SINDA Connections | December 2020 by SINDA

MCI (P) 051/07/2019

DECEMBER 2020

CONNECT

KRITHI, ROZINA, DEVANANTTHAN, NASIRAH

Young Community Heroes Stepping Up in a Pandemic

Overcoming Covid-19 Together

New Marks Set at New-Look SINDA Excellence Awards

Spreading Cheer as We End a Difficult Year

CEO’S MESSAGE

Dear friends of SINDA, Wishing all of you well, and I sincerely hope that you are keeping in good physical and mental health. While we are forced to adapt to new lifestyles due to Covid-19, let’s look at this positively and march on, for better outcomes. Just as it was for everyone, 2020 was an eventful year for SINDA. From the early days of Covid-19 and through the Circuit Breaker period, SINDA had to step up its engagements and, more so, act as an aggregator consolidating the needs of the community and doing the needful. Our main focus was to ensure that our brothers and sisters who were in need of urgent help received assistance, and our student-champions were provided with the necessary support for Homebased Learning. In retrospect, we are very happy that we managed to galvanise the whole Indian community to come together to help our brothers and sisters facing challenging conditions. Through this collaborative approach, we managed to provide timely assistance and relief.

Covid-19 has also brought SINDA into uncharted waters, having to become a constantly agile organisation. We had to move our tutorials and children, youth and family programmes to virtual formats—no easy task, but one that we could quickly achieve, thanks to pilot virtual programmes that were already in place. Together with our extended SINDA family–staff, educators, volunteers, community partners and donors– many gears moved silently in the background to shift our programmes online, to continue benefitting the community. We were also able to provide portable devices and internet access to hundreds of students who required these facilities but did not have them . Even now, we continue to distribute laptops to students and we are thankful to the many who have come forward to donate their pre-loved devices in this time of need. Running concurrently with this effort were a number of new and enhanced schemes to provide immediate financial relief to various strata of the community. While the initial SINDA Community Support Package supported lowincome families and students, we rolled out Project Care and SINDA Job Support Framework

CONTENTS 01 Looking Back 02–03 Overcoming Covid-19 Together 04–08 Interviews

Young Community Heroes Stepping Up in a Pandemic

10–15 Event Highlights

• New Marks Set at New-Look SINDA Excellence Awards

shortly after, which extended support to a wider spectrum of groups, covering further needs and expenses. Together, these various schemes provide an additional $7 million to the families who need it most. These SINDA schemes will continue into 2021, as we work together as a nation to overcome the pandemic’s adverse impact. While putting all this in motion over the last eight months, we also continued to meet with various beneficiaries in person, to understand their concerns and ensure their well-being. One such meaningful instance was Project Shine, a volunteer-led home sprucing project during Deepavali, to bring cheer to elderly residents living alone in rental units. As I met with many of these residents, I was humbled by their life stories, their struggles and their sheer grit in making their way forward. Receiving the elders’ gratitude as we cleaned their homes drove these points home: that the work we do for our community has far-reaching impact on lives and that our collective efforts, no matter how small, make dreams and aspirations possible. A renewed sense of purpose is what the SINDA family will bring with us as we step into 2021. While we look forward to a better and more positive year ahead, please remember, if you need support or even just a helping hand, do reach out to us. SINDA is here to serve you. Anbarasu Rajendran CEO, SINDA

• Develop Within to Develop Solutions • Spreading Cheer as We End a Difficult Year • Same, Same, but Different

16 Quiz-O-Mania

• Krithi Pushpanathan • Rozina Sheik • Devanantthan • Nasirah Banu Ramirez

17 One of Us

• Aakash Dubey

PUBLISHER Singapore Indian Development Association EDITORIAL TEAM Corporate & Marketing Communications Division CHIEF EDITOR Ravindran Nagalingam, COO, SINDA DEPUTY EDITOR Dhanasegaran Narayanasamy PRODUCTION EDITORS Priyaa Vasudevan, Manesh Rangarajan, Nathiyaah Sakthimogan DESIGN & LAYOUT Green House Design + Communications PRINTER HoBee Print Pte Ltd, Licence No: L006/09/2020 TO SUBSCRIBE to SINDA Connections or inform us of a change of mailing address, send your updated home or office address to connections@sinda.org.sg. TO CONTRIBUTE towards the SINDA Fund (to start contributing or increase contributions), please contact us at 1800 295 3333, or visit www.sinda.org.sg.

HIGHLIGHTS

LOOKING BACK

JTA AWARDS DEBUT ON A SCREEN NEAR YOU The pandemic put a spin on the Joint Tuition Awards 2020, with the event streamed on YouTube for the first time. On 29 August, a live stream of the online awards ceremony was viewed by more than 1,500 guests celebrating the achievements of 798 outstanding students. These students of the Collaborative Tuition Programme by SINDA, the Chinese Development Assistance Council, the Eurasian Association and Yayasan MENDAKI had done exceptionally well in their PSLE, GCE N- and O-Level examinations. Congratulating them online was Guest of Honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health, together with the heads of the Self-Help Groups. Out of the 798 awardees, 181 students, or almost 35%, were from SINDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tutorial programmes.

SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENT AWARDS 2020 865 students in the STEP, Teach and Project Guide programmes were recognised for their progress in their studies with Certificates of Improvement and book vouchers from SINDA at our Sustained Improvement Awards this year. Proud parents were even able to share the moment, as it was screened over Google Meet.

HOW ARE OUR NEIGHBOURS DOING? SINDA volunteers walked the blocks on 16 August, knocking on doors to take stock of how Indian residents were coping in these challenging times. Masked up and practising safe distancing, the 14 volunteers had joined Boon Lay Indian Activity Executive Committee's (IAEC) 'Project Karam' ration distribution exercise. They managed to visit some 45 households that day. A further 352 Indian households were engaged throughout the year via phone calls to understand their needs, and were assisted accordingly. 1

Overcoming Covid-19 Together As all of Singapore hunkered down for the Circuit Breaker in April 2020, the economic effects of the pandemic began to be felt more urgently. Even when businesses and schools gradually resumed later in the year, many were still reeling. As the situation evolved, so did SINDA's services — to the tune of $7 million throughout 2020. Here are some of the key ways the community was assisted:

SINDA Cares

1. Ensuring our Students are not Left Behind

2. Holistic Assistance for All in the Family Through SINDA Cares, the community benefitted from a range of services - from financial help to career referrals and counselling support. Persons with special needs, those with chronic medical conditions, the elderly and pregnant women also received assistance in various forms, such as transport vouchers to attend their medical appointments.

3. New Schemes

SINDA has also been processing applications for relevant schemes such as NEU PC Plus and Home Access by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). This has benefitted 374 low-income families with IT devices. • Online STEP, Teach and Project Guide Classes SINDA’s signature tuition programmes quickly adapted with customised e-learning. The online teaching portal allowed students to get direct help from their tutors during the Circuit Breaker and at the same time, tutors could keep an eye on their pupils’ emotional and mental well-being. As we transitioned into Phase 2, SINDA’s STEP tuition classes resumed physically with strict safe distancing measures in place.

• The Resilience Scheme and The SINDA Community Assistance Fund A total of about $992,000 was disbursed by providing 3,309 low-income families cash assistance of $300 each. • The Care Scheme Three tranches of cash of between $300 and $600 were provided to eligible households to support them during this challenging period. Some 522 families were included in this scheme, totalling about $653,000.

SINDA Community Support Package In May, SINDA launched a comprehensive plan to provide critical financial assistance to Singaporean Indian households to ease immediate financial hardship and meet specific needs. The main aim was to reassure vulnerable families and individuals and offer peace of mind, with the knowledge that the community is here for them.

• Laptops and Internet Access Giving students access to digital resources was a priority during this time, especially because some households were unprepared for Home-based Learning. The SINDA team personally delivered some 300 loaned or retrofitted laptops and 100 50GB SIM cards to families in need. The distribution was also a good opportunity to check in with the families to find out if they required any other help.

4. Enhanced Programmes

• Interim Financial Assistance Where urgent essential expenses cropped up, interim assistance was available. $150,000 was set aside to benefit about 200 families. • Increased Student Bursaries All primary, secondary and tertiary students currently receiving SINDA bursaries—some 1,059 of them—received an additional $50 top-up from May till December 2020, with at least $300,000 being disbursed.

5. A Boost for Community Initiatives In addition to these, a $20,000 Covid-19 Community Grant was established to seed community-driven projects. With an already-robust culture of volunteerism at SINDA, this Grant helped more from the community step up with solutions to uplift others.

Job Support

As part of broad efforts to help the community navigate the challenging job climate brought on the Covid-19 pandemic, SINDA planned the following:

7. SINDA Job Support Framework

Job & Training Support Fair Held on 10 October at SINDA, the fair was planned in collaboration with e2i. It featured booths with SINDA partners like the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA) as well as workshops run by SkillsFuture Advice@ North West and SkillsFuture Singapore, all under safe-distancing conditions. Participants received personalised advice about enhancing skills and improving their career capabilities.

6. e2i x SINDA Virtual Career Fair This app-based career fair made it easy to search for work over a smart phone, facilitating everything from setting up a profile to uploading a resume and applying for jobs. Jointly organised by SINDA and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), the fair ran for a full month from 22 June to 21 July, and was supported by Findjobs and North West CDC.

Also helping the community climb out of this challenging period is the SINDA Job Support Framework, a multi-faceted framework set up in October.

Job Care Scheme Those whose jobs were affected by the pandemic can reach out to SINDA. Our Job Care Scheme offers deeper support through career coaches.

Community Job Ambassadors In collaboration with e2i, 15 volunteers were trained as Community Job Ambassadors, who can lend peer support and direct individuals to the appropriate channels for help. An estimated 100 volunteers will be trained by December 2021.

Enhanced Career Referral Programme SINDA is collaborating with more employers and business owners to bring further job opportunities to the Indian community, adding to the existing programme by the SINDA Family Service Centre.

8. Pre-schoolers and Children

Project Care Project Care was introduced in July to put beneficiaries on a path to stability. A total of $3.5 million has been set aside to assist beneficiaries in 2020 and 2021.

From topping-up Child Development Accounts (CDA) to providing milk and diapers and learning resources for toddlers through our Hello Toddler! programme, we want to ensure families can see tough times through.

9. Students and Youth 10. Adults and Families Dining vouchers brought cheer to 500 families, and an Enhanced Resilience Package topped up a shortfall in finances for some, to provide them with sustained financial support.

Headsets and IT devices made for more focused Home-based Learning for younger students, while eligible ITE students were given an extra cash allowance for their schooling needs.

11. Seniors 100 seniors will receive subsidies for day care centre fees, and 200 financially-strapped seniors are expected to receive support for their nutritional and other necessities.

SINDA stands committed to supporting our community. Our programmes and services will support your every aspiration and help you during these challenging times. Visit www.sinda.org.sg to find out how we can be a part of your life. * All numbers and figures are accurate as of 31 September 2020 3

INTERVIEWS

KRITHI, ROZINA, DEVANANTTHAN, NASIRAH:

YOUNG COMMUNITY HEROES STEPPING UP IN A PANDEMIC 4

SINDA Excellence Award-winner Krithi Pushpanathan plunged headlong into her volunteer work with migrant workers, ploughing on during the Covid-19 crisis to research healthcare delivery for these workers. Please share a little about yourself. K: I am 23 years old and a research engineer at my alma mater, Singapore Institute of Technology. As someone who believes in an all-rounded lifestyle, I am constantly involved in sports and volunteer work. What sparked your interest in volunteering? K: The opportunities were there and I thought, why not? I felt I could contribute and enjoyed it once I started. I have been tutoring primary school children through Cheng San Family Services Centre for three years; I also started volunteering with Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) at the start of 2020. I assist low-wage migrant workers with their injury and salary claims, and help distribute tokens for TWC2’s free meals programme. Migrant workers are a disadvantaged group whose struggles are hidden from the everyday Singaporean. Once I heard from a friend about them, I couldn’t not do anything about it. When the pandemic situation escalated, especially in the dormitories, you continued volunteering with the workers despite the risks. Why? K: It spurred me on because they became even more vulnerable, with greater and more varied problems. I was concerned how to support them more. It helped that most other volunteers had a similar mindset, so I didn’t have to second-guess my decision.

TWC2 set up a Small Essential Needs Team which I was a part of. We contacted workers stuck in the dormitories and brought them items to help them cope— from bedding to shavers to kettles and snacks. They would share their worries about being in lockdown and anxiety over not knowing when they could come out. It was a reminder that being able to go to a supermarket or to see family was a luxury; it made me not want to let the workers down. I am definitely thankful to be in a position to help—I consider myself lucky to have a job, stable income and roof over my head. I get great satisfaction when a worker solves his issues or just knowing he won’t be hungry. I had not realised the number of hoops some of them have to jump through, and the conditions they put up with in order to provide for their families back home. I think it is important to understand disadvantaged groups and why there is still an underclass in this day and age. Working with the migrant workers has inspired me to further my studies in Epidemiology. How about your volunteer work with the children—any eye-opening moments there? K: I learnt how not everyone has a conducive home, or the resources to study online. Kids from vulnerable families had additional set-backs at this time. I am glad I was able to play my small part in assisting them with their studies but also felt limited in my ability to help them as they faced other struggles during this difficult time.

How did your family feel about you keeping up the volunteer work? K: They were understanding and supportive. We talked about the risks and agreed on precautions such as not sharing food and immediately washing up upon coming home. You also had to postpone your Masters overseas because of the global situation. Tell us about that. K: I was supposed to go to Imperial College London to study Epidemiology, a field of science where my other interests converge as well. But because of the uncertainty over how the pandemic was unfolding, my plans changed. I was slightly disappointed but was offered a job here in Singapore for a year, so I’m making the most of my time and looking forward to continuing my studies next year. What is your biggest takeaway from Covid-19 in 2020? K: To not take things for granted—our health, saving for rainy days, having contingency plans. To look into our neighbour’s bowls and ensure they have enough.

33-year-old Rozina Sheik founded Feed Singapore with her family. Her home-cooked meals for 10 elderly persons blossomed into an enterprise that caters to 100 — a blessing during the pandemic for seniors who live alone. What is Feed Singapore? R: Feed Singapore serves wholesome, cultural-minded meals to the elderly and underprivileged families. We are inspired by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who said, “Love all, serve all”. I specifically like the idea of serving people food, especially the elderly. How did Feed Singapore come about? R: My elderly in-laws can be particular about food—if it is not to their taste, they go to bed with their stomachs half-filled. This got me thinking about other elderly folks in Singapore who might have trouble cooking for themselves. We met many during our neighbourhood walks, who shared that it was expensive to cook, or physically tiring or that they didn’t have the mood after their spouse passed away. My husband and I then decided to reach out to them with home-cooked meals. This was in November 2019. So this started as a family affair? How has it grown since? R: Our children were very much involved since the beginning, from the planning of the meals to interacting with the elderly. It helped them overcome their shyness, and the “grandparents” are always delighted to see the children. We initially fed 10 daily, with a few friends and family members volunteering to help cook as well. As the days went by, we started receiving requests for other types of meals, like vegetarian dishes which I am not so versatile with. We considered engaging a caterer, but this meant a minimum number of meals per order. We reached out to our MP, Dr Lee Bee Wah, and a Residents' Committee manager responded quickly with a list of elderly Indian residents who would enjoy our meals. Today, Tulasi Restaurant, Gracepot and East West Catering give us dinners at really affordable prices without compromising on quality, which we are grateful for.

We posted our activities on Facebook and Instagram and volunteers began to approach us to help in various ways. Some baked birthday cakes while others offered new clothes. Some even “adopted” residents whom they connected with and provide daily meals for them. We also received immense support from One Youth Singapore, a youth initiative like ours. They not only help distribute the meals but support us financially too. Was funding a problem? R: We only had enough to sponsor 35 meals once a week so when the list grew to over 100, we started looking for grants. The SINDA Community Impact Fund has helped us tremendously, as we are now able to cater 100 meals for the elderly every week, with options for specific diets.

me, giving me fresh ideas and telling me to take the feedback constructively so Feed Singapore could improve. I learnt a tremendous amount of patience. Did the pandemic affect operations? R: The Circuit Breaker actually made the elderly more receptive and appreciative, as they found it difficult to shop for themselves. There were also many who called us for help with other issues—we had to calm them down and alert the relevant organisations about these. Also, volunteers were even more willing to offer help than before! One of the recipients even baked Deepavali goodies for other recipients, using her Covid-19 Support Grant from the government. She wanted to serve others in her own way and that moved us.

Were there other challenges you had to overcome?

What advice would you like to give those interested in starting their own projects?

R: In the early stages when we were still learning our way, there were complaints as well as thanks. There were days when I cried with every negative comment, forgetting all the positive responses. My husband was like a rock, encouraging

R: Be fearless and do not give up. Each of us serves society in our own way; however, the recipe always includes perseverance. Just hold on and you will see the light—it will be a rewarding experience.

At a time when stress and strain was taking an emotional toll on people — a hidden impact of Covid-19 — Devanantthan was motivated to start the Mental ACT initiative, together with partner Priyahnisha. Please introduce yourself. R: I am Devan, 28, a youth worker. I love being a volunteer — as a grassroots member with Macpherson Indian Activity Executive Comittee (IAEC) and also with Singapore After-care Association, Narpani Pearavai, SINDA and the National Youth Council. What sparked your interest in volunteering? D: In secondary school, I volunteered as a tutor and also spent time with the old folks at the home where my mother was working as nurse manager. I felt happy to be helping people and was inspired to make it my purpose in life. Tell us about Mental ACT. D: Priyahnisha and I founded Mental ACT in 2017. ACT stands for Advocate, Care and Train — the core pillars of ACTion for mental health. Our main goal is to have at least one individual trained in basic mental health-related skills in each Indian household. Our social media platforms on Instagram and Facebook (mental_act_sg) provide information in different ethnic Indian languages so that we can reach the whole community. We use comics to engage different groups on a spectrum of topics. We offer self-care and mental health literacy workshops that teach mental health first aid as well as how to have conversations with peers and family. We have mental health professionals who can sit with you to work on your mental health and wellness. We also run a 24/7 community care hotline. Our biggest event was a symposium held across four weekends in October 2020. Why this focus on mental wellness? D: I went through depression in my secondary school days when a relationship ended abruptly. Friends and family were dismissive, but I found help through counselling and information from the internet. That was when I realised how entrenched the stigma surrounding

mental health was in our community. A second incident was during my National Service, when a close friend committed suicide. When people shared that they wished they knew what my friend had been going through, and that they would have helped had they known, I started #ifonlyyouknew. I ran the campaign while in the SINDA Young Leaders Programme, to bring about awareness and support for Indian youth with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts. Mental health takes precedence over other kinds of health. When we take care of this, we are able to process other issues and live day-to-day without feeling drained. What issues did Mental ACT encounter during the Circuit Breaker period?

usually the Family Service Centres. Another simple way is to talk to a mental health professional at a private clinic, polyclinic or school. How did your takeaways from SINDA Youth Club help when setting up Mental ACT? D: I learnt how to synthesise an idea into concrete action, make better decisions and plan more holistic programmes. I found myself becoming a better leader. I keep this saying close to my heart: “Non nobis solum nati sumus”—not for ourselves alone are we born. Volunteering improves the community and enriches the heart and mind of the volunteer—another way to maintain mental health!

D: Our community care hotline received about 20 requests for help a day. People were anxious and depressed because they were unable to leave their homes; some were overwhelmed when companies began retrenching. Youth were having panic attacks and feeling suicidal; we also had calls from spouses facing domestic abuse, as well as from parents who wanted advice about their children. What are some misconceptions people have about mental health, and why is the topic still taboo within the Indian community? D: People tend to fear what they do not understand. The community is lacking in information, partly because we do not feel comfortable talking about mental health. This is especially true for men, who have been taught that crying or seeking help is not manly. We’ve seen our parents and grandparents close their eyes to mental problems. There may be other things which seem more important until we become unable to cope. But you do not need to have a problem before you prioritise your mental health. You can learn a lot online, through organisations and social service agencies—the nearest resources are 7

Nasirah Banu Ramirez, 33, a Senior Financial Consultant, squeezed volunteer training into her busy work schedule to help those who lost their jobs during the pandemic. How did you get involved in volunteer work? N: As a child, my favourite Disney story was Aladdin. Because my family was struggling, I always wished I had a magic lamp to alleviate our problems. I had instances where I had to study by the corridor light because the electricity bills were not paid. I have felt the stress of being told I could not sit for an exam in university if school fees were not paid. I can relate to people who are struggling and need some help. We are not a welfare society, hence I believe each one of us has to reach out to people in need. I have been volunteering since the age of 15, working with kids and seniors, and then with the Singapore International Foundation in overseas activities as well. I have become like the Genie. Why did you choose to be part of SINDA’s Door Knocking Exercise (DKE)? N: I thought the programme was interesting, although I was shocked when I first encountered people living below general society standards. One of the families I remember very clearly, is a recently-widowed mum with two young kids—I helped calculate her numbers, make the insurance claims, appeal to her MP and her HDB payment issues were eventually settled. You also recently trained to become a SINDA Community Job Ambassador. Why so? N: I know how important income is to feed a family not just for a day, but in the long run too. The training by e2i helped me better understand the mindset and emotions of the unemployed, besides familiarising me with all the government initiatives available for job matching and reskilling.

The pandemic has destroyed companies, erased jobs and dragged economies into crisis. Initiatives like the SINDA Community Job Ambassador scheme give people hope and increase positivity during these testing times. With unemployment becoming a major challenge for many Singaporeans this year, it feels like I have a huge responsibility. Instead of waiting for things to happen, I look for people who need help, especially introverts like myself, who may be too shy to seek help. I meet many business owners every day in my line of work, so I ask clients to introduce me if they know of anyone who has lost their job. It is my duty to empower people to find their footing in the job market. There is joy and satisfaction if I manage to help—I feel like a super hero.

What is the most fulfilling part of volunteering and making an impact in someone’s life? N: The smile! Their happiness. When a frown blooms into a smile even through hardship, it sets off fireworks in my brain. It is so exciting; I love it. God gave me the world to live in. When I pass on, I want to leave this a better place. As a volunteer, when you value someone’s life you pass him the gift of hope. Giving is an attitude and you can grow with it. What would you like to say to encourage others to give back to the community? N: You are the genie in the lamp! You have the power to grant someone’s wish and motivate them to strive for a better life.

Navigate Your Job Search

LIKE A PRO

Job hunting can be tiresome but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 5 tips on how you can ride it out.

Celebrate small wins but continue pressing ahead

Focus on the bigger picture

3 4 5

Need assistance in your job search? Register your interest to see a career coach at https://go.gov.sg/careeradvice_ia

Nothing wrong with celebrating the little victories to fuel your confidence but remember not to get complacent. Continue to increase your industry knowledge and grow your network during this time.

Sometimes, it may feel like you’re taking two steps forward but one step back — don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead of dwelling on the difficulties, turn your focus to the things you can be thankful for.

Anticipate next steps

While many things may be out of our control, we can prepare ourselves mentally. It’s important to be equipped with current trends and skills to stay ahead. You can explore available training programmes under SkillsFuture to keep yourself up to date.

Consider alternatives

There are still pockets of hiring among sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and early childhood. Analyse your skills to see how you can fit into these new industries and explore something new. Not sure how to get started? Consider seeing a career coach under Workforce Singapore to help you in your career journey.

Remember to refresh yourself

It is essential to allow your mind and body time for a daily refresh. Whether it’s meditation, therapy, doing a favourite activity or connecting with friends and family, do something that is just for you.

The more prepared you are for the unexpected ups and downs, the more likely you are to achieve success in your job search. All the best!

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

NEW MARKS SET AT NEW-LOOK SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS A record number of students received this year’s SINDA Excellence Awards (SEA), a wonderful display of class across the diversity of paths our youth are taking. SEA 2020 warranted special treatment and a dedicated website hosted the annual ceremony on 26 September—a virtual event for a virtually unstoppable bunch! For instance, Devesh Logendran, who battled a medical condition to give his best at the 2019 WorldSkills competition in Russia. The 20-year-old emerged with a bronze medal for Singapore in the cyber-security contest. Now, a place at National University of Singapore (NUS) to read Information Security awaits the National Serviceman. Or Kousalya d/o Selvakumar, who received an award for making the Director’s List every single semester at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Having four children to care for doesn’t make studying full-time any easier, but the 34-year-old mother, who is now midway through her diploma studies, is determined to pursue a degree and become a staff nurse one day. Each prize awarded has a story of hard work, determination and positivity behind it; each winner a network of family, school and community behind them. This year’s exceptional numbers show that more Indian students are doing better and achieving stellar results, SEA Guest of Honour, Minister Indranee Rajah, President of SINDA, said that this is part of a very positive and upward trend.

Affirming the efforts of this year's recipients, Ms Indranee also underlined the role of education as a social leveller.

“Our students must have the best possible start in life, through access to the right opportunities, guidance and resources. This is especially significant now… [our students will] be well-equipped with the right skill sets to fulfil their aspirations and thrive in the future economy.” — Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development and President, SINDA

Even as they pursue their dreams, SINDA CEO Mr Anbarasu Rajendran wants to encourage these young achievers to support SINDA’s purpose. Platforms such as the SEA Alumni and SINDA Youth Club provide our resourceful youth with opportunities to contribute constructively to both our Indian community and the wider Singapore society. All the more fitting, as SINDA programmes have helped one in five in this amazing cohort.

Here are some awesome figures from SEA 2020

653

top-achievers were recognised. The highest number in SEA history!

26%

more recipients than last year

categories spanning academics, the arts, sports and technical skills

$150-$500 presented to each recipient, depending on their award category

20%

of the award winners were enrolled in SINDA’s programmes

1 1st

new category introduced this year: International and National Competitions

time the SEA has gone online

“I’ve always felt that there is more I can do, more I can achieve, and have not considered being a parent to be a setback.” — Kousalya d/o Selvakumar, full-time student and mother of four who is aiming for a degree in Nursing

DEVELOP WITHIN TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR SOCIETY V Janani has been inspiring her peers to build a better Singapore. In her speech at the 2020 SINDA Excellence Awards, reproduced below, Janani shares the three key attitudes that have propelled her many volunteer efforts. Hello everyone! My heartfelt congratulations to fellow SINDA Excellence Awards recipients for your achievements. My name is V Janani, and I recently graduated from the National University of Singapore with Honours in Global Studies. I am deeply humbled and honoured to be selected as the valedictorian this year. This year has not been easy for anyone. We have been challenged in ways we haven’t been before. As we look back, I hope we take the time to reflect, celebrate our wins, and express our gratitude. For me, I would like to tell my parents, my grandmother, my extended family, friends, fellow volunteers and my educators, a heartfelt thank you. Your love and support sustained me through difficult times, and the good times were made memorable by your presence. We are in a both scary and exciting time in our lives, when we start a new chapter transitioning to work or starting in a new educational institution. There are so many possibilities, and with that, choices to be made — choices that can seem intimidating and overwhelming. To navigate this new terrain, I’d like to offer three attitudes to carry with us, attitudes that I hold closely to me: hope, curiosity and empathy. Hope — some say hope leaves us vulnerable. It’s true. I remember hoping for many things — for better grades in classes that I studied really hard for but still failed, for days to go as I planned, and even for my grandfather’s recovery. At each instance, I was met with sadness, disappointment, and frustration. Yet, I continued to have hope, and this hope is what pushed me to keep working towards my goals. In war, they say the strategy to win is to make the opposing side lose hope. It is in that moment when they feel defeated, that they entirely give up. It is easier to give up than to have hope. Hope is powerful, and this optimism and faith in yourself and your abilities will bring you to places you never think you’d end up, and even open new opportunities. Next, Curiosity. There is so much for us in the world to learn: about ourselves, our society and the world. Be hungry for knowledge and ask questions — not only to learn new information and glean insights, but to better shape your worldview as well. Learn more about the people around you in your different spheres. Read widely across disciplines and geography. It is through curiosity that we learn and grow, but importantly, it helps us discover ourselves and gives perspective to our role in our world. The more I spoke to many different people and the more I learnt, the more I found out who Janani was – which principles were important to her, what she stood for and what impact she would like to create. Now with certainty, I can say that I am passionate about advocating for justice, gender equality, anti-racism, mental health and community building. My interests may morph over time, but for now, my curiosity has allowed me to gain much-needed clarity and I’m sure it will continue serving me well. Similar to how we talk about life-long learning, the journey of learning about yourself never ends. As we empower ourselves with knowledge and gain experience and wisdom, it is also important to look towards applying what we have learnt to make a difference. This brings me to the final attitude of exercising Empathy – for oneself, for one’s circles and for the community.

In my short time with the SINDA Youth Club, I witnessed such heartfelt demonstrations of empathy – a fellow sub-committee member independently stepped up to volunteer at dormitories over the weekends; another member took the time to check in on her migrant friends during the Circuit Breaker period; other members recognised the plight of the graduating cohorts and quickly put together a series of workshops to help job-seeking graduates. Empathy takes many forms. It is demonstrated not only in the form of large-scale community projects but also in small gestures and kind words, even if only one person benefits. Sometimes, that person can even be yourself. We can start by making a difference in our own spheres of influence: at home, school, work or with our friends. We can make a conscious choice to be thoughtful, to stand against injustice and to identify opportunities for meaningful conversation.Through consistent effort that in exercising empathy we can make a difference For me, I do this through volunteering with organisations like SINDA Youth Club, Young Changemakers and Youth Corps Singapore. I learn a lot about Singapore society and a plethora of causes not only through volunteering itself, but also from my fellow volunteers. I find great joy in helping to empower youth to go forth with their own volunteer projects and in imparting knowledge about Singapore’s social landscape with fellow youth, acting as a multiplier of sorts, and soon hope to embark upon more projects to inspire change. These three attitudes that I’ve shared are some of many others that are important, but are three that I believe are essential to carry with us as we collectively manoeuvre the current landscape that is battling against Covid-19. Covid-19 has brought about uncertainties, changes and has exposed cracks in our society. With hope, curiosity and empathy, we can grasp opportunities to create better solutions, and respond accordingly to difficult hurdles that we will come across. With that, I once again extend my sincere congratulations to all recipients of the SINDA Excellence Award 2020. Our journey has not ended. If anything, it has just begun. Onwards and upwards. Thank you.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

SPREADING CHEER AS WE END A DIFFICULT YEAR The 2020 festive season got underway much in the fashion of the year, with part of the action moving online. SINDA’s signature Project Give eschewed the annual booth at the Campbell Lane Deepavali Bazaar, keeping the community convivial through social media and a Project Give microsite instead. But the human touch was still warmly felt, with several ground-up initiatives reaching out in this year’s theme of Acts of Care.

1) SHINY HOMES, HAPPY PEOPLE Our youth did not balk at lending a hand during the pandemic but instead leapt at the chance to bring some joy. About 50 volunteers from SINDA and the Young Sikh Association (Singapore) (YSA) came together in Project Shine, giving 25 homes in 11 precincts all around Singapore a good scrub-down in time for the festivities. 73-year-old Mdm Jayakodi, who usually does the pre-holiday cleaning herself, said, “I’m happy that there are people coming to do it this year because it takes the load off me.” One of the elderly Indian residents living alone who was identified in SINDA’s earlier door-knocking exercise, Mdm Jayakodi also enjoyed the company of the young people. Project Shine took place over two weeks in October and early November, with guidance from Habitat for Humanity, who trained the volunteers on the nitty gritty of cleaning the homes. YSA President Mr Sarabjeet Singh called it “a great opportunity for the youth volunteers”, saying it “gave them purpose during these challenging times”. With the help of our volunteers and community partners, we were able to clean all the homes just in time for Deepavali festivities!

2) ART THAT REFLECTS OPTIMISM A sparkling new artwork is on display at the Indian Heritage Centre—murals of painted mirrors with words of encouragement like “Stay safe”, “Be strong” and “Be happy” adorning them, cheerfully arranged with painted rosettes of recycled paper. Viewing it, you see yourself surrounded by positivity and cheer. Entitled “Messages of Care”, the murals are the result of an art therapy session conducted for persons with special needs. 200 participants from Blue Cross Thong Kheng Autism Spectrum Disorder Day Activity Centre, BizLink Centre Singapore and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore worked with art therapist Mrs Vijaya Mohan to produce the murals. A timely little lift for all of us!

3) MORE MESSAGES OF CARE — LIGHTING HEARTS AND HOMES Messages of care were also what 1,500 SINDA STEP students prepared, writing them into cards for SINDA beneficiaries. These heartfelt greetings were included in the Celebrate! Festive Gift Packs shared as part of Project Give’s and Lighting Hearts Lighting Homes' outreach activity. 1,500 gift packs containing snacks, Deepavali candles, a $120 NTUC gift card and a $120 cash ‘ang pow’ were distributed to families in the first week of November, in time for Deepavali. Stepping out to spread the cheer were 200 Lighting Hearts, Lighting Homes volunteers, SINDA volunteers and staff.

4) TREATS FROM IBR COME IN A CLASSIC CAR Also fanning out to deliver gifts on 7 November were members of the Indian Business Leaders’ Roundtable (IBR), together with 20 Republic Polytechnic students under the IBR mentorship programme, and volunteers from SINDA and Classic Car Club Singapore. “All of us have a great desire to contribute more in addressing community challenges and needs,” shared Mr Harjit Singh Bhatia, member of the IBR Management Council. Through this IBR Deepavali Outreach effort, 200 Indian families received treats to add flavour to the festive occasion.

5) A “COMMUNITY-FOR-THECOMMUNITY” APPROACH Since 2001, Project Give has been raising funds to support the educational needs of disadvantaged students and families. The spirit of giving is alive and well after almost two decades—besides contributions raised from the public via the microsite, large donations were also made despite the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. A virtual Donor Cheque Presentation event was held over Zoom on 24 October, with 16 generous supporters. SINDA President, Minister Indranee Rajah, was Guest of Honour. Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, CEO of SINDA, notes that Project Give has evolved over the years. Now, he says, “we are looking (to cultivate) a collective social belonging in the Indian community.” Certainly, the pandemic has shown off the strength of this bond. The goodwill of the community continues to support each member, making 2020 all the more a remarkable year.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

SAME, SAME, BUT DIFFERENT The pandemic may have changed the way we do things, but at SINDA, we’ve ensured the community is still being served. That means our programmes have gone on as usual, albeit in new formats. We’re ushering in the digital age together!

1) CHILDREN ENRICHMENT They may not even be ready for school, but one cohort of 3-to-6 year-olds is already getting comfortable online. Some 495 pre-schoolers enjoyed lessons in virtual classrooms this year, where they picked up reading, writing and numeracy skills. SINDA’s Literacy & Numeracy programme (LYNN) mixed things up with videos, songs and games to engage the little ones, while their accompanying dads and mums kept an eye on their progress. Nursery 1 student Aanshi’s mum, Ms Nakshi Amit Devnani, was an appreciative parent, who shares, “My daughter’s ability to read has improved; she is also more

confident with numbers. It’s great that SINDA made the programme available online.” SINDA’s Pre-school Tamil Enrichment programme too went online for 323 kindergartners. The interactive format developed motivated learners like Mohamed Fahim Bin Abdul Malik, who had little prior exposure to the language— he was even able to give a speech in Tamil at his kindergarten graduation!

2) PARENTING AND FAMILY-BONDING Seems like everything’s going online these days—even board games! And when that entails groups of fun-loving families coming together in cyberspace, SINDA families were more than game. Two sessions on 4 and 10 October each had 30 participants playing the pandemic blues away. Throughout 2020, some 300 parents of primary and secondary school students also attended parenting workshops and learnt to build healthier relationships with their children. Being able to log in from the comfort of home was a plus and was even a bonding opportunity when the kids sat in.

3) YOUTH ASPIRATIONS The aspirations of post-secondary youth were not forgotten despite the pandemic; rather, they received a boost through SINDA’s Mentor Me programme. Matched to 102 mentors from relevant industries, 104 youths received guidance and inspiration towards achieving their personal, academic and career goals. As participant Pearlin Benita Love recounts, “Mentor Me helped me gain a wider perspective of working life.” Besides virtual mentoring sessions twice a month, the mentees also accessed speciallyorganised online workshops, such as a LinkedIn Career Development workshop and one on Mental Wellness conducted by Silver Ribbon Singapore. Meanwhile, our popular Guidance And Mentorship (GAME) series also continued over Zoom, with 34 youngsters aged 13 to 21 learning to be emcees though the GAME Emcee programme. The youths came out of the programme more confident in public speaking.

4) YOUTH LEADERSHIP Covid-19, Mental Health and Youth Employment: topics for a challenging time were discussed from the distinct perspectives of our Indian youth leaders at the 2020 Indian Youth Conference (IYC). The two-day virtual convention brought 33 of them, hailing from 14 of SINDA’s partner organisations, together over Zoom across two weekends at the end of August. Held for just the second time, this year's IYC was jointly organised by the SINDA Youth Club (SYC), Narpani Pearavai Youth and the Young Sikh Association (Singapore). Through small-group breakouts and a panel discussion featuring distinguished guests from GovTech, Sustainable Living Lab, Talk Your Heart Out and NUS Centre, the youths shared their thoughts and their various organisations’ experiences, evaluated situations and charted shared outcomes for 2021. “IYC 2020 was a great opportunity for Indian youth leaders to convene and reconnect, reflect and reframe,” says Yuvan Mohan, IYC 2020 Project Lead and Vice-Chairperson of SYC. B Kanesh, ViceChairperson of Narpani Pearavai Youth affirms this, adding, “The topics instigated a thought process in a way that is unparalleled by other events.”

5) VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT A Covid Adjustment Series was launched by SINDA to help our members cope during this trying period. Comprising mental health and healthy lifestyle webinars, it reached out to encourage us all to take care of our health. The mental health session on 30 August was “thought provoking, timely and informative”, as Segaran Odayappan, one of the 20 youth participants, shared. The programme taught the attendees how to practice self-care and mindfulness amidst the strain brought by the pandemic. The healthy lifestyle webinar took aim at physical health, encouraging participants to try running for exercise. The webinar shared tips on how to ease into running gradually, whether one has not run before or has laid off running for a long time, and also how to work on ramping up performance.