INCLUSIVITY & INTEGRATION

A younger Man teaching an woman how to use a smartphone.

Sayang Sayang Fund: new initiatives

The Community Foundation of Singapore today gave an update on the fund raising efforts for the Sayang Sayang Fund (SSF) and announced new initiatives that the Fund will support. One of these initiatives is an extension of the previously announced SeniorsOK@Home programme – CapitaLand #LoveOurSeniors – in collaboration with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). CapitaLand Hope Foundation will be donating $700,000 towards this new programme. This will be on top of the $3 million goal CFS has set earlier.Todate, SSF has received $1.1 million in donations and pledges of about $1 million. The Fund is still a distance away from the goal it set for end April. As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, there are new needs emerging from the community and the funds raised will allow the Sayang Sayang Fund to address emerging needs quickly.

Lady in blue dress standing in front of vibrant yellow backdrop.

Equipping the marginalised to create a future for themselves

Photo credit: Bettr GroupWhen 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.

A man in a wheelchair kindly holds a ball for an elderly woman, showcasing compassion and support.

Sayang Sayang Fund continues to appeal for donations

In less than one week, the Fund received $450,000 in donations and pledges of about $900,000The Fund aims to raise $3 million by end of April

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Around 7,000 school children in need of support for meals

A four-week ‘circuit breaker’ is the latest challenge to hit Singapore, as a pre-emptive strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19. As students transition to over three weeks of learning at home, about 7,000 children will miss access to food they would normally get in school, compounding difficulties in continuing their education at home.As mentioned in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat on 7 April 2020, CFS today bolstered efforts to generate support for the Sayang Sayang Fund (SSF). Donations to this fund will complement the work of local public health, non-profit and government entities with emergency support.

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Thank you for the Sayang Sayang!

Photo credit: Ng Teng Fong General HospitalTo mark the successful conclusion of the Sayang Sayang Fund campaign, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for your generosity in contributing towards caring for and uplifting the most vulnerable of us during such times.

Young learners sitting on the classroom floor, participating in educational exercises.

Let us continue to sayang our community

We have been overwhelmed by the generous show of support for our community-driven Sayang Sayang Fund; from private individual and corporate donors who donated to the fund directly or set up their own fund-raising pages, we have far surpassed our initial target.We have given out transportation vouchers to hospitals and polyclinics and are now looking to support vulnerable communities especially impacted by COVID-19’s precautionary measures.

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Celebrating women who give in different ways

It is seldom that we honour the accomplishments of women who give their all without asking anything in return, whose humanitarianism managed to achieve great success against all odds.International Women’s Day is one such day of reflection and remembrance of the efforts of women all around the world, both past and present. It looks back on the struggles of women from the past like Rosa Parks, the ‘first lady of civil rights’, who strove for an equal and fairer society to empower the women of the future.

A woman in a scrub suit stands confidently in front of a hospital, ready to provide medical care.

A call to continue rallying together

Thank you to everyone who have generously supported the community-driven Sayang Sayang Fund. We have far surpassed our initial target of $500,000! This was made possible with help from many private individual and corporate donors who donated to the fund directly or set up their own fund-raising pages.Transport vouchers have already gone out to healthcare professionals in hospitals and polyclinics. We will soon be supporting other community healthcare staff and charities serving those who have been impacted by precautionary measures due to COVID-19, such as vulnerable seniors and low-income families.

A woman joyfully laughs while carrying a backpack and holding a phone in her hand.

International Women’s Forum Singapore: Guiding Young Women towards Achieving their Dreams

Education is a powerful social leveller, and the youngest Nobel Peace laureate in the world Malala Yousafzai will readily attest to that. In fact, it is her life’s mission to make sure young girls and women all over the world are lifted out of poverty through receiving equal access to an education. For women all over the world, Malala is celebrated as a champion of women’s rights and is recognised for her immense achievements in the face of overwhelming adversity.The International Women’s Forum (IWF) Singapore Education Grant took a feather out of Malala’s hat when it was established in 2014 – to support women of all backgrounds to receive proper education and mentorship.

Sayang Sayang Fund – Let’s do more together!

The Sayang Sayang Fund has reached our initial target of $500,000!A big thank you to our generous donors, who helped us reach this amount in less than seven days.