As 2022 comes to an end, The Alphabet Project (TAP), a movement under Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA), together with the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Social Service Office @ Bedok and partners from private, public and people sectors, organised a meaningful activity for 100 under-resourced families with young children below the age of 21 residing in the Kembangan-Chai Chee, on Saturday, 31 December 2022 from 1.30pm to 4.30pm at Kampong Kembangan Community Club.
Graced by the Speaker of Parliament and the Member of Parliament for the Kembangan-Chai Chee as a Guest-of-Honour, Mr Tan Chuan Jin joined the partners and volunteers in interacting with the children during the carnival and distribution of mattresses, care packs of household items, and cash gifts to the families.
The children were entertained by a variation of activities during the carnival which include magic shows, busker performances from a ComLink family, story-telling by the children, and lucky draws with various prizes such as mobile phone, NTUC Fairprice vouchers, and others. Through this initiative, HIA aims to provide help and holistic care for the marginalised families who are challenged by the low income and lesser access to resources, especially families with young children below 21 years old who are coping with rising cost of living and the lack of financial and educational resources which strain the social and psychological growth of the children.
“We felt that we need to do our part to help our children in Singapore society who are less privileged and need additional care to live a better life. We want to go beyond charity work that provides for the daily needs of children and their families. Instead, we want to go a long way with them to give every child the normal and comfortable childhood they deserve. Today’s event is a step in the right direction. This is an opportunity for us to develop relationships with these beneficiaries and understand their needs as well as aspirations”, shares Rev. Ezekiel Tan, President of HIA.
With the intention of helping these children and families, TAP was launched to bring together volunteers from interfaith and interracial communities and partners from the public, private and people sectors to help Singapore’s unseen community. This includes the 14,000 families who come from lower-income households. We also strive to build confidence in children and equip them with skills such as reading, writing and storytelling, by organising national competitions, that may help to shape and build a better future for them.