#IWD2022 Finding Balance in Rocky Waters

Carolyn considers motherhood “a school of hard knocks” like her job. While she enjoyed her career in Corporate Sales and Marketing in the logistics industry for 12 years, her decision to leave her job was motivated by the need to “witness their milestones in detail” when her job left her with only just enough time to “shuttle them from childcare to home”. Although her aspirational image of a mother has always been a “high-powered Working Mom who can multi-task between her job and her children”, Carolyn soon found other considerations that she prioritised.

“I didn’t want them to be ‘transited’ from one classroom (school) to another classroom (childcare centre), every child has their season, and I wanted to be there for each season. I wanted to provide for them not only financially, but also security.”

While the choice was made without regrets, she explained that there were significant changes that she had to adapt to when moving from a career-focused person to a domestic “home minister”.

“The image [of a homemaker] is a lot less glamorous,” she explained, “office jackets were exchanged for just t-shirts and shorts. Office heels were exchanged for slipped-on sandals. I no longer wear make-up as well, as my world centred around my home, supermarkets, their school, and the hospital.”

“Most of all, I no longer have my monthly salary and purchasing power to buy what I want.”

But while she has left her job, Carolyn continues to emulate certain structures of the corporate world at home. “More budgeting is involved in a single-income family,” she told us, “and I’ve found more creative ways to aid the kids in their learning at school.”

When asked about the challenges of her job, Carolyn explained her work was manageable, but it was the demands of motherhood and caring for children with special needs that she struggled.

“There’s a very steep learning curve because parenting does not come with a manual,” she said. “Each of them has their own special needs. Recently, the expectation on a Mom is a lot higher, there are a lot more hats to carry, teachers will ask parents to follow up on their children’s work, and it’s not easy.”

““It’s tough, but it’s also humbling,” ”

— Carolyn shares on her journey in motherhood, caregiver from Club Rainbow

To stay grounded, Carolyn stays connected with friends of similar circumstances from her support groups, where they share their experiences and draw strength from one another’s strategies. She also finds time to catch up with her old friends over coffee or even a quick lunch to establish balance and take time for herself. She also encourages mothers in similar situations to speak to professional counsellors if they need help, which has helped her process her thoughts when she is helpless.

“It’s tough raising a child with special needs because it’s going against [the] mainstream flow,” she told us. “Many don’t seem to understand the struggles of caregivers and children with special needs, and we need to ensure that they encourage and not judge the child’s development.”

She also shared the importance of resilience, a skill she has developed in searching for a Mathematics tutor who can deal with dyslexia and hyperactivity. In this process, she’s been encouraged by many similar mothers, and for that, she is grateful.

“It’s tough, but it’s also humbling,” she spoke on her journey in motherhood. “I’ve learnt that it’s okay, not always to be okay. We can seek help for it. We are not machines; we need to take good care of our mental being to walk a long journey with our children.”

Written by: Rachel Kok Chian Yee
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)

Choose to be Happy!

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”

Everybody tends to say this to someone having a wrong time, but what does happy mean? Is it that easy to be satisfied?

The word happy is generally defined as a feeling of pleasure or contentment. Such feelings could arise from something as simple as eating something delicious or seeing something beautiful; and can be immediately felt by a child who just got a new toy.

So, what do we do when we are having a bad day and finding it challenging to feel happy? Although we are told that it is fine to embrace our negative feelings, we could always go a step further by embracing those bad feelings and then taking action to exchange them for more positive thoughts. A bad day is no reason to ignore all other good parts of life. Many studies have linked happiness to health as a good mood helps us smile more, sleep better, and feel more energetic. 

One easy way to feel pleasure and contentment is to be thankful. I like to keep a gratitude journal to remind myself of things I am grateful for throughout the day. Small mundane things, like the bus arriving on time or remembering to bring an umbrella on a rainy day. By doing so, you will likely realise that you are luckier than you think. I also know someone who practices ‘gratitude hour’ where he spends an hour every Friday sending emails thanking people who helped him throughout the week.

Most people have also heard of the adage – It’s better to give than to receive. While rewarding ourselves, we must also remember that we are all capable of spreading happiness by building a more compassionate world and not forgetting the needy. You could start by gifting to those who need it or volunteering your time, as experiences provide a higher level of happiness than material items.

If there is one particular day each year where we should put in extra effort to purge all negative emotions from our system, that would be 20 March, also known as the International Day of Happiness. First celebrated on 20 March 2013, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Happiness to make people worldwide realise the importance of happiness in their lives. Building on the idea, the United Nations also launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet to make people’s lives happier. (More information can be found here: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals)

Here at Club Rainbow, we hope that our beneficiaries can live as happily as possible despite the challenges they face in their lives. In conjunction with this year’s International Day of Happiness, we would appreciate your support for our efforts to make this world a better place for children in Singapore living with chronic illnesses. Actions matter, and you can make happiness a choice every day!

Written by: Tang Su Yen
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)

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We welcome volunteers to support our beneficiaries and passionate individuals who like to kickstart creative fundraising initiatives. Email us at crscpm@clubrainbow.org to start your journey with us today! Other ways you can be part of - https://www.clubrainbow.org/take-action.

#IWD2022 Managing Expectations in Her Sail

13 years in customer service is no mean feat, so we had to ask Anisah about her secret to building confidence and resilience in her career. She attributed it to being equipped with the proper skill sets.

"I was very fortunate to be given a proper traineeship program, learning from the basics, which helped my interest in aviation customer service grow," she reminisced. "I took pride in my work even if I was the lowest in rank because I knew that I would only enjoy my work if I learned more and fell in love with all parts of the job."

“years in customer service built greater empathy in her,
a human touch on a global scale.”

— Mdm Anisah

She explained that her years in customer service built greater empathy in her, and she described it as a "human touch on a global scale".

"Once you put on the uniform, you need to help the customer to the best of your abilities. Putting yourself in the customer's shoes, if you encountered such a problem, you may feel very lost and need someone to help you with it."

Her work taught her that seeking help was not something to be ashamed of, and she drew strength from her seniors at work, who were also mothers. "I felt that if they could manage to be a working Mom, so could I." But her life experienced a turning point when Aniq was diagnosed with autism, and Anisah's priorities shifted to taking care of and spending more time with her family.

Time management was a skill she brought with her even as she left her job. "Becoming a Stay-at-home Mom means that I need to plan my own time. I was very used to the rostering system at work, so once I became a housewife, I realized I had to do the same myself to be punctual and efficient. I even set my alarms to remind myself what to do at what time," she told us with a laugh.

One thing that never changed was Anisah's dedication to being mindful of taking time for the whole family. She explained that her decision to leave her job was also rooted in her desire to watch her children grow up since she found the first seven years of childhood a significant period for the parent-child bond. While Aniq's condition meant that she had to spend more time with him, Anisah was also careful planning time for her other children. As her two youngest children are 5 and 2 years old, Anisah taught her two older children how to look out for Aniq and communicate with him, enabling the siblings to grow much closer in recent years.

In this process of learning, Anisah understood the need to be flexible, especially in providing care for persons with special needs—and to her, that meant embracing all of Aniq.

"Embracing means accepting everything about him wholeheartedly, including the things you cannot change. Having goals for your kids is important, but since they are your goals, you cannot always expect that they will definitely be fulfilled. The goal may not always be suitable for him. You must be flexible because you plan for them, and don't give up on them."

Such flexibility enabled her to consider Aniq's needs when the family had to leave home for certain events such as weddings and gatherings or even spend time together. Decisions on places to go are often limited by Anisah's perception of the safety of the environment and the physical friendliness and unwanted judgment.

"It got more difficult to manage as he got older. As a child, people won't say anything about it. But as he grows up, people will ask, 'Why is he still acting like a child? Why haven't you taught him how to behave properly?' When we go out, I need to consider these things because many people don't understand what he's experiencing, and I'd rather prevent him from being questioned."

She explained that not being able to perceive his condition visually increased the level of judgment from others. "People are a lot more sensitive when the disability is visible, but when they cannot see it, they make assumptions like, 'Oh, he's just spoilt'. As he got older, people started using even harsher words. I don't want to expose him to such comments."

The amount of pressure she experiences daily led her to find different outlets to take time for herself. Anisah tells us that she cherishes her daily morning walks, which she takes after her children have been sent to school. She is also thankful for the support from her husband, who frequently shows his concern for her mental well-being and spends time with her outside when the children are occupied.

"Being a Mom is a skill, not just a responsibility. You need to listen to your own body. If you need time off, you can take some time off. For me, it's going grocery shopping with my husband." - Anisah

Written by: Rachel Kok Chian Yee
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)

#IWD2022 Captains Of Their Own Destiny

In their lifetime, they undertake many roles – the disciplinarian, the teacher, the chef, the housekeeper, the doctor; the list goes on. However, far less is discussed on their roles as daughters, as wives and as employees, and the challenges that transitioning between roles may bring. For Annette, Anisah and Carolyn, this role, which never came with an instruction manual, presented an added challenge when they discovered that their children had special needs.

This month, in celebration of International Women's Day, we sat down with three caregivers of Club Rainbow's young beneficiaries to discuss how they came into their own and took charge of their direction in life, both at home and beyond their families.

MOM AT THE HELM

After 13 years as a Customer Service agent in the aviation industry, Anisah left her job to take care of her children, especially considering her son Aniq's special needs. Her resolve in this move was cemented when her helper ended her contact with the family.

"Two months after my helper left, I told my husband, 'Something needs to be let go'," she recounted. "I wanted to let him concentrate on his responsibility to provide for the family, and shortly after we discussed this, I tendered [my resignation]. It's a big decision that came with a lot of sacrifices, but I don't have any regrets because I knew I wanted to spend time with my children as they grew up."

Similarly, Carolyn used to be a working mother, where she occupied a client-facing position in Corporate Sales and Marketing in the logistics industry. She remembered fondly that a day in her life included fulfilling client appointments, talking to customers to manage service issues, and troubleshooting to bridge the gap in communication between clients and her company's Operations department.

Caring for three young children with special needs, Lucas, Jonas and Titus, took an inevitable toll on her health. She eventually elected to leave her job as she was concerned about adhering to her strong work ethic and providing high service quality. "There is a steep learning curve that comes with managing newborns with children," she told us. "I had to juggle time between the hospital and home, keep the boys apart when one of them were infected with illnesses, and there was so much to learn, [not just about] managing young children, [but also about] medical conditions and tests."

At the age of 25, an age that most young women would prefer focusing on their work opportunities, Annette took her brother's two kids under her wing and, a few years later, under her roof. As the main caregiver of Thaddeus and Jovan today, the brothers have been living with Annette and her family since 2018 as a permanent arrangement with limited parental involvement. Annette's son, Jeryl, now recognizes Thaddeus and Jovan as his brothers and vice versa.

When she was pregnant with Jeryl in 2013, Annette found working full-time managing two children and her pregnancy was very taxing. She had also just joined a new company in the supply chain industry upon completing her part-time degree in Supply Chain Management. While her supportive work environment moved her, Annette eventually left her position as a Supply Chain Executive for a more balanced family life. When asked about her strengths, Annette grappled with that question.

"I think [many] mothers don't know where our strengths lie," she said. She explained that it resulted from a constant feeling of 'Mom guilt', the pervasive sense of not doing enough for their children that many parents experience. "But even if we don't see [them], [as] we take care of our kids; we are developing our strengths. We need to remember that we're already doing a lot more than we thought we could before."

Carol had similar thoughts. While she found it difficult to identify her strengths, she candidly told us that her working experience had made her a "firefighter" in her resilience. She likened any issue to a "service failure". "It's the idea to pick myself up and keep going, no matter how difficult [it is]," she said.

As for Anisah, she believes that "attitude determines results", and shared how having a positive mindset enabled her to influence her other four children not to think negatively of their brother when he was experiencing meltdowns. "Being a positive thinker doesn't mean avoiding all negativity, but acknowledging that it is a challenge and learning how to tackle issues instead of complaining about them."

THROUGH THICK AND THIN

When asked about the changes needed for a more inclusive community, Annette emphasized that we need to develop greater humanity and reduce stereotyping behaviour. 

“We may be losing a sense of humanity as we enter the digital era,” she explains. “The human touch is important for the special needs community. I think that education is just the first step. To promote inclusivity, we need to understand that we are all similar.”

“I urge all preschool teachers to be trained in special needs because there is a wide group of special needs people; we cannot lump them altogether. Even within the autism community, we understand that there is a wide spectrum, and so do the other communities, for down syndrome, dyslexia, ADHD, et cetera. As a society, we need to be more careful when addressing people who are not neurotypical and understand that there is still a lot to learn about others.”

Similarly, Carolyn shared that systems and social norms can be improved. “I think we need to shift our mindset; just because something is not mainstream doesn’t make it a failure.”

She explained that there was a long period when she could not find a place to school, Jonas, and was challenged by non-inclusive preschools. As a result, Jonas had to switch preschools three times in three years, and the worry that he was not in a supportive and caring environment left her constantly on her toes.

“For now, we depend on teachers and parents to make a difference,” she said. “There is a need for better parent-teacher communication networks so that both parties can be better aligned on students with special needs. Better home-school support can also empower our children.”

Anisah believes that focusing on what persons with special needs can do compared to what they cannot do can promote greater inclusivity.

“We need to reduce judgment,” she highlighted. She encourages the public to approach parents with special needs children if they are interested to learn more about them.

“Stop looking at their disabilities, and instead focus on their abilities. Maybe someone has autism, and they may not communicate well, but they can draw, play instruments, and take instructions in their own way. If you can listen and relate to them, you will be able to include them.”

Written by: Rachel Kok Chian Yee
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)

Ride for Rainbows 2021: KrisShop

With less than one month away from Ride for Rainbows 2021, we want to thank our sponsors for supporting our 10th run of this fundraising event. One of the sponsors – KrisShop, Miss Raelene Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer, share their support for children with lifelong illnesses and their families.

When asked what about Club Rainbow (Singapore) strikes out for KrisShop, Miss Johnson responded without hesitation, 'Club Rainbow has a history spanning 30 years. Given the organisation's significant purpose-driven work in Singapore, it is almost impossible for a local entity like KrisShop not to be aware of their contributions in empowering children with chronic illnesses. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Club Rainbow, knowing that our partnership can help make a difference, however small.'

Giving back to the community has always been one of the core drivers of their business, and most exemplified through their KrisShop Cares concept store on KrisShop.com. Miss Johnson shared enthusiastically with a smile, 'Given our heart for social causes, we jumped at the opportunity to support Club Rainbow when we heard from our partner, Singapore Airlines, that there was a way that we could do so meaningfully!'

Supporting different community collaborations over the years, Miss Johnson highlighted 'Key criterion that KrisShop has with working with nonprofit organisations is the alignment of values and vision'. She stated 'Integrity is a key value of Club Rainbow that mirrors ours. At KrisShop, we pride ourselves on being honest, transparent and committed to doing what's best for our customers and our company.'. Another one of Club Rainbow's values that resonates strongly with KrisShop is empowering individuals to achieve their full potential - an aspect that KrisShop seeks to accomplish daily with their employees and even partners.

Miss Johnson struck a chord with other local entities when she expressed …

Read more - https://bit.ly/2Xg4z0G

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For Ride for Rainbows 2021, KrisShop is sponsoring a limited edition SIA mahjong set featuring the airline’s iconic batik motif and flight-related elements on the tiles. If you haven't sign up, you have till 26 September to register, qualify and stand a chance to walk away with this limited edition! - https://www.rideforrainbows.org.

Serving our nation, Our Home, Our Singapore

A Club Rainbow Singapore beneficiary shares with us his passion for serving National Service despite his chronic condition.

By Eugene Koh, Content Contributor

Eighteen is the age where every teen boy in Singapore receives a letter that changes his life for two whole years – his letter of enlistment for National Service.

NS is mandatory conscription and duty that every male citizen and PR in Singapore must undertake upon reaching 18 and can be served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) or Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Forming the bedrock of Singapore's defence and security since independence. National servicemen form the backbone of these three uniformed Services that keep Singapore safe and secure. It is pivotal to maintaining our sovereignty.

For many, NS is a defining experience that bonds servicemen from different backgrounds and across generations.

This is no different for Mohamed Sayed Sameer Bin Abdul Kadir, a Cyber and Network Security student with ITE who turns 19 this year. Soon, he will be foraying into a new juncture of his life as a Full-time National Servicemen (NSF).

A CRS beneficiary since 2003, Sameer has had a renal disorder at birth. Despite his condition, he refuses to let his condition define him, "I could still do sports like most kids my age. I don't want to be treated differently compared to guys without the condition." says Sameer. Like any other teenager, he enjoys playing football and video games with his friends after school.

As his NS looms around the corner, Sameer is looking forward to serving and is excited to see what his NS Journey holds ahead for him. From regimentation to arms practice, Sameer is unfazed by the challenges ahead and views NS with an open mind. "I heard from friends that NS is very tiring and very tough for them, but they have also made a lot of new friends from it."

"I am looking forward to that," says Sameer.

When asked which part of the defence force he hopes to be part of, Sameer proudly shares his childhood dreams of becoming a police officer and hopes to accomplish that within his two years serving NS.

 "I won't be too disappointed if I didn't become part of the SPF either. I feel like the Army is cool as well, living out of his comfort zone during outfields. It is an eye-opening experience, living in remote jungles and terrains." says Sameer.  

Overall, Sameer feels that NS forms an integral part of Singapore's defence system. On a more personal level, he mentioned how it also helps build resilience, teamwork, discipline and maturity.

"Journeying with fellow NS mates through thick and thin, the camaraderie and brotherhood formed is something you'd only find during NS.," says Sameer.

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EUGENE KOH

A social butterfly at heart, Eugene enjoys engaging with the people around him and building meaningful connections. He aspires to use his gift to engage and influence mass markets and make an impactful change in society.

When not mugging for his exams or fulfilling his National service duties, you can find him lurking around the pantry or queuing for bubble tea.

Scaling Everest in Singapore

Unique Fundraising: Part II

By Rachele Foo, Content Contributor

If we have to name one of the silver linings in this pandemic, it could be discovering new hobbies. Due to new social distancing rules during this pandemic, many have looked for alternative forms of entertainment, and some have turned to the outdoors to catch a breather. Through this, Ding Yang, Pete, Mark, Andre, Alvin and Jun Long became interested in cycling and formed bonds through their similar love for it. As their passion for cycling grew, they turned their hobby into something much bigger and meaningful. They decided to start a fundraiser together as Team Aweveresting, where they would raise funds by embarking on the Everesting challenge.

This idea originated from a Strava challenge. The challenge in June was to complete an elevation of

8,848m, similar to that of Mount Everest, on a bicycle, and they could clock the distance at their own pace across the entire month. As they were discussing, they mentioned in passing that they could complete the whole distance at one go. However, thinking of it just as a joke, they all laughed it off.

Then, Ding Yang decided to challenge himself and completed half of the total distance at once on his own. Seeing him achieve it, the rest of the team were motivated and hence decided to embark on the challenge where Ding Yang would attempt the entire Everesting challenge of 8,848m while the rest of the group would attempt the basecamp climb of 4,424m. For the challenge to be considered successful, they would have to finish the entire distance without sleeping.

It took them about 12h to complete the climb of 4,424m, and for the whole thing, it took Ding Yang around 30h. It was extremely gruelling for them; however, when they felt like giving up, they remembered what one of their teammates, Jun Long said,

“Our pain will last for only 1 to 2 days, but these children are facing chronic diseases, and they are battling it every day of their lives.”

The support from their family and friends who brought food to where they were attempting the challenge also greatly encouraged them.

In total, they raised $18,795, which is no small feat.

When asked why they think it is important to give back to society, one of the members mentioned that giving back to the community helps him stay humble and reminds him that there is a bigger purpose to life than just working and earning money.

Lastly, regarding whether they are planning to do this again, the team replied that they hope to do so and might even consider making it an annual event, though they might change the challenge.

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Kickstart a giving back journey to the vulnerable little ones in the community!

Your efforts will be doubled as part of the Fortitude Budget, the government is matching donations to charities dollar-for-dollar till 31 March 2022.

To better support NPOs and givers, there will be NO TRANSACTION FEES on Giving.sg till 31 March 2022. Therefore, 100% of your donations will go to Club Rainbow (Singapore).

Do contact us crscpm@clubrainbow.org and we can guide you along to begin your journey with us today.

3 Marathons . 2 Individuals . 1 Heart

Unique Fundraising: Part I

By Rachele Foo, Content Contributor

When people think of SHN, boredom often pops into mind. Not being able to leave the room for a long time is dreaded, and the one thing that people on SHN look forward to is its end. For some, however, their SHN experience was not all dreary. It was unique and meaningful. This was the case for Chris Snook.

Chris runs daily. Hence, he knew that he had to find a way to keep fit when he was notified to serve a 21-day SHN. He was originally offered an exercise bike; however, when he saw his hotel room, he was pleasantly surprised by its size and realised that it would allow him to run around the room effectively. As he started to expand on the idea, he figured that he could gauge the distance covered based on the time spent. Since he usually runs for about 6km -7km each day outside, he thought that it would be possible to cover about 6km a day in his room. Coincidentally, running about 6km a day for 21 days would mean that he covered three marathons.

As everyone knows, it is hard to stick to a routine, especially when it involves running. Hence, Chris decided to find a solution for this by doing something that would force him to commit, and that is when he came up with the idea of a SHN Marathon Challenge. During this fundraising campaign, he would run three marathons totalling 126.6km in 3 weeks, in his hotel room, without a treadmill.

As the clock was ticking, Chris quickly acted on the idea and researched possible organisations to fundraise. That was when he came across Club Rainbow. He was drawn in by the fact that Club Rainbow supports chronically ill children and their families, who are often not appreciated enough. Additionally, as he was going to raise funds for the organisation from the public, he wanted to do it for an organisation that is trustworthy and recognised for its values, and that was why he was also attracted by Club Rainbow’s governance efforts and transparency.

To increase awareness of his fundraiser, Chris quickly contacted a friend of his, Bjorn Seegers, who runs Muddy Murphy’s, an Irish pub. Bjorn was keen on the idea and hoped to spread positivity in a time of negativity. He recommended the fundraising platform and helped to set the fundraiser up. Additionally, they partnered with Heineken and Asia Pacific Breweries to give three free pints of Heineken to the donors for every $50 donated as appreciation.

During the three weeks, to remain accountable to the people who donated, Chris also recorded the distance covered, the number of steps and his speed to share on the page.

Everything went smoothly, and at the end of the 21 days, Chris celebrated the end of his SHN and the successful completion of his fundraiser.

When asked about what advice he would give to others considering setting up their fundraiser, Chris mentioned that it is important to find a charity that subscribes to the values one personally embraces. Additionally, anyone considering a fundraiser has to be respectful and not pressure others into donating because everyone faces challenges that you might not be aware of - every donation, no matter how big or small, matters.

Chris shares his marathon route in a hotel room …

Lastly, running barefoot in the room is more comfortable than running with trainers. In case you are thinking of being the next SHN fundraiser!

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Kickstart a giving back journey to the vulnerable little ones in the community!

Your efforts will be doubled as part of the Fortitude Budget, the government is matching donations to charities dollar-for-dollar till 31 March 2022.

To better support NPOs and givers, there will be NO TRANSACTION FEES on Giving.sg till 31 March 2022. Therefore, 100% of your donations will go to Club Rainbow (Singapore).

Do contact us crscpm@clubrainbow.org and we can guide you along to begin your journey with us today.

Support is a two-way street.

The Caregiver Support Group programme (CSG) provides support to families of children belonging to three different chronic illness groups, namely rare genetic disorders (RGN), neurological, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Past activities in 2018 and 2019 include a romantic dinner to give parents quality time away from their children and equine therapy, which is an experiential treatment that promotes emotional healing in typically ASD sufferers – through activities with horses.

From June to July 2020, the CSGs had to be held online due to the pandemic, but the effectiveness wasn’t compromised, as evident from the name of the event, ‘Finding my strengths at home’.

The programme was facilitated through two different platforms – the main programme for the three respective CSGs was conducted on Microsoft Teams, and the second was conducted on WhatsApp.

Caregivers who missed the main programme due to their busy schedule were given resources with the contents of the programme and subsequently asked to share their reflections and takeaways in a facilitated WhatsApp group.

During the main programme, the facilitators taught coping skills such as breathing exercises. Apart from imparting skills, the caregivers were asked to identify their 'resource person' – persons who provide formal and informal support, respectively – to realise the importance of a support system on this journey.

Most of the caregivers were able to identify at least two resource persons in their life, with the most common answers being family members and friends.

“I felt relaxed as I recalled the past (when) my late mother spurred me to focus on positivity (no matter what) happens to my child,” a participant shared.

As a caregiver, self-development is oftentimes neglected due to the huge portion of their time dedicated to caring for their child. During the programme, the caregivers were tasked to identify their strengths and develop their strength plans.

Love, love of learning, and flexibility were among the commonly identified strengths. The identification of one’s strengths allows for a better understanding of oneself and self-development.

Reflection on the programme, a caregiver shared, “It was a good break from the daily routine of caregiving to connect with other parents and a good reflection time to remember things which I have experienced before and reconnect them again”.

A continuation from the previous years’ CSG, the 2021 virtual edition focused on emotional coping strategies.

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Interested in supporting Club Rainbow, do write in to crscpm@clubrainbow.org.

Charting the Course Through Creativity

by Rachel Kok Chian Yee, Content Contributor

As our beneficiaries enter their teenage years, it is exciting to watch them develop their means of self-expression and their aspirations for the future. 17-year-old Kai Ann has found his calling in creative work and is especially intrigued by the design process of animation films. Similarly, 13-year-old Lisa has developed an interest in design, but while Kai Ann is considering undertaking a college-level course in design animation, Lisa hopes to learn more about the mechanics of mobile games.

Both Kai Ann and Lisa share a gift in creating artistic presentations through the Microsoft PowerPoint application. For Kai Ann, this skill was honed in secondary school, where he started converting the learning notes provided by his teachers to presentation slides to expedite his revision processes. Thereafter, he began to explore the use of PowerPoint in creating digital art. He has used his expertise to create ZOOM backgrounds for his online classes and notes for religious purposes.

“PowerPoint has a lot of stock images, and I like to design images and put them together to create something very beautiful,” he told us. “I find beautiful images very motiva[ting], and I feel very fulfilled when I can help my friends convert their notes to soft copy too. I’m very interested in designing things, [especially] when I get to activate my design knowledge to create useful [content].” - Kai Ann

At the same time, Lisa enjoys her Info-Comm Technology (ICT) classes in school, where she has performed spectacularly in her software-related assignments. In an interview with Lisa and her mother, they shared that Lisa was particularly adept in using PowerPoint slides, where she designed a presentation deck on her pet dog, Angel, and her process of training her pet, to be presented in class. This process was enhanced by her keen interest in cameras and photography, where she has recently become a member of her school’s Media Club.

Beyond learning how to use the Microsoft applications, the two continue to cultivate their creative interests beyond the academic realm. As part of a project for his co-curricular activity (CCA), Kai Ann started to examine the use of mobile applications such as CapCut to create and edit video skits, a skill he hopes to further develop as a church volunteer. This self-teaching process has been facilitated by the accessibility of video editing tutorials on Youtube, which has also become his primary source of inspiration. Given his interests, Kai Ann’s school career counsellor has recommended him to enrol in a polytechnic diploma course in design animation upon graduation.

“I am very interested to learn how to sketch and combine images of cartoon characters in different motions,” he explained, “watching animation films has inspired me to learn more [about them], and hopefully, I can work for such companies [in the future].”

When asked the same question, Lisa delightedly held up her mobile screen to show us her progress on Roblox, an online game platform where users are invited to program and play games created by each other. Lisa has been actively practising her design skills on this platform, such as designing novel-looking avatar characters and, most recently, a murder mystery game that she hopes to share with her friends.

“I like these thriller games,” she piped, “it’s basically like police and thief, where [users can search for] clues to find the murderer.” - Lisa

In fact, Lisa discussed her hopes to develop her own mobile game someday, where she comically emphasized her desire to create “a fun murder mystery game”. As an enthusiast of hands-on activities, she is very interested in understanding how game developers create and process gaming-related systems and is particularly enthralled with the prospect of recreating real-life situations in gameplay.

As someone who considers himself an artistic individual, Kai Ann also hopes to create animation films with novel cartoon characters which have not appeared on television. His lifelong ambition is to work for a renowned media and entertainment organization such as The Walt Disney Company, inspired by his favourite Disney film, Zootopia. He explained that he was moved by the story of Judy Hopps in the movie, whose small size and limited capabilities enabled many of the characters to despise her. Ultimately, her ability to overcome her circumstances and prove herself as a worthy police officer compelled Kai Ann to research more deeply into his design interest.

“I want to create animation films that can engage the audience by teaching them such life values, [such as] trying your best and not giving up. Zootopia really motivated me; it taught me that even if I fall, I can climb up again.”  

Kai Ann is working hard to develop himself creatively, as he considers it his strongest suit and a necessary ingredient for success.

“I think creativity will help you go further in life,” he expounded. “If you keep following the less creative way, it will lead to a dead end. But if you are creative, you can succeed and even expand your capabilities. I want to create cartoons that can inspire people too.” 

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Rachel Kok

a marketing university student in Singapore who loves bubble tea and coffee more than anything. She also enjoys music and film, and tries her best to read as much as she can.

As a language lover, she is proficient in English, Mandarin and Japanese, and enjoys the occasional debate about the areas these 3 languages have in common, especially when it comes to dissecting song lyrics.

Rachel identifies her purpose in life as engaging with like-minded people and bringing joy to others through her words.