MOWE: Concert Lunch Outing

Marine Drive CDC:

Parents’ Day at Marina Barrage

Volunteer Training:

Poverty Simulation Exercise

A quarterly newsletter of the YWCA—Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore www.ywca.org.sg

ContentsEditor’s Note 2Credits 2Upcoming Events 2YWCA News 3Events 5Community Services 6Childcare 9Announcements & Compliments 15Spotlight: Ms Sambasivam Magiswari 16

Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the fi eld, and after that

build your house.Proverbs 24:27

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July -

September

2018

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V l t T i i

Flag Day 2018

July - September 2018 • ywLink 2 ywLink • July - September 2018 3

Community Services

YWCA was founded in 1875 to serve the community and motivated by our motto “By Love Serve One Another”, our vision and mission, the YWCA has been serving the community in many different ways over the decades. The YWLink has been featuring these activities and programmes which are organised to meet the needs of women and their families, especially those who fall within the gap.

To summarise the range of community services that YWCA is providing at the present, I set out a snap shot of who we serve –

YWCA welcomes all who wish to make a difference to society by giving their time and talents. Helping those who are less fortunate than us is a way of giving meaning to our daily lives. If you wish to volunteer, please visit our website at www.ywca.org.sg for information on our various services and projects or contact our staff at YWCA.

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” – Philippians 2:4

Tan Kee Leng, PBMEditor

C R E D I T SPublished by YWCA

EditorMs Tan Kee LengEditorial Coordinators Mrs Leung Yee Ping, Ms Gladys Foo, Ms Huixin Ngiam

254 Outram Road Singapore 169051 Tel: 6223 1227 Fax: 6227 3650 Email: admin@ywca.org.sgWebsite: www.ywca.org.sg

Articles may be reproduced but acknowledgement must be given to YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore, and a copy of the publication should be sent to the Editor.

Articles express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the opinions or policies of the YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore.

All information correct at the time of printing.All rights reserved. © YWCA of Singapore 2018.MCI (P) 133/04/2018

Editor’s N ote

Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

2

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Y W C A N E W S

YWCA Membership BenefitsCAFÉ LODGE 1 FOR 1 PROMOTION (Valid till 30 December 2018)

Terms and Conditions1. Minimum of 2 adults to maximum of 10 people per table (including

member) with 4 complimentary carpark coupons.2. For dine in only.3. Advance reservation is required and reserved table will be released 15

minutes from booking time.4. Promotion is not valid in conjunction with other discounts, vouchers and

promotions.5. Not valid on eve and public holidays. 6. Fort Canning Lodge reserves the right to withdraw the promotion without

prior notice.

YWCA MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS (Valid till 30 December 2018)

Terms and Conditions1. 30% discount upon presentation of YWCA membership card at Café

Lodge. 2. Discount is not applicable for merchandise or promotions by 3rd party

vendors within the Fort Canning Lodge premise. 3. 35% discount for dine in from 4 guests to maximum of 10 guests

(including member) with 4 complimentary carpark coupons.4. 50% discount on 1 kg home-made cakes. 3 days advance booking and

prepayment is required. 5. Advance reservation is required and reserved table will be released 15

minutes from booking time.

AQUA AEROBICS CLASS Venue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3) Time : Wednesday 7pm - 8pm

MUZIKALTHON 201808 September 2018 (Saturday)Venue: YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Sophia Cooke Ballroom, level 2Time: 10am – 4pm

YWCA OUTRAM254 Outram Road Singapore 169051

YWCA FORT CANNING LODGE6 Fort Canning Road Singapore 179494

For more information, please visit our website at www.ywca.org.sg or call us at 6223 1227

www.facebook.com/ywcasingapore

Volunteer Training:Poverty Simulation Exercise By Kee Lai Hai

On 30 June 2018, Saturday morning, YWCA conducted its first in-house training for our dedicated volunteers. About 40 volunteers and staff were present at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge to attend the Volunteer Training - Poverty Simulation Exercise.

Through role play and real life simulation, this unique volunteer training experience was conducted with the hopes of exposing our volunteers to the types of daily stresses and pressures faced by our benefi ciaries. During the poverty simulation exercise, participants were inducted into the various systems of the social service sector and tasked to carry out regular activities of daily life such as trying to provide for their “families”, caregiving responsibilities, seeking assistance and crisis management.

As part of the exercise, volunteers had to learn how to make decisions based on their limited resources while managing multiple stressors. This genuine refl ection of the struggles of the low-income helped to bring about a sense of realism of our benefi ciaries’ situations during the role play.

At 9am, volunteers started streaming in. Everyone gathered and mingled with each other over breakfast. Thereafter, all participants assembled at the Joy and Peace room for briefi ng and introduction to the YWCA’s Programmes and Services. Our training facilitators, Ling and Alice, started going through the purpose of the volunteer training, followed by the Poverty Awareness Quiz. Over 20 participants actively contributed to the online quiz and shared their views. The volunteers were then briefed about the simulation exercise, role distribution and play elements.

While volunteers remained in the Joy and Peace room to form into their various family groups and to discuss their simulation roles, staff proceeded to setup stations of all the different agencies at the Pool Terrence. To help us recreate the reality of

July - September 2018 • ywLink 4 ywLink • July - September 2018 5Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fi ght for you, and you have only to be silent.” Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Y W C A N E W S Y W C A N E W S

poverty, all case studies presented for the exercise were 100% real-life cases encountered and received by the YWCA.

Volunteers were asked to role play a month in the life of a low-income family. The exercise was an interactive one as they were exposed and had to navigate through various agencies of the social service eco-system while tackling the tasks given. After each ‘week’, the volunteers headed back to the Joy and Peace room for refl ection and discussion on the possible situations and crisis for the upcoming ‘week’. Due to time constraints, each week was played out as a “day”, with the exercise repeated thrice.

The training ended at 12.30pm and all station masters and volunteers gathered for a debriefi ng session. With heartfelt and deep impressions, volunteers shared their feedback and takeaways from the poverty simulation exercise with much gratitude and enthusiasm:

“I have many takeaways from this event like fi rstly, I realised the amount of help that agencies provide. I also better understand the stress of the people which leads me to learn to appreciate what I have and try my best to help people around me.”

“It was a good and unique experience and I defi nitely took away a few different things personally. Thank you for this opportunity.”

“Thank you! The team did a fantastic job. We all have more info and empathy to inspire change from our own spheres of infl uence.”

“Putting us in the shoes of real life experiences was powerful, and the discussion.”

“The discussion, sharing and learning session at the end was very impactful.”

Through this Poverty Simulation exercise, we hope to better engage volunteers in experiential play, thus enabling them to become more aware of poverty in Singapore. By doing so, they would not only better understand the ‘whys’ behind our services, but also be more open towards volunteering opportunities.

Noms@YWCA: New Menu and Group By Ling Goh

The Noms@YWCA partnership with student-led social enterprise Neighbourhood Noms, was offi cially launched in March this year after we ran a monthly series of pilot cooking classes since November 2017. With the consistent track record and success of the pilot series, another group of three benefi ciary mums was formed from the YWCA Empowering Mums 3 (EM3) project graduates, bringing the number of mums’ cooking groups to two.

On 23 June 2018, our EM3 trio debuted a new and exciting menu to add to our repertoire of cooking class recipes. The dishes include Epok-Epok (appetiser), Rendang Chicken (entrée) and Kuih Bingka (dessert).

A little background of the mums, one of them is an Indonesian and has started selling cooked food from home since acquiring her Basic Food Hygiene certifi cation as a prerequisite to conducting our cooking classes; another loves fusion recipes and brings knowledge of kampong recipes from Malaysia for an added taste of heritage; and the third mum is a single mother who uses this platform as supplementary income to support her family on top of a part-time job.

We love to see how they prepare and present these heartwarming cuisines to guests and participants of each class, and the confi dence and warmth conveyed as they talk about their favourite topic of food and cooking. Great feedback has been received on their recipes and demonstrations and we look forward to holding many more public and private classes with them, as well as ushering in our third menu in August by our fi rst group from the Pekik community.

Please come register for these monthly cooking classes to enjoy learning how to make delicious Singapore food for a good cause! They are available for private class bookings as well!

Y W C A E V E N T S

Flag Day 2018 By Rachel Chew

YWCA’s Flag Day 2018 was successfully held on 26 May. This event was made possible with the generous support of YWCA staff, volunteers, Board Members, and the public. With over 300 donation tin holders, we were blessed to have gathered more than $38 000 from street collections, and more than $46 000 through individual and corporate donations.

This year, we were located at seven different operational centres across Singapore to raise funds from the public. They include Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Bedok, Punggol, Novena, Clementi, Kovan and YWCA Fort Canning Lodge.

We would like to thank all our volunteers for their time and kindness, YWCA staff and Board Members who have supported the fundraising event in one way or another, and members of the public for their generous support and donations!

Funds raised goes towards supporting the YWCA Community Service Programmes, such as our Meals-on-Wheels for Children and Elderly / Disabled, Sustenance for Families, Workz-on-Wheels, Kids’ Weekday Care, Empowering Mums and YWCA House.

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C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Psalms 94:19 “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

MOWE: SEA Aquarium with Manulife By Mandy Lim

After last October’s DUCK tour with the elderly and disabled, corporate group Manulife collaborated with us once again to sponsor and volunteer for a SEA Aquarium visit. Signups from our elderly and disabled benefi ciaries were overwhelming, as visits to attractions are expensive and inconvenient due to their fi nancial and mobility restrictions.

On the day of the event, transport was arranged to fetch the benefi ciaries from their homes. During the journey to Sentosa, some of the elderly remarked that it had been a long time since they last visited, and they were looking forward to see the changes. Without delay, everyone arrived at the venue on time and entered the SEA Aquarium with their respective volunteer partners.

Walking through the massive aquarium with various exhibits, benefi ciaries were in awe of the huge variety of marine species, many of which they had never seen before. It was an eye-opening experience for them as they admire the deep sea creatures,

while learning about their characteristics with the help of the volunteers’ translation and explanation. As the group stopped for a snack break in front of the aquarium’s largest viewing panel, it was feeding time for the marine species in the big tank! The elderly and volunteers took photos together in front of the exhibit with the sea creatures.

As evening came, it was time to depart and head home. Volunteers and staff escorted the benefi ciaries to their various van transport and left one another with words of gratitude and wonderful memories till they meet again.

MOWE Lunch and Concert By Mandy Lim

During the month of June, a passionate group of students from a singing class approached us to volunteer and perform for our elderly benefi ciaries. Thus, instead of MOWE’s usual movie luncheon, the elderly gathering in June was a lunch and Chinese oldies concert performance! As it was rare for us to be approached with a free concert performance, YWCA increased the event capacity to sixty slots so that more benefi ciaries could enjoy.

Signups quickly streamed in upon the release of invitations, with some requesting to bring their elderly family and friends. Elderlies from one of our partner centre were also invited to join in for the event.

Despite the rainy weather, the turnout and fetching process of the benefi ciaries was rather smooth sailing. The programme began right on time after a quick round of catch ups between staff and regular benefi ciaries. After introducing themselves, volunteer singers started off the day with some slow solo songs, while the rest of the performers danced with the audience to create an atmosphere. As the stage performances progress to faster upbeat songs, the elderly started waving and dancing along. Some daringly went up the stage to sing songs they were familiar with.

Having concluded the fi rst performance segment, guests were led into a game of Bingo, with NTUC voucher prizes graciously sponsored by our regular volunteer, Nancy. The crowd had a great time picking and anticipating their numbers to win the game. Thereafter, buffet lunch was served. Everyone was ready for a meal with their energy spent from cheering and dancing earlier. After lunch, it was time for the group performance. Towards the end of the programme, the performers surprised our benefi ciaries with a special guest appearance by “Elvis Presley”!

As the concert event came to a close, everyone gathered for a group photo. Benefi ciaries and volunteers thanked each other for the amazing time together before heading home.

1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Kids’ Weekday Care Highlights By Nurul Khairiah

NUS ALIVE! OutingNUS Student Science Club Science Volunteer Corps (NUS SVC) held their annual event, ALIVE! on 7 June, 11am to 4pm at the NUS University Town, Stephen Riady Centre. The theme for this year’s ALIVE! (Appreciating Lives, Initiating Volunteerism Every Day!) is ‘A Day of Memories’. Eight KWC child benefi ciaries together with their siblings spent a day of their June holidays at the event. Grouped with the elderly under Caregiving Welfare Association (CWA) and the children from Fei Yue Family Service Centre (FYFSC), our KWC children played together and formed family-like bonds and rapport with the others through team bonding games. The icebreaker games help lightened the atmosphere for the benefi ciaries who saw each other for the fi rst time.

On behalf of the KWC parents, YWCA would like to take this opportunity to thank NUS SVC for inviting YWCA once again to join in the successful event. It was a memorable day indeed for our Kids’ Weekday Care children who attended the outing.

Amped Trampoline Park Outing On 29 June, nine YWCA Kids’ Weekday Care (KWC) children were treated to Swensen’s ice cream and an afternoon of fun at Amped Trampoline Park, River Valley. This outing was kindly sponsored by one of our dedicated KWC volunteer, Lin Tan, who felt that the children deserved a break from their usual afternoon routine of homework and revision.

Upon school dismissal, our staff driver fetched the children from their respective schools and drove them to Swensen’s at Bugis Junction to have their ice cream. It defi nitely satisfi ed their sweet tooth! The children then headed down to Amped Trampoline Park, River Valley. With much excitement, everyone started jumping the moment they entered the entrance of the trampoline park. Thankfully, it did not take long for everyone to be registered and to wear on the gripped socks that were given to them. Once everyone was ready, it was time to enter the jumping arena together with the other guests. Within 20 minutes of vigorous bouncing, all nine KWC children were worked up in a sweat.

Everyone gave their all inside the jumping space, trying hard to show off their stunts to fellow peers. Although the children’s faces were covered in sweat, one could see their smiles clearly as they happily bounced around the trampoline. The children especially loved the popular foam pit where they were able to jump, fl ip, catapult and do all sorts of tricks and stunts. At the end of the one-hour session, everyone was thoroughly exhausted from the truly heart-pumping activity.

YWCA would like to thank Lin Tan for sponsoring this Kids’ Weekday Care outing. It would not have been possible without her support and generosity.

Singapore Duck Tour14 children from YWCA’s Kids’ Weekday Care (KWC) programme went for the Singapore Duck Tour with a group of 10 volunteers from Hitachi Construction Machinery Asia and Pacifi c Pte Ltd on 4 July, Wednesday. Sponsored by Hitachi, the children were treated to lunch at Macdonald’s Suntec City and experienced the one-of-a-kind Duck tour. The tour lasted for an hour and they managed to experience both land and sea rides on the Duck. Undeniably, the children were eagerly looking forward to the splash that happened when the Duck goes into the water. All the children cheered as the vessel entered the water. Assisted by a tour guide who brought us through the entire ride, our KWC children learnt fun facts about some of the landmarks. The children also enjoyed the company of the volunteers from Hitachi. It did not take long for the volunteers and the children to warm up to each other and bond over the outing. YWCA would like to warmly thank Hitachi Construction Machinery Asia and Pacifi c Pte Ltd for their sponsorship to give our KWC children an unforgettable experience.

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

July - September 2018 • ywLink 8 ywLink • July - September 2018 9John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the

evil one.”

Workz-on-Wheels 2018 By Alice Chua

YWCA Workz-on-Wheels programme (WoW) aims to impart essential life skills to children and youths so as to build their self confi dence and help them to build on their social skills. We have been expanding our programme to different Children’s Homes, other Social Service Organisations (SSO) and primary schools since 2012.

This year, we worked closely with three external partners; Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, Punggol Primary School and CATCHplus, and two in house programmes; Kids’ Weekday Care and Empowering Kids. Different workshops were offered based on the needs of the children and youths. Due to positive feedback from the partners, we continued to support the children and youths though emotional health workshops and tweaked the curriculum of our workshop so as to provide a more holistic approach for them. Through these planned activities, the children and youths were able to better express their emotions and also provide positive suggestions on handling their emotions.

In addition, culinary workshops were also conducted. Baking indirectly helps to boost the confi dence of these children and youths, making them feel good about themselves as they see the outcome of their hard work. The parents were impressed by the delicious meals and pastries brought home.

Having worked with Punggol Primary school for four years, YWCA was recommended by one of the teachers to conduct their school’s annual camp this year. We are blessed and glad to receive such recognition from the teachers and school. The camp will be held on 29 August, 8am to 2pm at Punggol Primary School. Games and emotional health workshops have been planned for this camp.

As an extension of WoW, we also conduct workshops for children from our Kids’ Weekday Care programme and Empowering Kids. Empowering Kids is the child minding component of “Empowering Mums”, a weekly workshop for mothers from low-income families. We will be conducting 10 weeks of fun skills workshops for primary and secondary school children, and providing basic child minding for infants and toddlers every Friday night (6pm - 10pm) from 9 November 2018 till 19 January 2019. Do visit our website at www.ywca.org.sg for more updates on these programmes.

We are constantly looking for volunteers to befriend our children and youths during the workshops. You are welcomed to join us and make a difference in the lives of these children and youths by volunteering with us. Kindly contact Ms Alice Chua at alicechua@ywca.org.sg for more volunteering opportunities.

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S C H I L D C A R E

The Write Way:Teaching Children How To Write By Sandy Koh

YWCA’s Educational Support Unit is proud to present the successful completion of handwriting workshop “The Write Way”, held on 19 May 2018 at YWCA Outram.

The workshop featured both theoretical as well as practical knowledge to help participants work towards building handwriting abilities in their children, in particular, the formation of uppercases and numerals. It also demonstrated developmentally-appropriate ways of making writing more fun and less stressful for both parents and children. With various materials and tools provided, participants experienced several hands-on activities during the day.

At the end of the workshop, everyone was given take-home packs containing craft materials to enable them to practise the activities with their little ones at home!

SSDB Project - Wildlife Animals Conservation By Bukit Gombak CDC

As part of the Start Small Dream Big Project on wildlife animals’ conservation, children from Bukit Gombak CDC had a fun time with a post-project activity on 12 June 2018.

Our K1 children wore various kinds of masks and pretended to be different wild animals. During the activity, they tried to imitate the behaviours of a sleeping and hungry animal. In a simple yet quick-witted manner, the children portray their good acting skills during the exercise.

It was an interesting activity for everyone as they acted out in the drama and experienced what it was like as an animal hunting for food. They were also able to learn and explore the eating habits of different animals.

This role playing activity has helped to enhance the expressiveness of our K1 children as they engage in pretend play.

Visit to NEWater Visitor Centre By Pasir Ris CDC

On 7 June 2018, the N2, K1 and K2 children from Pasir Ris CDC went on an outing to the NEWater Visitor Centre. During the visit, they learnt about the importance of water and the ways to save water.

At NEWater, our children were also introduced to the 3-step treatment. They gained knowledge on how NEWater plants process and recycle used water into ultra-clean, high-graded reclaimed water, which help sustain our water supply in the midst of dry weather seasons and move Singapore towards water sustainability. It was an enriching experience for the children and everyone had a great time.

July - September 2018 • ywLink 10 ywLink • July - September 2018 11Daniel 2:23 “I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you.”

Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”

C H I L D C A R EC H I L D C A R E

Parents’ Day at Marina Barrage By Marine Drive CDC – Tan Shi Ling

Parents play a vital role in their child’s lives. They are the children’s fi rst teachers and building a positive relationship is the fi rst step to it.

To encourage a time of bonding and interaction with their kids, parents and caregivers were invited to join their children for our Parents Day event on 20 June 2018. At the same time, we also hoped that through quality time spent at the event, the children would learn how to show more appreciation towards their parents.

On the day of the event, participating parents, caregivers and children arrived at the school early in the morning, and were ready to set off by 7.30am.

Upon arrival, everyone was ushered to the event area. The programme for the day was as follows: Picnic, games, kite-making session and a kite-fl ying competition to end the day.

During the picnic, parents and caregivers were quick to lay the picnic mats and settled down within a couple of minutes. Teachers went around to mingle and distribute food to the families. Parents of different families began to open up to one another after some time.

Thereafter, games such as Pass the Hula Hoop, Wearing Shoes for my Daddy / Mummy, Treasure Hunt and Longest Line were played. Prizes were given out to the winners of the respective groups after each game.

During the kite-making session, materials were handed out to the children. Everyone was eager to pick the items to use for their kites. Supportive parents and caregivers present at the event worked hand in hand with the children, as they create and design their own personalised kite.

As planned beforehand, a kite-fl ying competition and prize ceremony was to take place after the kite-making activity. However, due to the rain, the competition and prize ceremony were put on halt. Nevertheless, the children still enjoyed their time spent at Marina Barrage. The kite-fl ying competition and prize ceremony for the respective classes will be held at the school instead during the children’s outdoor activity schedule. Details will be uploaded via the Little Lives platform.

Our children had a wonderful bonding session with their parents and caregivers at the Parents’ Day event. It was also a great opportunity for them to discover, socialise and develop their creativity. More importantly, we hope to pass this message to all parents that “It is important to spend quality time with your child. It makes a difference.”

Thank you to all participants for gracing and supporting the event. We look forward to continue working closely with all parents and caregivers in the next term.

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today” - Brenda Nixon

July - September 2018 • ywLink 12 ywLink • July - September 2018 13James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, My grace is suffi cient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

C H I L D C A R EC H I L D C A R E

Neighbourhood Walks By Bedok CDC

With the belief that “It takes a village to raise a child”, our Centre recognises the importance of collaborative partnerships with families and community partners. According to Nurturing Early Learners (MOE, 2013), neighbourhood walks help to increase children’s interests and understanding of their immediate environment and the world around them. Going on a neighbourhood walk not only allows learning to be internalised, but also enriches a child’s experiences. At Bedok CDC, neighborhood walks are conducted at least twice a month. When learning is brought outside the classroom, children get to apply what they have learnt from textbooks in real life.

SupermarketOne of the recent activities conducted taught our children about the Healthy Plate and eating healthily. During a trip to the supermarket, the children were engaged with a game of “I Spy”. The activity involves spying for the healthier choice symbols on different types of products. Though this, they learnt how to identify healthier alternatives for a healthy diet.

National Library Board at Bedok HeartbeatTo inculcate a love for reading and love towards younger children, our K1 and K2 children would walk to the library at Bedok Heartbeat once a month. They are tasked to return and borrow new books for themselves as well as the younger children in the Centre. After helping the teachers and settling down to read a book with their peers, the children would also get to enjoy a storytelling session by class teachers.

To The MarketBedok CDC is very thankful for the ideal geographical location of the Centre, which allows our children to go to the nearby market for a visit. With the use of their senses, the children get to see, smell and touch the fresh vegetables, chicken and fi sh on sale. During the visit, they would also drop by the stalls of their parents, seeing them in action, working hard and serving food to the masses.

Fauna and FloralOutside the shop front in the neighbourhood, the shopkeepers plant papaya trees, lady’s fi nger and chilli. We are grateful how these resources come alive for the children to explore before they are being harvested. At times, especially after the rain, the walk got a little more exciting as snails were spotted everywhere. The teachers would help to pick up the biggest snail and keep it in the Centre for a couple of days for exploratory purposes.

As it is, children are naturally inquisitive and neighbourhood walks are one of the best and priceless ways to tap on the community resources in engaging them in their discovery of the world.

July - September 2018 • ywLink 14 ywLink • July - September 2018 15Job 37:5 “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”

Welcome on BoardIt is always a joy to welcome new members to the YWCA family! We would like to extend a warm welcome to:

Fort Canning Lodge:

Chan Kok Liong (Guest Service Offi cer), Sharifah Binti Abu Bakar (Room Attendant), Mimi Amira Binti Hamzah

(Room Attendant), Wang Hao (Cook), Lew Chun Tian (Cook), Sathyaseelan A/L Mateevanan (Steward/Stewardess),

Royston Wong Sie Yew (Technician), Kiew Yean Ting (Room Attendant)

Child Development Centres:

Butron Mae Roxanne Serra (Beginning Preschool Teacher), Shi Kai Yue (Beginning Preschool Teacher), Chua

Siew Geok Irene (Beginning Preschool Teacher), Heng Keng Hoon Magdaline (Senior Centre Leader), Chew Wan

Hsing, Magdalene (Preschool Teacher), Clare Teo Siew Li (Preschool Teacher), Rizon Rhea Ann Bejasa (Beginning

Preschool Teacher), Jacqualine Lai Shumin (Preschool Executive), Lim Hui Fang (Admin Offi cer), Zhang XiaoTong

(Beginning Preschool Teacher), Ang Giak Eng Jane (Beginning Preschool Teacher), Almoradie Angelita Condino

(Beginning Preschool Teacher), Vaishanavi D/O Selvasegaran (Curriculum Specialist), Liu Qianqian (Beginning

Preschool Teacher), Jasmine Wong Chooi Ling (Attendant), Chong Li Wen (Admin Offi cer)

National Offi ce:

Pek Lam Hock (Attendant cum Driver), Pierre Jonathan Edmond (Programmes Executive), Tan Boon Leong Charles

(IT Manager)

C O M P L I M E N T S – F O R T C A N N I N G L O D G E

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

It was a really great and relaxing stay. Service and assistance of the duty manager (on-duty last June 21 evening) was truly exceptional! Great job!

Joanna Logronio, Manilla, Philippines

“Excellent location in the heart of Singapore with amazing service.”

Fort canning lodge has excellent location. A special mention of Mr Velan R, the duty manager who was very courteous and understanding, who gave us an early check-in as we were travelling with a child and had improper sleep. He even shifted us to a better room. This hotel offers good amenities including a swimming pool and breakfast at a reasonable price. It is connected to two MRT stations -Fort Canning and Dhoby Ghaut. It is adjacent to Orchard Road. Even Mr. Alan was really helpful at the desk. We had a great experience and I recommend travellers who wish to explore the city to have a stay at Fort Canning Lodge.

Guest from Kolkata (Calcutta), India

Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

C H I L D C A R E

Highlights @ Bishan CDC By Bishan CDC

Parents’ Day Celebration YWCA Bishan CDC had a successful Parents’ Day celebration on 8 June 2018. During the event, parents and children participated in games together. Thereafter, children performed touching songs of love and appreciation for their parents. There was also a parent-child bonding session over art and craft making with pebbles. Under the lead of one of our parents, Mr Aw, the parents and children participated in some sport exercises. To commemorate the day, family photos were taken at the colourful photo booth designed by the teachers. It was indeed a fun, memorable and great family bonding time for all.

Start Small Dream BigOur centre embarked on the Start Small Dream Big project with the theme of “Kindness to Animals.” Resources were provided by the SPCA to educate our children about the work of SPCA and how they can play a part in being kind to animals. Old t-shirts were contributed by parents for the K1 & K2 children to create gifts for the animals at SPCA. Parents also made donations to SPCA’s charity drive. Through this project, our children learned how to better care for animals.

The Jungle Adventure ShowOn 4 July 2018, a total of 20 children and three teachers attended “The Jungle Adventure” musical puppet show sponsored by MediaCorp Care. Our children were amazed by and greatly enjoyed the enthralling performance, which taught them the importance of wildlife conservation, and to love and appreciate the beauty of nature. We are grateful for the tickets, transport and snacks provided!

July - September 2018 • ywLink 16

S P O T L I G H T : M S S A M B A S I V A M M A G I S W A R I

Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifi ces are pleasing to God.”

How long have you been with the YWCA of Singapore and what made you decide to join a Social Service Organisation (SSO)?I have been teaching with YWCA since 1979, after completing my ‘O’ levels. I was looking for a job that I was passionate about. I found it with YWCA as a preschool teacher and have not looked back since. Throughout this journey, I continue to learn and upgrade myself in this fi eld. As of now, I have a Diploma in Early Childhood and will soon attain my Graduate Diploma in Leadership at Temasek Polytechnic.

As I embarked on my professional life, I started my own family as well. Both my son and daughter are Alumni of YWCA. I love children so I decided to apply for a teaching job. At that time, childcare centres were known as crèches. I was working in the Marine Parade branch and we provided full day childcare for the children while their parents were at work.

In 1983, when YWCA started to expand its services, I was honoured to be chosen as one of the trainees to go to Melbourne for training. Since then, YWCA has become my second home. I am grateful for the mentors whom I have met over the years. Namely, Mrs Victor, the former Chairman of Marine Parade Branch and Ms Veronica Raj. I remain ever grateful for their support and guidance.

What are your hobbies/passions?I enjoy spending time with my family. We hold barbecues, birthday celebrations and have overseas trips from time to time. Teaching young children is my number one passion. As I grew professionally, I started to see myself wanting to nurture teachers and to unleash the potential in them as well.

As a Senior Teacher, what are your daily roles and responsibilities?I support my Centre Leader in the smooth running of the centre. In the morning, I help to check in on the children and mingle with the parents. I also help to attend to the concerns of the parents, grandparents and caregivers. In the classroom, I check for safety, look into the well-being of children, scaffold teachers’ teaching and children’s learning. In addition, I also discuss with teachers the challenges they face and coach them on pedagogical skills.

What are some of the challenges of your job and how do you overcome them?When IT was introduced to the organization, children’s portfolios were done with PowerPoint. Thanks to my ex-principal, Ms Sandy Koh’s guidance and the support of my colleagues and constant practice; I overcame the fear of using the little “mouse”. Having experienced the evolution of pre-school education, I have learnt and moved from the generation of using jotter books to worksheet-based learning, to self-discovery and learning centres. As a believer of lifelong learning, I strive to improve myself as I move in time with the current trends.

How is it like working with the kids at YWCA Child Development Centre? What is one of your most memorable experience?Every day, I am still learning with the children. I am never bored when I am with them. My favourite times are when we explore and discover together during a project work. I love the enthusiasm and amazement on their faces. This is the biggest reward of the job. Having received the “Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher” Award last October gave me wings to continue my passion.

Although there are days when the job gets tiring and demanding with challenges faced, I understand that it is part of my duties. I feel honoured to have been a part of the children’s lives for such a long time.

A memorable experience happened when I was teaching Nursey 1. During that time, there was a newly enrolled child in my class who could not speak a word of English. The grandmother was unhappy that I could not speak Chinese and demanded for her grandchild to start class in Playgroup, where there was a Chinese speaking teacher. The Principal and I asked her to give the child and me some time to get to know each other.

Thus, I had to learn some simple Chinese words to communicate with the boy. Through frequent feedback and getting a Chinese colleague to translate for me, his grandmother was much happier when she saw that her grandson was happy to come to school. Gradually, he picked up the English language and acquired simple vocabulary. Even though he has left the school, his family continues to stay in contact with me.

This experience taught me that as teachers, we can overcome diversity by working hand-in-hand with not only the child, but also the stakeholders involved.

By Huixin Ngiam

Having witnessed the transformation of pre-school education during her time with the YWCA, Ms Magiswari’s relationship and growth with the Association has come a long way since her early days. We share the inspiring story of Ms Sambasivam Magiswari, Senior Teacher at YWCA’s Bedok CDC.