Another Week Beyond – 2233

August 19, 2022

Dear friends,

We used to be known as the Bukit Ho Swee Social Service Centre. When we adopted “Beyond Social Services” as our identity in 2001, we began envisioning what moving people beyond social services meant. Back then, our day was filled with supporting young people in conflict with the law or at risk of being so, as well as families with multiple problems. It was work where happy outcomes were few and far and between and we were always thinking that if only we could introduce the appropriate programme or service, those we engaged could move pass their problems.

Social service is notoriously known to be a revolving door for repeat clients, and we were adamant that we should be an exit door instead. With much passion and youthful idealism, we proclaimed audaciously that “By 2025, every child and youth in Singapore, despite a disadvantaged background has the opportunity to refuse a lifestyle of delinquency and welfare dependency.” 2025 is not far off and this week, we held our first conversation to take stock of our progress with a view of refreshing the vision.

The operative word of the vision is “opportunity.” Initially, we imagined opportunity as a comprehensive range of services to divert people away from the justice and welfare systems and for those already in the system, to reintegrate them with mainstream society. After 10 years, we come to appreciate that the opportunity to steer clear of delinquency and welfare dependency is the environment in which people live and their agency to solve problems arising from daily living in their family and community. Hence, we reimagined low-income neighbourhoods as villages that raise their children well and Singapore as a society welcoming and accepting of all, especially the less fortunate among us.

In the spirit of social integration iFly Singapore welcomed 40 of us to fly with them last Saturday and another 40 will do so tomorrow. This indoor skydiving facility has been in Singapore for 10 years, but it is not an attraction that our young people would find affordable and so, the privilege of enjoying a free-fall experience was not lost on them. Much thanks to iFly for opening their doors so widely and warmly.

Today we still believe that we are an exit door for social services, and we humbly acknowledge that people are more likely to head for the exit when the entrance to an inclusive society that is accepting of all is wide open.

For peace, community and opened doors.

Gerard

Exclusion is always dangerous. Inclusion is the only safety if we are to have a peaceful world. – Pearl S. Buck

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