SINDA Connections - November 2016

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MCI (P) 095/04/2016

What are you GAME for?

NOVEMBER 2016

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Celebrating Excellence in its Many Forms 13

Shape Your World with an APU-SINDA Scholarship

PRINTING A PATH TO SUCCESS YAMUNAA & YAAMANNI KASAVAN

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SINDA’S P4-P6 CAMP

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GIRLS’ DAY OUT

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SINDA IN NUMBERS

Contents

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• CEO’s Note

• Congratulations!

• No Contribution Too Small • Girls’ Day Out • SYLS 2016: Collectivising Responsibility and Paving Pathways

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• A Big Heart for All Families • A Beautiful Way to Bond • A Twist in the Tale Teaches Tweens to be Tough

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• Celebrating Excellence in its Many Forms

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• Youth Dialogues with MPs • Shape Your World with an APU-SINDA Scholarship

PUBLISHER Singapore Indian Development Association

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EDITORIAL TEAM

• What Are You GAME For?

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Corporate & Marketing Communications Division, SINDA

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• SINDA’s P4-P6 Camp

07 • Reaching Out to Youths in a Fun Way

• SINDA Students Doing Better • Recognising a Successful Partnership

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CHIEF EDITOR Ravindran Nagalingam, COO, SINDA DEPUTY EDITOR Dhanasegaran Narayanasamy PRODUCTION EDITORS Priyaa Vasudevan Shaleni Rajendran DESIGN & LAYOUT Green House Design + Communications Pte Ltd PRINTER Stamford Press Pte Ltd Licence No: L022/04/2012

• Tribute to Mr S R Nathan • Light the Way as a Volunteer

TO SUBSCRIBE

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• SINDA in Numbers

To inform us of a change in mailing address, send your new address to connections@sinda.org.sg TO CONTRIBUTE

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• Printing a Path to Success

towards the SINDA CPF Fund: (to start contributing or increase contributions) Tel: 1800 295 4554 www.sinda.org.sg

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CEO’s Note

Education: SINDA Excellence Awards

K Barathan CEO, SINDA

At the SINDA Excellence Awards (SEA) on 24 September, SINDA honoured 466 top-achievers for excelling in academics, the arts or sports. We were honoured to have Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Senior Minister of State Ms Indranee Rajah to present the awards. It was definitely a proud moment for the recipients, their families, schools and the community.

SINDA has been organising this ceremony for the past 25 years and it underscores the importance given to education and youth aspirations. We want our students to achieve great things and we are there not only to help them in this journey but also to celebrate their achievements.

I am also happy to report that the number of recipients across all post-secondary categories—A-Levels, ITE NITEC and Higher NITEC, Polytechnic Diploma and University Degree—has increased significantly this year.

I’d like to reiterate that there are many paths to success and that our different post-secondary institutions are all different channels to help students achieve their potential. SINDA will continue to recognise academic and non-academic excellence as more of our students pursue courses aligned to their strengths, interests and talents that will enable them to have viable and lucrative careers as adults.

Project Give In this last quarter of the year, we hosted our signature Project Give campaign, to raise funds for the educational and financial needs of Indian students. I am happy that about 20,000 Indians actively benefit through our initiatives each year—that we are able to help a child, encourage a student and motivate a youth in some way, in their pursuit of their life goals.

Dear Friends, It has been a busy four months since the last issue and there have been several happenings of note. Besides the usual education, youth, family and children’s activities, SINDA celebrated the outstanding and talented students in our community, and reached out to youth in the heartlands with our first Youth Carnival (page 07).

We also joined the nation in mourning the passing of one of Singapore’s greatest sons—our SINDA founding member and 6th President of the nation, Mr SR Nathan, whose guidance, vision, sage advice and patronage will be missed by all at SINDA. I am sure that the Singaporean Indian community will continue to strive for the success that he envisioned for us all.

Community partnerships have also played a key role in helping us in this area. It is my hope that such partnerships continue. It is vital that there is a spirit of togetherness when it comes to ensuring that no one in our community is left behind. We must support and encourage one another to do better, and eventually reach greater heights as a community.

Partnerships and contributions will go a long way in helping our Indian community. Most of our programmes are heavily subsidised so that all Indian students enjoy quality programmes at low rates. The community’s continued support and contributions towards our programmes will assist us in reaching out to those who need this aid the most.

On that note, my heartiest wishes to our Hindu friends this Deepavali season. May the festival of lights light a path towards a strong and vibrant Indian community!

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CONGRATULATIONS! First Female Judge in Court of Appeal SINDA congratulates our Board Term Trustee Judith Prakash on her appointment by President Tony Tan Keng Yam as a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court from 1 August 2016. Specialising in complex commercial cases, arbitration, company, and trust law, Justice Prakash is the first woman to be appointed as a permanent judge of the Singapore Court of Appeal.

Prior to her appointment, Justice Prakash also served as Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court as well as a High Court Judge. She also chairs the Singapore Academy of Law’s Law Reform Committee and Publications Committee, and is a member of the Medical Litigation Review Committee.

Our Warwick Scholar Winning the 2016 Friends of the University of Warwick in Singapore (FOTUWS) Trust Scholarship to pursue a degree in Accounting and Finance is Chandra Prakash Dhanabal.

If the name sounds familiar, you may know he’s a three-time SINDA Excellence Award winner. You may have read about him representing Singapore in the World Junior Men’s Softball Championships 2012, or heard him singing during one of the performances

by Raffles Institution’s Indian Cultural Society. You might also have caught him facilitating SINDA’s Amazing Race!

This 21-year-old says it’s “a dream” to get an overseas education without having to place a financial burden on his parents, whose hardship while bringing him and his siblings up is now rewarded. Chandra is also thankful to SINDA for providing help when he needed it.

He’d like to pay it back, by sharing this tip with others seeking scholarships: “Don’t be afraid to flaunt your achievements. Believe in yourself. If you don’t, then who will?”

No Contribution Too Small When it comes to helping the less privileged among us, every bit of help counts. SINDA is proud to count many friends in our community, who together raised a total of $2.69 million in 2015. These donations came through various means, including Project Give, scholarship providers, Family and FSC programmes.

Indeed, some of our donors like Rajoo Amurdalingam, Managing Director of The National Forwarder (Singapore) Pte Ltd, are unstinting in their support. As the primary funder of Project Athena, SINDA’s service for Indian single mothers and disadvantaged children, Rajoo has helped 36 mothers and 80 children up to last year.

Dr R Theyvendran has facilitated donations to SINDA from multiple organisations, including Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) and Ceylon Sports Club. The funds from these organisations have been channelled towards programmes and awards to encourage entrepreneurship among Indian youth; establishing the SICCI –SINDA Scholarship to support university, polytechnic & ITE students as well as presenting bursaries and vouchers to student beneficiaries.

SINDA was glad to honour Rajoo, Dr Theyvendran, as well as other donors and partner organisations at an Appreciation Lunch on 20 July. When we work as a community to help one another, we can make an impact!

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Girls’ Day Out It’s always a good idea to end the school holidays with an unforgettable time, and that’s just what 30 secondary school girls enjoyed on 23 June.

For a whole day, the 13-to-17-year-olds had a blast making friends and picking up ideas on leading well-balanced lifestyles.

The teens were especially thrilled to get up close and personal with Vasantham artiste Ms Bharathi Rani Arunachalam. The popular Instagrammer shared her fitness journey and beauty tips with the girls, encouraging them to cultivate a positive self-image and healthy habits.

Rounding things up in the coolest fashion was an ice-cream making workshop at Udder’s ice-cream parlour. Said K. R. Yesha, a Secondary 2 student from Tanglin Secondary School, “It was fun making our own ice-cream flavours—and the free ice-cream buffet that followed was the best!”

SYLS 2016: Collectivising Responsibility and Paving Pathways The SINDA Youth Leaders Seminar (SYLS) was back with a bang this year with 132 post-secondary Indian youth attending the sixth residential programme. It was held at the College of Alice and Peter Tan, National University of Singapore, over 10-12 June. As one of the most anticipated events on SINDA’s youth calendar, the SYLS creates opportunities for our youth to channel their creativity and resourcefulness towards innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

SYLS 2016 was themed Collectivising Responsibility and Paving Pathways. It focused on encouraging a sense of personal responsibility, collaboration and civic engagement to pave pathways to uplift the larger community. During the seminar the youth brainstormed and collated ideas and resources to address social issues in areas such as disabilities and special needs, the elderly and ageing, family violence, transient workers, and underprivileged families.

Jurong Junior College student Ram Mithran felt that the annual seminar meets a need. He enthusiastically shared that “a lot of youth seek but cannot find a proper platform to network and exchange ideas”.

During the seminar, he and his peers engaged in a rigorous problem solving model. Their proposed solutions were presented to Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of SINDA, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who met them on the closing day.

The SYLS also included a Service Learning component, which took our youth to the interim housing cluster at Spooner Road, where they had the opportunity to interact with families living there to understand their challenges and aspirations.

Our youth provided the residents with a month’s groceries, and, armed with brooms and mops, also spruced up their homes.

“Reaching out to the under-privileged was meaningful …It was very relatable, and I felt I’d played a part in changing someone’s life,” shared Stephanie Selvarevathy, from ITE College Central.

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What Are You GAME For? Given a good dose of self-awareness, self-esteem and resilience, what do you get? Self-motivated youth! That’s exactly the formula SINDA applies in its Guidance and Mentorship (GAME) programmes for secondary school Indian students.

It’s not just stodgy talks, either. Teens get to explore and develop talents in music, dance, football or photography, while mentors guide them to identify their strengths, weaknesses and trigger factors. In addition, the youths get a handle on peer pressure and build the confidence to solve problems.

Here’s what the 2016 batch got up to earlier this year:

GAME Music Over 15 sessions in as many weeks, from 19 March to 16 July, 30 youngsters trained their vocal chords and boosted their instrument and percussion skills under their mentors.

Among them, Secondary 3 student Tharangini Pannir Selvam of Clementi Woods Secondary was glad to hone her keyboard technique. She also learnt a valuable lesson, she says, about “how important time management is when you play together as a band”.

Tharangini loved the opportunity to perform at SINDA’s Youth Carnival on 30 July, too, for the great boost it gave her confidence. She now appreciates that “no matter how good you are, you have to constantly improve.”

For her fellow participant Krishmita R. Moorthy from Deyi Secondary, also in Secondary 3, the highlight was creating and singing her own song. “When I performed during the video shoot, my peers were cheering for me so loudly! It was so motivating,” she grins. Krishmita also treasures the fun times with the group and mentor. “It was awesome,” she says.

GAME Dance It was K Kaviin Kumar’s STEP teacher who told him about the GAME Dance programme, and he jumped at the opportunity. “I’ve always been interested in dance but never had the chance to join a crew,” he shares. Although he confesses he’s “not much of a dancer” compared to his friends, the 15 weekly sessions allowed the Secondary 3 student from Deyi Secondary to pick up new moves.

Not least, he says the best part is that he’s made many friends through the programme, which ran from 19 March to 16 July.

A highlight for all 30 participants came a few weeks later, when they put up an electrifying item for SINDA’s first-ever Youth Carnival.

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GAME Football For the 80 die-hard footballing youth who signed up for SINDA’s programme, the ‘beautiful game’ is not just a chance to kick around, but solid practice and heavy training.

While experienced trainers and coaches fine-tuned their football skills and gameplay, the boys felt the hard work was all worth it. “I got to play football every week, and football is my passion!” enthused Mohd Yusoff Bin Mohd Adnan, a Secondary 2 student from Bendemeer Secondary.

The 10 sessions were held from 19 March, culminating in futsal finals on 11 June.

GAME Photography Exploring some of the most picturesque locations around Singapore was just one of the perks for the 30 young shutterbugs on the hunt for that perfect photograph. During their seven weekly sessions from 6 August to 24 September, they were guided by professionals from Pictorial in using their DSLR cameras to best effect.

For Sai Avinash, learning more about light and shadows in outdoor photography was illuminating (pun intended!) “The experience also taught us to rely less on image editors and more on our camera skills,” he added.

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SINDA’S P4-P6 Camp “I have to be brave enough to face challenges and never give up no matter what kind of trial I face,” says Anisa Murali. The Primary 6 pupil of Bendemeer Primary School was describing with excitement what she learnt at SINDA’s Camp Jumanji this June.

The leadership camp was held for the fourth year running, on 8-10 June. For the 100 Pri 4-6 participants, it was the highlight of the month-long school holidays. Thrilling experiential games at the aptly-named Camp Challenge in Singapore’s north held them rapt over the three days and two nights, even as they learnt and tested their teamwork and leadership skills.

Judging from the enthusiastic response of the students, this year’s theme of motivation certainly hit the mark. The clear favourite in the programme? “The campfire was the most fun!” declares Anisa.

SINDA organisers happily point out that with the encouraging feedback taken every year, each edition has been better than the last. So watch out for Camp Jumanji 2017, and we’ll see you there!

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Reaching Out to Youths in a Fun Way

What a diversity of talent there is in our youth community! All they need is a platform—and SINDA provided just that with the inaugural SINDA Youth Carnival, themed ‘Celebrating Youth’ on 30 July.

With the vibrant line-up of events from dance to beatbox to futsal, even water soccer, 3D drawing and a DJ workshop, it was no wonder the Carnival attracted more than 700 youths to the Paya Lebar Kovan Community Centre where it was held.

This was not just a showcase of talents. The Carnival proved to be an opportunity for youngsters like dance competition winners, Magic of Facez, “to meet like-minded people who are talented in many different ways”. They added, beaming, “This was a new and positive experience for our team.”

Futsal competitor Naresh echoed the sentiment, saying, “It’s not all about winning, it’s also about learning from fellow competitors to improve ourselves.”

A key highlight of the bustling schedule was a panel session featuring four prominent youth. In sharing their experiences in overcoming challenges and their aspirations in education, sports and community services, they inspired those listening to discover and to excel in their own passions.

Guest-of-Honour Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance and SINDA President was there with Mr Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. She lauded the energy and talent on display, and urged our youth to “develop their own potential further and think about how they can contribute to the community”.

Bands and performers kept the tempo high throughout the day. Also engaging the youths were booths set up by the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and Central Narcotics Bureau . Their activities helped raise awareness on drug abuse and other topics.

Capping off the event, an electrifying concert by Vasantham artistes and local bands ensured that everyone went home on a high.

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PRINTING A PATH TO SUCCESS They may be only 20 and fresh out of polytechnic, but their T-shirt printing company Pisti Prints has already gained a foothold in the industry. Meet twins Yamunaa and Yaamanni Kasavan—the young business women.

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Both of you were still in Ngee Ann Polytechnic when you started Pisti Prints. How did all that happen?

Our older brother came up with the idea. We really liked it so the two of us jumped right in!

As students, we were often getting T-shirts printed for our classes or cocurricular activities and most of the time we were extremely disappointed by the quality. We saw an opportunity there, spoke to our tutors about it and went ahead with our plans.

The textile industry has always been viewed as a traditional business in the domain of an older generation.

We wanted to enter the market with a modern mind-set and be young competitors catering to new generations and trends.

We were young and ready to explore (we still are, by the way!)—we don’t have anything to lose. We both believe that if we don’t take the chance and try this now, we would regret it later on. We only live once, so why not? We haven’t looked back since.

Now that our brother’s in National Service, we’re running the show—but still under his close supervision.

What was the process of getting started like?

Our school, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, was integral in helping us start up the business—from providing funding to guiding us along the way.

Our first step was pitching the idea to the school. Originally, we requested a space to run the business, but we didn’t get it. Instead, the school proposed monetary funding. Before formally requesting for the funds, though, we completed a market study and ran the business for three months to prove our business model was working and profitable. That extremely important step was what guaranteed us the funding.

As for juggling both school and running a business, we learned to plan ahead and prioritise. This was important because we were very much involved in sports, on top of school assignments and exams.

We also had a mentor, who not only offered suggestions but also nominated us for the “Most Outstanding Student” award. Our lecturers and school management were also very supportive.

Later, when we wanted to expand, we took our own initiative to reach out to people and government organisations.

How crucial is family support to your business?

Our family is our biggest critic! We point out each other’s mistakes, but at the same time, we have an extremely good working relationship. It is never about being stubborn. We always hear each other out when making important decisions.

We are very motivated by our dad to strive for what we want. When he was pursuing his diploma, he was actually juggling a full-time job and a family. No matter how hard it got, he never gave up. If he could do it all, then there’s no reason why we can’t! He has taught us by example: It isn’t impossible if you manage your time well, plan and prioritise.

My mum ensures we are comfortable and are taken care of—even in the office. She and my dad always encourage us to keep going.

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Who does what in your company?

Yamunaa, who did a business management course, is good at finance and accounting, and weighing business decisions. Yaamani is from the Real Estate Sector, and brings her creativity and design skills with her. Our brother, who studied Engineering, decides what equipment to buy. All of us have done our share of research over the years.

We’ve been overseas to study how production is done at other factories, too.

We work from a 1700 sqm office with three other employees.

What are some challenges you’ve faced? Have there been moments when you thought of giving up?

We’d be lying if we said we never had doubts, especially when we see people our age having a better social life and enjoying themselves.

Our age has always been the biggest limitation. Some of our suppliers were sceptical. At times we lacked the financial firepower to sustain orders above six-digit figures. Manpower has been tricky too. We struggle to find people who are as passionate about the business as we are.

We’ve also learnt some lessons along the way, like how theory can be very different from reality. Initially, we approached the business according to our books, before realising some things didn’t work. More than carrying out research, we think our personal interactions with many people in the industry have provided us with great lessons.

All these have proved to be vital experiences.

What keeps you going?

Yamunaa: When I’m feeling low, I always remind myself why I started

“We both believe that if we don’t take the chance and try this now, we would regret it later on. We only live once, so why not? We haven’t looked back since.” this business; it is my passion. That immediately lifts my spirits and spurs me on.

Yaamanni: For me, work is an addiction.

The results drive me to work harder.

We feel contented making our customers happy by providing them what they want. Our business is very much driven by that.

Even during the difficult stages, what kept us going was seeing the fruit of our labour. It started with being awarded the school grant, followed by the great support from our peers who ordered from us, and now we even supply the bigger companies.

We also believe that leading a healthy lifestyle and taking good care of ourselves contribute greatly towards running our business successfully. So, we make sure we have some “me-time” every day, whether it is Muay Thai classes or gym workouts. We usually spend two-and-a-half hours doing some kind of sports.

This ensures we won’t burn out easily, since we work seven days a week.

To us both, success is a journey and not a destination. As such, we don’t consider ourselves successful—we are persistent and are working towards continuous growth.

What are your other interests?

Every new day gives us an opportunity to give back to the community. In Poly, Yamunaa was the President of the Community Service Club. She was especially active in planning activities for the disabled in the community.

Both of us volunteer and visit homes for the elderly frequently, or take them on excursions. We’ve also travelled to villages in the region, to teach children.

What advice do you have for other youth who aspire to be entrepreneurs?

Never let naysayers determine what you can do. Most importantly, dare to take the first step. The only “right time” there is, is when you decide to pick yourself up and pursue your interest.

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A Big Heart for All Families

It was just late last year that Singapore’s four Self Help Groups—the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Yayasan MENDAKI, the Eurasian Association and SINDA—set up a joint company to operate student care centres in schools. This year, on 4 June, the Self Help Groups Student Care Limited (SHGSCL) celebrated with a joyous Family Day at its latest centre, Xingnan Primary School.

Students of all races and their parents spent time together at the carnival, taking in various workshops and exhibition booths too. It was also an apt occasion for the unveiling of SHGSCL’s new branding, “Big Heart Student Care” (BHSC). Big Heart, of course, stands for a care facility where students of all backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted, and are given equal opportunities to learn and contribute to society. For Xingnan Primary School, it has been an opportunity to collaborate on a programme that reflects their core values.

Among the 350 guests were Guests-of-Honour Mr Ng Chee Meng, Acting Minister for Education (Schools) & Senior Minister of State for Transport, and Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Trade & Industry, and Chairperson of SHGSCL. SHGSCL aims to operate a total of 30 Big Heart Student Care centres by year 2020, including the 10 established to date.

A Beautiful Way to Bond There’s nothing like the beauty of nature to provide a sense of well-being—and nothing so natural as families bonding as they relax in beautiful gardens.

On 23 July, SINDA, together with NParks, invited beneficiaries from our Family Division to spend precious time together at the Gardens by the Bay. It turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for the 86 attendees, who got to enjoy family time at the 2016 Singapore Garden Festival.

For Ms Rajeswari and her five family members, this was their first time at the Gardens by the Bay. Together with the other families, they explored the local and international award-winning Designer Gardens, admired South-East Asia’s rich Orchid Extravaganza, and took in the myriad colours of the Floral Windows to the World. The guided tour also introduced participants to botanical-based activities at the Garden Fiesta.

Ms Rajeswari appreciated the chance to bond with her children, saying, “Everything was so beautiful! We had a lot of fun watching the night light show. My kids and I enjoyed ourselves very much.”

A Twist in the Tale Teaches Tweens to be Tough What do you get with three superstar piglets, their devoted single-parent Mum and a misunderstood Big Bad Wolf? A fabulous day out with SINDA! 24 Primary 5 students laughed themselves silly on 13 August 2016 even as the hilarious adaptation of The Three Little Pigs cast the single Mum as a superhero to be taken seriously. The students were inspired to treasure their family bonds through thick or thin (and keep a sense of humour about them). Not least, they learnt that success can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. This was surely one unforgettable lesson for them all!

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Celebrating Excellence in its Many Forms

From the arts to sports and academics, Indian youths have found multiple pathways to success, as evidenced by the range of awards presented at the 2016 SINDA Excellence Awards (SEA) Ceremony on 24 September.

This year also saw the biggest cohort in the event’s 25-year history, with 466 students qualifying. They range from top PSLE scorers to those from polytechnics, universities and arts colleges, as well as athletes who have represented Singapore on the regional and international fronts.

While recipients come from a wide range of schools, there is a significant increase in the number of post-secondary students. It’s a welcome indicator of progress, as more Indian students are eligible for and enrolling in the various postsecondary institutions—20% up from year 2000, in fact. And they are also choosing to pursue excellence in courses aligned with their passions, strengths and skills.

Gracing the occasion at the ITE College Central were Guest-of-Honour Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Law, Ms Indranee Rajah, who is also President of SINDA. In acknowledging the award recipients, Ms Indranee noted that nearly one in six had received the SEA at least once before, showing that not only are there those who consistently do well, but many more are also achieving excellence.

Speaking as the Student Representative at this year’s ceremony was Deputy Public Prosecutor Hairul Hakkim Kuthibutheen. The three-time SEA recipient came through SINDA’s STEP classes and holds First Class Honours in Law. Mr Hakkim related how he lost his father to illness early, leaving his family a financially tight situation. He shared how his frustration “translated into a hunger to continuously improve myself and succeed in my work”. He learnt to achieve his goals using the limited resources at his disposal, including STEP programme which helped him greatly.

“I did not ever again want to be made a victim of my circumstances,” he said. He thus urged those present to discover their own motivation, whatever it might be. “All that matters is that it is powerful enough to spur you into action.”

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Youth Dialogues with MPs The SINDA Youth Club’s Distinguished Speaker Series offers its participants the rare chance to hear directly from prominent members of society, and exchange views on current affairs. This year’s sessions were as enriching as always, with the youth emerging with broader perspectives.

In the first session on 20 March, 50 young people aged 17 to 30 met Mr Darryl David, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC. The frank conversations, which ran from education systems to daily life interactions, surfaced many thoughts on nurturing an inclusive society in the face of increasing social diversity.

Social cohesion, disruptive technology and elected Presidency formed the general theme at the second session on 4 September, when the group of mainly young working adults parsed issues raised by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech, followed by an open dialogue with Mr Vikram Nair, Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC. 4th year Political Science undergraduate Vaishnavi Vasudevan said appreciatively, “Mr Vikram was able to address sensitive questions in a candid manner.” The 22-year-old from the National University of Singapore also shared that she gained good insights into economic policies, social safety nets and the digital divide.

Mr Nair also engaged the youth on the importance of innovation and versatility as Singapore’s economy evolves at an ever-quicker pace. 2nd-year Chemical Engineering student J Vinodhinny, from the Singapore Institute of Technology, welcomed the chance to air her views and get feedback on technological advancement in Singapore, her pet interest.

Another take-away for the 20-year-old was understanding the difficulty policy-makers have in trying to satisfy everyone. “Issues are more complex than they might seem in many cases,” she said.

Shape Your World with an APUSINDA Scholarship In the southwest Japanese city of Beppu, the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) has been a top draw for international students for the last six years.

As one of Japan’s top Global Hub Universities, it offers a unique multicultural learning environment, interactive classes and realworld experiences. APU’s motto is “Shape your world”—something that certainly resonates with its vibrant student community passionate about effecting positive change around the globe.

Now, APU has partnered with SINDA to offer Singaporean Indians (at least one parent from an Indian sub-ethnic group) a four-year Bachelor’s degree in either Social Sciences or Business Administration.

If you are a polytechnic Diploma holder or have three or more ‘C’ grades at GCE ‘A’ Level, why not give it a go? You can look forward to a scholarship worth 30% to 100% of the tuition fees, depending on your application.

Having a background in community work is a plus, especially since you will be asked to lend your time to SINDA’s programmes—24 days over two years—after your studies. There is no other bond attached.

Do note that there is a registration fee of ¥5,000 for all applications. You would probably want to learn some basic spoken Japanese before you leave, too!

Registration closes on 25 March 2017 for the September 2017 intake. Check out http://admissions.apu.ac.jp/ for details, and download the handbook and other necessary documents at http://admissions. apu.ac.jp/material_download/ For more information, call Ms Ganga at 6296 2855, or email scholarships@sinda.org.sg

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SINDA Students Doing Better The Joint Tuition Awards (JTA) Ceremony rolled around again for the 13th year, celebrating students of all races who achieved good results at the 2015 PSLE, GCE ‘N’ and ‘O’ Level examinations.

SINDA is one of the four Self-Help Groups (SHGs)—with the Chinese Development Assistance Council, Eurasian Association and Yayasan MENDAKI—whose collaboration is “a reflection of the strong ties that bind our communities together”. So said Mr Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamad, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Deputy Chairman of Yayasan MENDAKI, when he addressed guests at the awards presentation on 27 August at Nanyang Polytechnic. The SHGs leverage on each other’s strengths and resources towards a common goal of maximising every child’s academic potential.

Mr Masagos congratulated the 564 prize winners for their determination to do well, praising them as “fine role models” for their peers. He added, “I would like to encourage you to continue to develop yourselves and pursue areas of interest that you are passionate about.”

SINDA’s Top ‘N’ Level Award winner Kerthana Shree Shanmugavelu of New Town Secondary School was pleased to receive a $150 Popular book voucher, as she planned to use it on assessment books to prepare for her upcoming ‘O’ Levels.

As for Singapore Polytechnic student Nabilah Fatin, who received SINDA’s Top in ‘O’ Levels Award, such encouragement spurs her to pay it forward. She said, “It’s important that students like me, who have received help, give back to society.”

SINDA applauds all our JTA winners, and looks forward to seeing more of our tuition students succeed.

Recognising a Successful Partnership In running our signature STEP, Project Teach, Youth Victory, Saadhana and SINDA Youth Club programmes, SINDA has been working hand-in-glove for years with the Ministry of Education (MOE). On 25 May, we celebrated our alliance at the 5th annual SINDA-MOE Partnership Ceremony held at the Grassroots Club.

150 educators, school principals and teachers gathered to mark this collaboration, with 74 schools receiving Appreciation Awards for their support. Together, we are nurturing Indian students for a bright future.

Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance and President, SINDA was Guest-of-Honour at the event. “The future will be increasingly dynamic,” she said, observing that SINDA’s emphasis on boosting students’ confidence and resilience “aligns with a nationwide shift” from academic scores to “nurturing holistic development, recognising talent and encouraging sustained lifelong learning”.

Ms Indranee also fêted the SINDA Liaison Officers (SLOs)— SINDA’s ambassadors on the ground—who go the extra mile to ensure students are presented with opportunities at every chance. They may be regular teachers in schools but SLOs are a key component in our strong partnership with MOE. Sharing her personal experience was Megalai Thangavelu from Ngee Ann Primary School, an SLO for 10 years, who serves with a genuine passion.

Mdm Megalai noted that a full-time teacher’s work is neverending. However, her students are her biggest motivation.

She says, “(Being an SLO) is a small contribution on my part but the change and impact it can make on a student’s life is extremely large.”

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Tribute to Mr S R Nathan It was a distinguished group of current and former Indian ministers, civil servants and community leaders that gathered at the PGP Hall on the evening of 8 September.

They were there to pay their respects to Singapore’s 6th President, the late Mr S R Nathan, who passed on 22 August 2016.

Mr Nathan was a foremost leader who had the interests of both the Indian community and Singaporeans as a whole, at heart. His keen interest in the Indian community led him to guide Indian organisations here with genuine concern.

He was also instrumental in setting up SINDA and served as our Board Trustee till 2000, when he became President of Singapore.

Along with a video montage of Mr Nathan, the seven eulogies delivered that evening reflected the extent to which Mr Nathan was appreciated and loved, by one and all.

HEB Chairman R Jayachandran shared in his speech that Mr Nathan’s “mind was always focussed on issues affecting the community and how to go about finding practical solutions.”

Even while undergoing medical treatment he would write long handwritten memos, “blunt and hard-hitting on issues which he felt we were yet to focus on”.

Members of the public penning their condolences at SINDA

23-year-old NSMan Santhiran Ezhavarasan, an S R Nathan Award recipient, spoke from his heart. He told those present how he had looked up to Mr Nathan since his school days, and “receiving an award under his name was the biggest thing I could have asked for”. Santhiran’s father passed on that same year, and the award helped the family over the most difficult period. When Santhiran finally got a chance to thank Mr Nathan in person, he says, “I became a man with renewed inspiration and my love for Mr Nathan grew even more.”

The evening ended with DPM Tharman presenting a memento—an album of photos depicting Mr Nathan’s involvment in the various Indian organisations over the past decades—to Mr S R Nathan’s family.

Over 800 invited guests from the Indian community attended the event that was jointly organised by SINDA, the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) and Narpani Pearavai.

Light the Way as a Volunteer What does age matter, as long as you have a heart for the community? You’ll always be welcome as a SINDA volunteer—just ask any of those already volunteering with us. They range in age from 11 to 68, and hail from all walks of life!

You might be one of our growing number of volunteers who are putting time and effort into bettering the Indian community, like 68-year-old Ms Jayamani Overithi.

Ms Jayamani has been a SINDA volunteer for the past 14 years. Through SINDA’s Project Read, she came to observe that parents of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often felt a sense of hopelessness and easily gave up on their children. She took it upon herself as a challenge to turn around the lives of these kids and strongly believed she could impact their lives in some way.

the 10th edition of the biennial Volunteers Recognition Ceremony. This year, close to 40 awards were presented to youths.

Or, you might be like lawyer Mr Alagappan Arunasalam, who shares his expertise freely. In offering pro-bono legal advice to low-income families, he has impacted the lives of many beneficiaries.

SINDA CEO Mr K Barathan, in praising the efforts of our volunteers, describes them as “giving hope when none exists, and lighting the path for our fellowmen, when their world is engulfed in darkness”.

On 9 July, SINDA was proud to recognise 137 dedicated volunteers, including Ms Jayamani and Mr Alagappan, at

Encouraging us all, he says, “Everyone has something special to offer.”

As a volunteer, you will be at the heart of many of SINDA’s integral programmes. As Guest-of-Honour Deputy Prime Minister and SINDA Chairman, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said at the ceremony held at the Royal Palm @ Clarke Quay, “There’s nothing like person-to-person interaction involving role models and heartfelt relationships to bring communities together.”

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SINDA in Numbers Your contributions have helped SINDA to assist every Singaporean Indian. We are grateful to you for enabling SINDA to create opportunities for everyone and to support their dreams.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS

INSPIRING YOUTH

Preschool classes and tutorial programmes for primary to tertiary-level students

300

PRESCHOOL • • •

Literacy & Numeracy iLeap Project Read

TUTORIAL PROGRAMMES • • • •

STEP Tuition Project Teach Home-based Tuition Intensive Coaching Programmes ITE Math and Motivation Saadhana ‘A’ Level Tuition

• •

Making quality tuition affordable and available to all

More than

6,000

Student Pays

students

are tutored annually by

SINDA subsidises

tutors

Students from low-income families are provided with further fee subsidies and waivers

Average tuition cost per child

$90

420

$30

35 YOUTHS advanced their potential to become peer leaders

35

In 2015,

1,100

volunteers

64

Organisations supported/ funded by SINDA

contributed over

8,000 hours

for various SINDA programmes and initiatives Figures stated are for calendar year 2015

21 key projects

for the benefit of the community undertaken by youth participants

spent

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

1,200

570

received school kits

received bursaries

students

Community Engagement

of youth participants in guidance programmes saw an improvement in self-esteem, confidence and resilience

$1.5 million

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

organisations engaged

68%

youths trained in leadership skills and community awareness

520 families assisted

by SINDA Family Service Centre (SFSC)

1,300 less-privileged families received Festive Gift Packs

students

1,800 individuals

engaged through family-related workshops

120

mothers and children involved in Project Athena, an empowerment programme for single parents and their children.

Each year, SINDA provides its beneficiaries with

$2.4 MILLION worth of financial assistance

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DID ROCKET MAARAN AND HIS FRIENDS AT SINDA STEP TUITION INSPIRE YOU TO WORK HARDER THIS YEAR? Keep up the great work and continue your journey to success with SINDA STEP Tuition! Registration for 2017 tutorials begins in November.

Get the details at www.sinda.org.sg/step.

Key STEP Features • • • • • • •

Small Class Size Qualified Tutors Curriculum Materials E-learning Resources Additional Maths & Science Classes SINDA Assessments Holiday Revision

• • • •

Mentorship & Coaching Classes Holiday Camps & Enrichment Classes Meet-the-Parents Sessions Workshops for Parents

SUBJECTS OFFERED IN 2017: Level

Subject Available

Primary 1 & 2

English / Maths

Primary 3 to 6

English / Maths / (including P5 and P6 Foundation) Science Secondary 1 & 2

Subject Fee

$10 per subject per month

Maths / General Science

(Express & Normal Academic) Secondary 3 to 5 (Express & Normal Academic)

Maths / A Maths / Combined Science (Physics/Chemistry)

Secondary 1 to 4

English / Maths

Resource Materials

$20

$5 one-time payment per subject

per subject per month

(Normal Technical)

ABOUT US VISION

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

To build a strong and vibrant Singaporean Indian community together

Patron

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

MISSION To build a well-educated, resilient and confident community of Indians that stands together with the other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore VALUES Respect, our culture Integrity, our foundation Service, our promise Excellence, our pursuit

Chairman, Board of Trustees Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Life Trustees Prof S Jayakumar Mr S Dhanabalan Mr S Chandra Das Mr J Y Pillay Mr Sat Pal Khattar Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Mr K Shanmugam Dr N Varaprasad

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Term Trustees Mr Inderjit Singh Ms Indranee Rajah Mr M Rajaram Mr V Shankar Mr Ravi Menon Mr R Jayachandran Mr Girija Pande Mr Gautam Banerjee Mr Ravinder Singh Justice Judith Prakash Mr K Kesavapany Advisors Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Mr S Iswaran Mr Vikram Nair

President Ms Indranee Rajah Vice Presidents Mr Viswa Sadasivan Mr Shabbir Hassanbhai Secretary Mr Sarjit Singh Treasurer Mr Shekaran Krishnan Members Mr V P Jothi Mr R Rajaram Mr Puvan Ariaratnam Mr R Subramaniam Iyer Dr Joshua V M Kuma Mr K V Rao Mr R Chandra Mohan Mr K Ramamoorthy Mr Sarbjit Singh

Joseph Kalaivanar Graduate (Class of 1998 & 2012 )

60 YEARS OF

MAKING DREAMS INTO SUCCESS

April Zara Chua Graduate (Class of 2008)

Turgumbayev Adel Student (2016)

For 60 years, MDIS has nurtured students’ dreams, inspiring them to achieve success.

Today, MDIS is one of Singapore’s premier education institutions with a dedicated campus, facilities and industry-relevant curriculum that will help you live your dreams.

6247 9111 / 6372 1000

Y

MDIS Business School

Realising Dreams with MDIS and SINDA

School of Engineering

“I have chosen MDIS to pursue a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Safety, Health and Environmental Management as it is well recognised. The SINDA Fund has provided a lot of support and I am very happy with my course.”

School of Fashion & Design

Sharan Kyle MDIS Student (2016)

School of Health & Life Sciences School of Media & Communications School of Psychology School of Technology

“MDIS is an institute that has been in Singapore for a long time and they have partnerships with good universities from overseas. I am now pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biomedical Science with MDIS. I am glad to be selected as one of the scholarship recipients. I encourage all Indian students facing financial difficulties to contact SINDA and not to be discouraged.”

Siva Ranjini MDIS Student (2016)

School of Tourism & Hospitality An average of 78% of MDIS graduates# were employed within 6 months (#MDIS Graduate Surveys conducted during MDIS Graduation Ceremonies 2013-2015)

SINGAPORE CERT NO.: 97-2-0767 ISO 9001 : 2008