Contributing Way & Beyond

Norashikin (Pictured Left), seen smiling at last year’s Ride for Rainbows

Hello Shikin! How many editions of Ride for Rainbows have you done?

I have been involved since Year 2013 and this year will be my 7th year!

How do you feel about helping out?

It’s still work of course but most importantly.. I enjoyed the experience wholeheartedly as it gives me the pleasure of helping the families in need.

Somewhere along the way, I learnt that there is nothing greater than to do something for others. “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have”.

What is your biggest motivation to do this year after year?

My biggest motivation will still be the beneficiaries, seeing them kept me going year after year.

And not forgetting all the riders who participated and fundraise for our children and their families. Without their effort and strength, RFR will not be a success.

“A person's most useful asset is not the head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love”.

Shikin is taking her inaugural ride at this year’s Ride for Rainbows! Show your support and encouragement to her here

Mr Henry Lim will be riding his 7th Edition of Ride for Rainbows this year

What motivated you to take part in Ride for Rainbows since its inception in 2012?

 Since young, I have always enjoyed cycling as it provided a form of recreation, mode of transport, exercise and  sporting pursuit. Back in 2012, I came to know of Ride for Rainbows through a former school mate and a fellow cycling enthusiast.

Their idea of initiating support of Club Rainbow and its beneficiaries through a cycling fund raiser event resonated with me. I roped in a few of my colleagues from our company’s Sports and Recreation Club, to cycle, sponsor our ride and others to help with photography efforts.

Completing each consecutive ride was tough on the mind and body as we covered distances of 100km, cycling all round Singapore and in the middle of the night. I derived a huge sense of satisfaction and fulfilment from each completion of the long ride, knowing that the funds raised will help alleviate the plight of the children and their families as they cope with their illnesses. I look forward to continuing my efforts in combining cycling and fund raising for a worthwhile cause.

Do you have anything to tell our children or other fundraising riders?

 For the children and families of Club Rainbow - We want you to know that we are with you in spirit. Keep up the fighting spirit and stay positive. For my fellow fund raisers and riders – Let’s band and ride together as a caring community and do our best in our fund raising activities. Let’s look out for each other during the ride, ride safely and with due consideration for our fellow riders and other road users.

Ride for Rainbows 2019 is now open for registration. For more information, please click here

Creating Rainbow Memories

An inaugural run of Rainbow Memories was held at the MOX Auditorium on 8th December where all our graduating beneficiaries were invited to an intimate lunch session! It was a celebration of their journey with Club Rainbow thus far and it was heart warming to see how they have developed oneself with much strength and tenacity.

Together, beneficiaries put together a collage of how they envision their future and the hopes and wishes they have for the brand new year of 2019! It was definitely an event to remember, particularly to the staff and social workers who have played an important part of their journey..

At Club Rainbow, we want to wish all our graduating beneficiaries the very best in their lives ahead.

Fun-Filled Kris Kringles

Kris Kringles with our corporate partners and interest groups…

Fun and laughter with Closerstill Media

Ho! Ho! Ho! 

Everyone's favorite Santa at RedHat

Tea Cake Baking &  Decoration  Workshop with  ABR Holding Ltd

Family of Harley  Davidson owners  sharing their  love...

Make a Wish with Trip Advisor!

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Contact Ernest @ 98597249 or ernest@clubrainbow.org to find out more on opportunities and ideas to collaborate with us!

Words of Appreciation from our LO (Little Ones)

Club Rainbow (Singapore) is an independent charity that relies largely on corporate and public donations as well as government grants and funding to support our mission and sustain our work and daily operations.   

Thus, we have invited all our beneficiaries to share their love back to both individual and corporate donors who have been supporting Club Rainbow (Singapore) over the last 26 years and many more to come. Some of the many messages from our little ones…

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Chee Yik Teng, 6

Audrey Nathania Agustiawan, 7

Joshua Nepolian, 5

Oon Hong Yang Lucus, 11

Grace Vera Ng, 8

Raphael Wee, 8

A number of our beneficiaries sharing their thanks and sending their love to all you beautiful donors out there who have made the challenges that they faced daily manageable through your contributions.

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Life is just a Test or an Obstacle

Like one of the many lovable preschoolers joining Club Rainbow (Singapore) yearly, Loh Yi Jie who likes to be known as Leonel now, came to CRS many years ago in light of a blood disorder condition. All grown up with a strong passion for nursing whilst still harboring an aromatic subtle interest where it’s a daily dose of energy for all its lovers – Coffee! 

Leonel have been practising his barista skills since 2016 and was given the opportunity to pick up a Coffee Master Course, and eventually succeeded in attaining the highest level as a barista at Starbucks Coffee. A black aproned coffee master, he brewed some tasty coffee with the Starbucks flagship store at United Square until 2018.

His rainbow days as a preschooler to young child…

Apart from signing Leonel up for the various workshops, participating in CRS signature events and community partner organised shows over the many years, his mother was able to access the tuition support for him through the form of study awards.

The Education Awards is one area where it was very useful for the family. When applicants performed well academically, they will be rewarded with the cash award which helped with motivating individuals to focus on their studies and to excel beyond.

As Leonel got more involved and focused on his early years in education, CRS events held during school holidays made it so much easier for him to be able to join and have fun with these activities.

Black Apron Coffee Master

A non-coffee lover, started out on his first part-time job with a local F&B outlet at the age of 16, to earn some pocket money. He went on to a fast food chain before discovering the seed of his interest buried deep within him through Starbucks. In fact, it was already ‘planted’ when he was doing his N levels as the popular coffee hangout was where he usually goes to for revision of subjects. There, he notices the way the coffee baristas were creating designs on the coffee foam which piqued his interest.

Now at 20, Leonel is able to tell the difference between the beans and the flavours. He shared, “During my training with the F&B coffee giant, I was expected to pick up the various methods of coffee brewing and barista services. From the use of espresso machine, Pour Over, Siphon to Chemex, etc. The training also helped to calibrate my palate and smell for identifying different tastes.” Just a book, one month and an assessment was what stands between him and a black apron (the Coffee Master title). Generally, it takes about 6 weeks, but Leonel took longer than others due to his studies and other commitments but he managed to pull through and now stand tall with pride, a proud owner of a black apron and presented as a qualified Coffee Master.

Being a skilled coffee barista is an interest where he hopes that in the near future with extra funds, time or as a retirement plan, he would be able to set up a café and share coffee appreciation with like minds. 

A Gentle touch of Passion

An outstanding barista he may be but his heart still lies with nursing and the reason for such a passion was partly because of his growing years where he is constantly in and out of the hospital, being able to witness first-hand the nurses and doctors doing their best for every patient that come through the Specialist Clinic. He could empathise and understood how the other patients felt.

Nursing became his passion since his teen years, he had a caring heart. Teachers have also attested to his caring nature, sensitivity and the ability to empathise with his peers was evident. Leonel openly shared, “I feel that there are others out there who are in much a worse predicament then I am”. He added, “I would always use myself as a form of motivation to my friends by sharing about my condition and encourage them when they feel discourage and lose faith in themselves.”

“Like standing broad jump, aim further, you will go further

but sometimes you fall short and fail, don’t Get Upset. Get up and dust yourself.

There are always other chances.”

To him, life is just a test or obstacle; it’s a matter of how you manage the obstacle. He is contented that he is able to pursue his goals and that he will keep pushing forward to achieve his dreams.

Charity Sale

Annually, we organise fundraising campaigns such as Ride for Rainbows and for this year, we like to introduce our line of charity merchandises inspired by artworks of participating beneficiaries who underwent months of immersive training in visual arts.

The sale aims to raise funds to support a wide variety of programmes and services which Club Rainbow (Singapore) offers to beneficiaries and their families. By making a meaningful purchase, you can help to instill confidence and pride in these children and youths, and empower them to lead an enriching life, despite their personal challenges.

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Cottony Tote Bag

filled with dreams…

Our tote bags come in bold colours with meaningful quotations which resonate closely with our little ones.
Available in 2 different colours, bearing separate artworks by 2 of our beneficiaries.

Artist contributions
Red tote bag : Sage Tan Song Yen
Blue tote bag : Lim Yi Xin, Megan

‘Notey’ (or Nice) Notebook

Pen your thoughts or plan your day with our PU Notebook, comes with 120 lined-pages (100gsm wood-free), beautified by a pair of our little artists for each book.

Artist contributions
Red notebook
Julian Miguel Juarez Arcilla (front) & Muhammad Ridhwan Bin Masli (back)

Blue notebook
Aw Kai Jun (front) & Thevasri Suresh (back)

NETS FlashPay Card

*Blink* *Blink*

Displaying 2 of our beneficiaries' masterpiece design, this card can be used for public transport, partnering F&B outlets, ERP and CEPAS-compliant car park charges.

Artist contributions
Yellow background : Nurin Insyirah Binte Masli
Green background : Kieran Brunkard 

2019 Calendar - Me, Myself & You

Calendar featuring artworks from various beneficiaries depicted in the calendar months of 2019. Included in is an overview for both years - 2019 and 2020.

Public holidays marked with cute designs, providing easy reference for schedule planning.

Artist contributions
Mass Amirah Binte Amir Matchap, Anastasia Mary Chieng Zhi Wei, Victoria Tan Hui En, Sage Tan Song Yen, Thevasri Suresh, Sun Tai Ge Tagore, Edric Leroy Ng Hon Jun, Jaron Lim Jia Hong, Atkins Soong Jin Le.

Mug of Imaginary Friends

Portraying the little one’s imaginary friends on these ceramic mugs brings excitement to them to see these characters being featured on a merchandise.

Artist contributions
Bird & Hamster : Lee Jin
Cat & Mouse : Alfred Chua Shao Hong

For inquiries on purchasing our line of merchandises, please submit your interest

here.

Check out the video of our little ones with their merchandise as they share their excitement!

Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2018

Away from the bustling city and nestled in the humble surroundings of nature in Gardens by the Bay was where the 6th annual Charity Governance Award (CGA) organised by the Charity Council happened this year. The event brings charity organisations from all walks together on this beautiful evening to recognise the exemplary governance practices demonstrated by the organisations and acknowledge their efforts to maintain transparency.  

We are proud to share that Club Rainbow (Singapore) has won the Charity Governance Award 2018 (Medium Category) and the Charity Transparency Award 2018. Our President, Dr Sashikumar Ganapathy, received the Charity Governance Award from the Guest-of-honor, Ms. Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community & Youth, at the CGA ceremony last evening.

(Left) Miss Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth

(Right) Dr Sashikumar Ganapathy, President of Club Rainbow (Singapore)

Miss Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (centre) and Dr Sashikumar Ganapathy, President of Club Rainbow (Singapore) with other CGA 2018 award winners.

The awards recognise Club Rainbow for adopting the highest standards of governance, in line with the Code of Governance for charities and IPC, and for displaying good disclosure practices as recommended by the Charity Transparency Framework (CTF).

“Our beneficiaries start their journey with us from as young as a newborn, all the way up to age 20. On this long journey, while we aim to provide the best programmes and services to empower and help them live their best possible lives, it is only through organisation-wide concerted efforts to uphold good governance and strategic initiatives that we are able to continue to carry out our purpose for our beneficiaries with chronic illnesses. Every member of our team is aware of our ultimate goal for our beneficiaries and actively contributes to our on-going efforts to ensure we continue to deliver the best for them.”

Dr Sashikumar Ganapathy

President

Also representing Club Rainbow (Singapore) at the Awards ceremony were Mr Gregory Vijayendran (member of Advisory Board), Mr Eric Teo (Vice-President), Mr Allen Zheng (Honorary Treasurer), Miss Jennifer Kok (Deputy Executive Director) and Mr Teo Siang Loong (Deputy Executive Director).

Dr Sashikumar humbly shared that over the years Club Rainbow has stepped up its efforts in its pursuit of governance excellence by being in line with the Code of Governance for charities and IPC as well as maintaining good disclosure practices according to the Charity Transparency Framework (CTF). Some of the key areas for disclosure are Board and Executive Management, Strategic Direction and Programme Management, HR Management, Management of Conflict of Interest, Financial Management and Internal Controls, Conduct of Fundraising Activities, Auditor’s Report, and Timeliness of Disclosure.

Taking this opportunity, both the Council and Dr Sashikumar give their grateful thanks to everyone in the team for rising above the challenges and playing a role in clinching these two prestigious awards this year.

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About Charity Governance Awards

The annual Charity Governance Awards (CGA), first launched by the Charity Council, is in its 6th year now and recognises charities that have adopted the highest standards of governance, in line with the Code of Governance for charities and IPCs. The CGA aims to promote good governance in the charity sector by acknowledging the excellent work of charities while inspiring others to emulate their best practices. Similarly, the Charity Transparency Awards (CTA) recognises charities with good disclosure practices that the Charity Transparency Framework (CTF) recommends. Some key dimensions highlighted as key areas for disclosure are Board and Executive Management, Strategic Direction and Programme Management, HR Management, Management of Conflict of Interest, Financial Management and Internal Controls, Conduct of Fundraising Activities, Auditor’s Report, and Timeliness of Disclosure.

#GivingWeekSG

A national movement from the U.S. which started in 2012 sparked off a global collaboration of communities and sees corporates coming forward to participate likewise, to give back to the society in various ways – volunteering, donation-in-kinds, fundraising and monetary donations. 
 
Being part of the global movement, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has once again organised the #GivingWeekSG awareness which started from 27 November (Tuesday) and goes on till 5 December.
 
With heartstrings tugged and in the spirit of Giving, we like to invite you to be part of the Giving Week movement with us and reach the target amount of SGD10,000 as a community. You may contribute to this through the link below.

Join our movement in
Giving Week.

Click here

$150 to offer 1 child with cerebral palsy 3 sessions of weekly swimming lessons.

$250 to help 1 needy family with two months of food supply.

“Every little donation counts, no matter how small. It is the heart that matters.”

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SOME IDEAS FOR FAMILY TIME TOGETHER...

5 things to do together as a family during #GivingWeekSG

1. Sorting out toys which are still in good condition to share with the local communities.

2. Join us as befrienders for our upcoming events. xposing your children to a giving culture at a tender age helps with character building

3. Keep a chart on accumulating brownie points and track it.

4. Using recycled items from home to create pieces of art for sale to your community, giving sale proceeds to charity organisations.

5. Taking part in a food drive for the needy.

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Home School: Is it a wrong approach?

Forget about the naysayers! Forget about comfort zones!

This is about YOU doing what is right by your children. By Parents for their Children.

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Statistics from a recent survey seen by 500 families shows that home schooling is prevalent in households with 2 children with at least one child if not both being home schooled regardless of the presence of medical conditions. About 81.5% expressing that they would still choose home schooling again if presented with the choice once more.

In a broad view, Home School (HS) is nothing more than just another avenue of allowing children an opportunity to gain knowledge and be educated through unconventional ways.

So how does Home School work? What does it entails?

Reached out to 2 different families who are home schooling their children. Mdm Sandra Chan, a mother of two and Mdm Annette Chua, a mother of one both shared some of the similar pros and cons of taking this approach with their children’s education.  

Being responsible for their children’s learning journey, HS parents take on the leadership role, much like the ‘Academic Director’ in an education institution. They will review, combine and complement different curriculum to cater to the child’s interest and pace. Specially crafted monthly schedules which incorporate various forms of learning from individual exploration to group learning with other like-minded parents and their little ones.

Every child learns differently at different pace and main stream schools cannot cater to the individual child’s needs.

As the 'Captain of the Ship’, an outgoing and friendly personality combined with leadership and a positive outlook are qualities required much like parents who home school manage the challenges that come their way. Some of the HS families do share common challenges as they openly expressed through the survey, one such indicated “Family and relatives are against the idea, there are friends who disagree and feel that school is better.” Another “Staying motivated and not getting overwhelmed.” The top 3 challenges that resonates most with HS parents is social integration, time management and social stigmatisation being the top.      

While families recognises the benefits of home school for their children and the value of interpersonal relationship bonding amongst family, we do see families adopting the home schooling approach not by choice rather due to medical conditions of oneself or their family member. After all, time is the only thing that money cannot buy, let alone any variation of achieving education.

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Quoting and unquoting our Patron and Speaker of Parliament, Mr Tan Chuan Jin from a separate message:

“Public perception should be shaped by facts.”

However, this statement is very apt and applicable in all aspect of our lives. Have we been more objective or subjective today on home schooling?

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Sandra openly shared a proverb close to her heart which she constantly reflect while on her HS journey, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.

Understanding how important it is for HS families to constantly support each other emotionally and spiritually in this uphill and discriminated journey in Singapore, both Sandra and Annette encourages HS parents to persevere on regardless of the social stigmatisation they faced on daily basis.

Reflecting and couldn’t agree more with Sandra’s view, she asserted ‘If we are called to homeschool our children, go for it! Homeschooling is not just about doing academics at home. It is about parenting and life. The most important thing is not about how to homeschool but why we want to homeschool.’

While this article does not provide full information of resources on home school but it serves to shed some light in this area where it is overshadowed by the norm in Singapore. 

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Parents whose curiosity are piqued about home school and like to know more, HS families have kindly shared some of the available sites for more information:

The Whys And Hows Of Homeschooling In Singapore

Homeschool Singapore

Homeschooling Series

Exploring Homeschooling SG (Facebook Group)

Educational Resources / Materials:

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

HomeCampus

Sparklebox (UK)

Hands On Homeschooling

Not all chocolates and candies for Sherman, he wanted more…

Having a placid disposition such as Sherman Low, anyone would be quick to pass a personal judgement on the limit of what this young teenager is capable of with good support and I wasn’t spared of being considered as one such person.

The Low family came to know about Club Rainbow (Singapore) [CRS] through a recommendation via our satellite office in Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) back in 2011. Sherman was 15. At that time, he was diagnosed with Neonatal Encephalopathy, suffering from epilepsy and the function of his right arm was not good.

Greeted with a warm smile, Mr and Mrs Low Kim Kai and their son Sherman were very happy to be invited back to CRS for a chat.

Sherman felt good to see that his humble contribution at the heart of CRS – the Reception area where he had jointly decorated the piano and the beautiful wall mural, capturing subtle attention of whoever enters the facility.

Mrs Low shared, “Before CRS, there was nothing for Sherman. We didn’t really know what to do for him in terms of his personal and social development.” and Mr Low added, “We do give him pieces of paper for him to do some scribbling and drawing at home”. Sherman would sometimes break down and cry, not knowing how to occupy his time. “This certainly made me felt at a loss because I wasn’t able to help him”, and Mrs Low shook her head as she relive that moment. She feels that CRS was the foundation which helped to expose her son to many opportunities for him to explore his potentials and to inculcate the importance of constant learning and self-development.

Recalling back together with the Low family on their initial encounter with CRS, was Miss Sylvia Mak. Sylvia, a proficient Principal Social Worker with CRS commented, “From the first time I met Sherman when he was 15, I knew he had great potential to be more than what others perceive him to be!” Subsequently under her persistent encouragement, Sylvia managed to convince his parents to take a leap of faith in their son; to invest in his future. She helped them with application for the CRS Talent Development Fund (TDF), a fund that supports our beneficiaries in their endeavor of pursuing their passion.

With the TDF, Sherman was able to pursue his first interest in a stringed instrument – the Ukulele but took a liking to the Classic Guitar through an introduction of a friend. He received his guitar from CRS, used it for his practice sessions and enjoyed playing during his cell group’s weekly meetings. The challenge he faced being a left-hand, his coach conducted lessons using his right hand but despite of such a barrier, he rose above the challenge and continued improving his skills and went on to perform at some of our concerts.

From then onwards, there was no stopping this young gentleman. It was as if he was scaling mountains after mountains, uncovering the many interests he possesses and trying out everything possible, disregarding his medical condition. He also dabbled with roller skates and rock climbing; even with safety precautions in place, both parents were still worried for his safety. At the same time, they knew that they had to let him go, allowing him to scale the heights and be himself. He was like any regular teenager of his age, facing the world with curiosity and unfaltering faith.

“My daddy and mommy are my greatest inspiration!”

As a returning recipient of the TDF, his interest took him indoors to the lanes of bowling pins where he received a customised weight bowling ball to complement his feeble arms. Mrs Low’s persistence of appealing to the bowling trainer and her son’s endurance, Sherman was able to build up strength in his right arm which later proved to be helpful in his career.

As the years pass on, Sherman took up swimming which was quite unthinkable for a person with a weak constitution but continued to push his limits. After training rigorously, he took part in the 9th Special Olympics Singapore National Games 2017 and emerged as the first runner-up. On this note, Mrs Low also took the opportunity to show her pride for Sherman by thanking him. Why? You may ask…

Before Sherman took up swimming, his father had never gone to the pool. And now with Sherman going for his personal self-training sessions, his father starts to join him and before long; the whole family find themselves looking forward to this activity as a way of having quality family time together. Well done, Sherman!

Some of the achievements he collected from swimming during his stint with CRS are National Inclusive Swimming Championships 2017: Gold Medal, participated in SPH Foundation National Para-Swimming Championship in August 2016. For now, he only swims for leisure but still continues to challenge himself by recording his laps during each session and occasionally getting into friendly competitions with his elder sister.

One of Sherman’s art piece.

Most children have an insatiable desire to increase their knowledge through their parents and from the people surrounding them. Sherman is definitely one of them as he sought to feed his curious mind constantly and sees him venturing into the Arts. Mrs Low proudly shares that Sherman goes to Very Special Arts (VSA) where he was able to further develop his drawing and painting skills.

Over the past few years, Sherman’s masterpieces have been displayed at several Club Rainbow ARTitude+ exhibitions and one of his works (not shown here) was presented as a token of appreciation to the Singapore Turf Club in 2012.

Sherman with his elder sister, Xin Tian on the cruise.

As the family was reminiscing on memories, I was filled with curiosity “How was your experience with CRS like?” Mr and Mrs Low replied with gratefulness “It’s just too many unforgettable experiences to mention over the last six years. Family Day, Anniversary, TDF, Camp Rainbow, etc. and the list goes on.” However, one particular beautiful experience which they held close to their hearts was the Family Cruise organised by CRS. This was etched deep in their minds as it was the first time the whole family went on a trip together since Sherman was 3 years old. The cruise trip in 2011 was certainly a rainbow in their life; it brought joy and created many beautiful memories for them. 

Apart from receiving educational and social integration needs for Sherman, his parents were also glad to receive financial support through various forms like subsidies, grants, bursaries and daily necessities from donations in-kind which help the family to deflate the cost of living to some extent. Most of the rations are sponsored by corporate partnering with CRS as part of their social responsibility to the community.

“Knowing I was going to graduate, I felt excited. However, after receiving the certificate of graduation, I felt sadness and a moment of emptiness because I miss CRS.”

Playing back his time with CRS, the joy he had during the various events and challenges he faced in his self-development journey. All the years of bonding with CRS family and now that he had graduated, he wants very much to be able to come back and support CRS. However, a full-time employment with the sheltered workshop by Bizlink Centre would pose as a challenge. Sherman’s wish is that he is able to come back to participate and perform in CRS events, to volunteer his hands, to give back to CRS community as much as possible. This is the only way he strongly feels that he can show his heartfelt gratitude and love.

Looking back on the journey both Sherman and his parents have come this far, everything was worth the while. Mrs Low strongly expressed, “It was all possible because of the core services (Educational, Financial, Social, Emotional and Informational Support) provided by CRS and firm belief of their staff. Not only workshops are relevant and affordable, CRS also offers financial support too.”

“Thank you, 彩虹俱乐部!”

“Thank you, 麦阿姨!”

(An actual account of Sherman Low and Family, one of Club Rainbow’s graduated beneficiary by Rachel Fernandez)

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Some food for thought…

You are not defined by your circumstances;

You are defined by how you handle the circumstances.

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