90 participants with a total of 12,600 hours of WSQ-certified vocational training (over a three month period per participant on average), as well as 5,400 hours of job matching, job placement and on-the-job coaching support. This works out to an average of 140 hours of vocational training and a further 60 hours of post-training support each. During the training phase, participants will also receive ongoing social support from charity partners to minimise or resolve family and/or other issues that may otherwise derail their learning.

Potential participants will first be identified and referred by IPC (Institute of a Public Character) charities, and then assessed in terms of attitude, aptitude as well as potential for employment. Successful candidates will then be trained by one of two social enterprises working alongside CFS as programme providers – Project Dignity will train participants for kitchen and service jobs while Bettr Barista will train participants to be baristas, and both will also provide job attachment opportunities during the training phase.

CFS aims for around 65% of participants to complete the training phase and for around 60% of graduates to be successfully placed into employment in open market conditions for at least three months – a milestone predictor of an individual’s ability to stay in sustained employment with regular income. To track the efficacy of the programmes, programme providers will, where possible, keep in touch with the participants for up to two years.

The establishment of the LIFT Community Impact Fund was catalysed by discussions that arose on the back of Colabs, an initiative by CFS and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre that drives collaboration by bringing together the public, private and social sectors to learn and co-create solutions to tackle complex social issues in Singapore. Specifically, LIFT was sparked by talks with participants in a Colabs series that ran in the second half of 2017 and focused on persons with disabilities. The range of marginalised groups that stand to benefit from LIFT has been broadened to also include persons recovering from mental illnesses, disadvantaged women and youth-at-risk as there are considerable overlaps between these groups.

A guide providing practical ways to help persons with disabilities has been developed based on insights derived during the Colabs sessions. It outlines some of the challenges facing persons with disabilities, especially after they turn 18. These include the lack of employment options and opportunities for meaningful social interaction. It then suggests collaborative solutions targeted at three different levels – programme, organisation and sector. More details can be found on pages 9 to 14 of the guide, which can be downloaded here.

While an anchor donor has already been secured to seed the LIFT Community Impact Fund, CFS is looking to raise funds to cover the estimated S$528,000 required to support the programmes. Potential donors who wish to contribute to LIFT can visit Giving.sg or write to CFS at contactus@cf.org.sgfor more information.

CFS’s community impact funds help address unmet needs or under-supported causes in Singapore. Through collaborations with charity partners to identify gaps and co-develop programmes, these funds enable the disadvantaged to lead better lives with the support of the community at large. CFS currently has three other community impact funds – MEANS (Migrants Emergency Assistance and Support), Outing for Seniors and Safe Home.

(Photo: Bettr Barista)

* Workforce Skills Qualifications **For at least three months, a milestone predictor of an individual’s ability to stay in employment with regular income.

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John Doe

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.
L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛：比赛限时反应要快

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND, DIRECT AID, DONOR STORIES, INCLUSIVITY & INTEGRATION, MIGRANTS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, STORIES OF IMPACT

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BLLNR: How to donate time and money to a charity effectively

John Doe

While the notion of giving is indeed widespread, it isn’t easy to commit to help those in need when you find yourself caught up in today’s ever-changing environment.

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is one such organisation that facilitates this line of work by bridging donors with causes of interest to develop programmes and provide grants to enrich lives. It values the 3 C’s to make giving better: connect donors with respective causes, collaborate with charities and commit to managing donor funds.

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One woman has managed to significantly grow the number of donor funds and volume of donations, paving the way for an effective philanthropy — Catherine Loh, the Chief Executive Officer of CFS, believes in the heart of giving. However, her arrival into the philanthropy space was not immediate but serendipitous.