Help SingCham Raise SGD50K for President's Challenge this SG Day
Singapore Day 2019
President's Challenge Charity Fundraising Campaign
As we mark the first week of our campaign launch, we have met 8% of our SGD50,000 target to date. We would like to reach out to all fellow Singaporeans for a show of support in helping us meet our target. Funds raised will be channeled to help our Senior Citizens and the disadvantaged women in Singapore.
Every contribution matters as it helps give people like Chee Yong and Magdelene, as featured below, a chance to contribute to the society despite their age and differences.
One in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above by 2030. In the face of a rapidly ageing population and longer life expectancy, a strong community and infrastructure support is essential to keeping seniors integrated with the community and encouraging their continued contribution.
The Center for Seniors (CFS) is a non-profit, Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) that is committed to promoting the total well-being of older persons in Singapore, specifically their vocational, financial and psycho-social health.
Through various training programmes, CFS aims to encourage seniors to be gainfully employed for as long as possible, remain actively engaged in the community, and lead a productive life and age with dignity.
In addition, through an inter-generational work model, CFS also aims to enhance the employability and employment for older workers and young adults with special needs. Such pairs are then provided with targeted training and post-employment support.
Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Chee Yong has been working at CFS, under the mentorship of Magdelene Low, a Senior Programme Coordinator. But when he first started, efforts were made to make him more ‘normal’, correcting him at every turn. This resulted in both sides getting stressed and flustered with little to show for. Chee Yong simply couldn’t fit in.
And so CFS changed tack and shifted from forging “inclusiveness” to leveraging on his unique abilities. Tapping on his compulsion to have everything in a set order, they had him oversee the organisation of training materials and record keeping.
The results are 99.99% accuracy in data entres, and training rooms that are set up and cleared up in a timely manner. Since the change, Chee Yong has become more productive, more independent, and happier overall. Like-wise, his colleagues are now less stressed, less micro-managing, and also happier overall. A win-win for both sides.
This is a living story of how a truly inclusive workplace can and should be developed – by harnessing, not suppressing, differences.
Loh Chee Yong, Office Admin
Despite carrying this label of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Chee Yong has never once allowed the stereotype to get in the way of improving himself and giving his best. He graduated from Singapore Polytechnic, to find work to support his family. Today, he works at the Centre For Seniors, helping seniors to similarly navigate and overcome life's challenges, and embrace the joys of active ageing. With supportive colleagues and a strong mentor, Chee Yong has gained confidence and looks forward to taking on more responsibilities at work each day.
Magdelene Low, Senior Programme Coordinator
Magdelene, aged 66 is a stalwart of Centre For Seniors, having joined since 2013 to become its Senior Programme Coordinator today. She took Chee Yong under her wing from the day he joined and actively mentors him in his work, providing him a nurturing and stable environment to develop his fullest potential. His joy is a source of her own.
