Another Week Beyond – 1945

November 8, 2019

Dear Friends,

Firstly, thank you for the tremendous support we received for Kumar Connects on Wednesday evening. Watching a full house at the Capitol Theatre laughing and having a good time in support of our work moved us. My team and I went home deeply encouraged and we are very grateful for your generosity and goodwill.

Having recovered from a mild stroke she suffered last year. Rusnah 60 years old, took part in a recent Deepavali baking project. As a caregiver for 4 grandchildren, she feels blessed that she is well enough to fulfill her responsibilities. In 2014, when we began Bakers Beyond, Rusnah was one of the first to join us and soon after, was chosen by her peers to lead the projects that came our way. She was grateful for the opportunity and clear about what it meant. “We are not here to get a hand-out but to use our hands to work things out,” she would remind the others and stress to newcomers.

During the Deepavali holiday, members of the recently concluded baking project held a potluck barbeque lunch to thank each other as well as the volunteers who chipped in for another successful project. It was also an opportunity for their family to see where “mummy will be most of her time when she is not home.” In January this year (AWB – 1902), with the assistance of volunteers from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the bakers designed what their ideal training space should look like and it was ready just in time for Deepavali.

Also present at the potluck event, were 2 mothers who are no longer part of our baking programme. Both have moved out of rental housing and run a small food enterprise to support their families. Initially, they were a little reluctant to accept the invitation but when they arrived, they were greeted warmly and assured by the rest that Bakers Beyond only offers a “life-time” membership and regardless, the friendships remain.

At lunch, Rusnah cut a cake with 9-year-old Janna, a daughter of another baker who shared the same birthday. It was a chocolate cake with cheese frosting based on a recipe the group had learnt 2 weeks ago. When the lively celebrations had toned down, we asked Rusnah how she felt about the new training space. Because of her illness, she did not take part in the design process, but as a key member of the programme her views were important to us. We were deeply heartened when she praised her peers for their good sense and taste in design. She also expressed that the training space was an important representation of the progress the programme was making and it is a dream come true for her and the rest. After years of makeshift training spaces and working at different borrowed facilities, the Bakers finally have a place they can call home and to welcome more to join them.

As we listened to Rusnah, we gathered that a satisfying life for her is one where she is meaningfully occupied with what she enjoys and is good at. Where she can fulfil her responsibilities to those who depend on her and where there is much cooperation and friendship with those she works with. This new training space has enhanced her ability to lead a satisfying life and she is grateful.

As an organisation, we are grateful for the many friends who have supported Bakers Beyond these past years. There have been numerous volunteers who offered their guidance and worked alongside the mothers, each helping to enhance our capabilities. If you are reading this, please contact me so that we can show you our new training space. At this point, I would like to thank the corporations who have contributed significantly to sustain the programme and to bring about our new facility. Thank you Cargill TSF Asia Pte Ltd, City Developments Limited, Expedia Singapore Pte Ltd, GIC Private Limited, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd and Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited. You have helped women like Rusnah get up every morning with a purpose that keeps them going.

Enjoy your week

Gerard

“In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.” – Albert Clarke

PAST AWB POSTS

2506 – Collective Wisdom, Community Building

March 6, 2025 No Comments

Written by Wilson, Community Worker As is our practice at Beyond, we start every new year by sharing the goals we hope to achieve as a community. We gather young and old, have discussions and plot the journey ahead together. We call these sessions Community Conversations. Typically, everyone present introduces themselves and shares their experience volunteering in the community, and what “community” means to them. We then wrap up with a Beyond staff talking about the value of community development. That, however, was not how a session held in the Bukit Ho Swee neighbourhood went. The Beyond team just sat

2505 – Saving Together, Growing Together

February 27, 2025 No Comments

One of the most pervasive problems encountered by lower-income communities is building financial reserves. The daily demands for every cent, when you have little, usually takes priority. However, there is still a value of building such reserves, even if in small amounts. This is why we created the Community Tabung Programme. Loosely translated, “Tabung” means “money box” in Malay – an apt name for an initiative to help our members grow their savings in support of their children’s health and educational needs. It is a means to help our members achieve their aspirations and save for those rainy days. And

2504 – Growth On The Sidelines

February 20, 2025 No Comments

Amir* wasn’t always the calm, composed young man people look up to today. Not so long ago, he his fiery temper put him in the midst of a heated argument. So to witness him play the peacemaker recently was pleasantly astonishing. That moment could have shaped how others saw him — and how he saw himself — but instead, it became a lesson that helped him grow. Amir was playing at a futsal tournament. Two boys – Danial* and Josh* – got into an altercation. Danial accused Josh of “showboating” and not being a team player…costing them the game. Josh,

2503 – How Roblox Helped James Minimize Screen Time

February 20, 2025 No Comments

10-year-old James is like many of the children who attend our learning programmes. He has an unhealthy attachment to his phone with little interest in academics. When asked to focus on his schoolwork, he would often throw tantrums. Rather than play board games with Beyond volunteers, he’d stick to games on his phone. Still, James would voluntarily show up at our sessions, where he was always welcomed. Our approach isn’t about forcing change but about creating a space for it. We set a clear boundary — schoolwork first, then fun and games. But getting through to James wasn’t easy. We

2502 – Community wasn’t built in a day

February 7, 2025 No Comments

Written by Shariffah, Community Worker What is community? This is a question that shapes much of what we do at Beyond. Building a thriving community isn’t just about solving problems or organizing activities — it’s about creating spaces where people can connect meaningfully, share ideas, and take ownership of their collective future. Community development often begins with small, intentional steps. Our “Community Day” is one such step. This isn’t just a celebration, but part of a process — a chance for residents to collaborate, discover their strengths, and build something meaningful together. Our last Community Day of 2024 was held

2452 – A Fire, A Friend, A Community

January 31, 2025 No Comments

When a fire broke out in a Jalan Bukit Merah flat last year, the damage wasn’t confined to just the one unit. Smoke engulfed neighbouring homes, leaving behind physical damage and disruption. One of the worst affected residents was Madam Tan*, an elderly woman whose flat directly above the burning apartment. While her story didn’t make the headlines, her struggles were very real. She clearly needed help. This is where H comes in. The 28-year-old coach and former educator was no stranger to helping others, but this experience would touch him on a personal level. “I didn’t initially think about

2451 – The Grace to Give

January 31, 2025 No Comments

I joined Beyond in 2005 as a community worker reaching out to children under 6 years old to get them registered for early childhood education and after a couple of years, I was seconded to support our main grant maker. After which, I left social services but rejoined Beyond in 2016. I came back and rejoined the sector to meet my needs for meaning, connection and well-being. Last Friday, I was supporting a corporate volunteer group to distribute care packs comprising necessities for the new school year to children in a neighbourhood where we work. This group engaged youth from

AWB 2449 – When LIFE Happens

January 31, 2025 No Comments

Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” We at Beyond, wholeheartedly believe this. So we’ve made it one of our missions to bring education to life for the kids in the neighbourhoods we serve. So, it is no coincidence that we call one of our education programme, LIFE! or Learning is Fun and Exciting! LIFE is a child-centric initiative that’s designed to make learning enjoyable and meaningful. Activities are tailored to children’s individual strengths, interests, and learning styles. At every turn, we nurture them to become independent, self-motivated learners. We