Another Week Beyond – 2136

September 3, 2021

Dear friends,

3 interns have been supporting 5 children to participate in an online reading programme at home. These children live in the same housing block and a significant part of this endeavour has been troubleshooting whenever the digital tools and access we provided were not working optimally. Our interns realised that often, it was not faulty equipment but the lack of confidence navigating the digital space. Nonetheless, they are much heartened by the efforts our members are making to explore and embrace this space.

A father who was not digitally literate, humbly welcomed our interns to show his 7-year-old son how to log onto an online session. After which, he wrote the password on a whiteboard at home and ensured that the child was punctual for the online reading session. With his father’s encouragement, the boy developed much confidence and enjoyed the learning experience. His father noticed this and when he learned that a neighbour’s child was accessing the same session on a mobile phone, he immediately invited that boy to attend the session at his home. He had seen the benefits of online learning and did not want other children to miss out.

The children attending this online reading programme are aged from 4 to 8 years old and so they have been receiving some support from family members and our interns to participate meaningfully. Those supporting the children have told us that by doing so, they feel like they are learning too. When children are not cooperating, they try to learn the reason why and this is often because they are not engaged meaningfully or understanding what is being said to them.

As I reflected on this, it seemed like to facilitate or enable children’s learning, we would be more successful if we set off to learn alongside them rather than to teach. If we can learn to see what’s hindering their ability and desire to learn, we will also see how we may get a “lesson” across.

Today is Teachers’ Day and as we express our appreciation to all in the service of education, I think the best way of honouring those who have taught us is to recognise that there is a teacher within ourselves. Like the father who welcomed the assistance of our interns, his actions conveyed the value of care and the importance of self-belief. He taught his son that it is alright that one does not know as long as one is humble enough to keep trying to learn. When we can remember this lesson for ourselves and to convey it to all around us, we are teachers.

Happy Teachers Day.

Gerard

*Education does not make us educable. It is our awareness of being unfinished that makes us educable. ― Paulo Freire*

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