Trip to St Andrew’s Autism Centre

On the 11th of April 2012, our JC1 Saints Advocates together with their teachers went down to St Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC) to spend a meaningful afternoon learning and understanding more about autism, as well as to interact with the children with autism that SAAC schools. We also managed to interview Ms Michelle, who works at the SAAC, about her work there and the challenges and needs of SAAC.



Reflections of our Advocates:

Upon our visit to their school hall, where all the children gather for their CCAs, I could see that the children there are all very active. They would run around and do their own unique actions without noticing the people around them. This sight really helped me understand what a child with autism is like, and what it means to be living in their own world without interacting much with others.

The teachers there also shared with us the story of a child with autism who was bullied in a main stream school and had to transfer to the centre. The child was not able to speak to others for a whole year and a half. This short story really touched me, and showed me how discrimination against a child or person with autism can be a more detrimentally affect their lives than the autism itself. We have to give them our support to encourage them to live a fulfilling life just like any of us.

I feel really sympathetic for the children with autism. They are just like us, but because they lack the basic skills to communicate they do not have the ability to live a normal life. I sincerely hope that more people would love them and accept them, that they can lead a happy and meaningful life. When we build them up, with our hearts and love, they will transform us as well.

-Yu Jun

Today we had our learning journey to Saint Andrews Autism centre and we had the chance to see what a school for autistic children was like and I’m sure it was an enriching experience for every single one of us. Even though these children and adults are autistic, live in their own world and have problems with social interactions, they are still human beings like you and I and we have to learn how to understand them more and be more accepting towards them.  At first I was a bit apprehensive because I didn’t know what to expect from this trip, and even when we first saw the children, I was taken aback by some of their bizarre behaviours. It was new and strange to me, but I realised that those actions were their ways to express themselves where words could not.

We did not interact with the children much because they would be overwhelmed by seeing such a big group of us. The tour around the school made it clear that much effort and design was put into constructing the buildings and rooms, which are very different from mainstream schools and are all tailored to meet the needs of the children and adults with autism. It was very interesting and eye-opening. Hearing from the teachers and staff, managing the children’s behaviour is one of the greatest challenges they face. Each child is very unique and has their own routines and habits, and emotional meltdowns of the children occur on a daily basis. Communication is the key to understanding these children.

Overall I felt that I now better understand what autism is about and the difficulties that people with autism face in their lives. “Understanding before Advocating” is very important and we should seek to understand them, to see the person first and autism second, before we can be their voice in advocating their cause. The people at the centre inspire me to try to reach out to more people in the community with their patience, tolerance, love and care towards the children and adults. I definitely hope that we can go back and get to interact more with the children! :D

-Rosabel

Interviewee: Ms Michelle, External coordinator of St. Andrew’s Autism Centre

Challenges you face:

I think much more than the challenges we face here is the challenge parents face concerning their child’s life issues. Some major concerns like what would happen to their child with autism when they grow old? The parents may ask: do I leave everything to my child? My child may not be able to use the money, who’s going to take care of my child? If my child is not an only child, should I load the responsibility on my other child? I have heard stories from parents of how their daughter or son is very careful in considering a partner for life, because they are keenly aware that they have to support his/her sibling with autism for life. So he/ she may not be willing to start a family. These are very real issues although they may not talk about it.

That’s why there are also sibling care and parent networks to support them and help them in these areas of need, because as non-profit charities, we are here to serve the community where they are in need.

Needs for St Andrew’s autism centre?

One of the needs now is fund raising. The school is pretty well supported, with support from MOE and NCSS, but the adult services have very little government funding, and we sometimes have to write to foundations to get funding. The cost to support each adult client in the centre is about S$2004, very high. They all pay according to the means testing fees, the lower paying ones under the FAS paying around $25, and generally S$100-S$1500 for the regular clients. The adult services really need more help. We need to raise about 1million to support them.

Do you have any needs for volunteers?

For major events we always need volunteers. For camps especially, even though it is mainly the staff that coordinate the activities, we need a lot of volunteers to help in planning the camp, organizing events, as well as managing the logistics like catering. It would really help take the load off the teachers as it is very tedious for one teacher to support one child and also be running the camp. The Boys Brigade came over to put up a performance for Children’s Day and the teachers could at least rest. So we welcome any creative ideas to help the centre.

How can we Saints Advocates help?

Learn more about autism and accept the people with it. You have to know and understand them before you can advocate for their cause. If you are really passionate about helping people with autism, those who are interested to work closely with SAAC can contact either Michelle or Jesse and we will tell you further on how you can help. On an individual level, you can spread awareness of autism to your friends. If you see anyone who is autistic, protect them, don’t join in the bullying. You can also come together with your friends from other CCAs, like dance for example, and put up a performance or organize an event to raise awareness and funds.

MYMCA CIP: First project undertaken by 3rd Saints Advocates

31st March 2012

On the 31st of March 2012, the 3rd Saints Advocate helped organise and participated in a Community Involvement Project (CIP) with Metropolitan YMCA (MYMCA), in which the students visited various houses under the MYMCA’s food aid to gather the beneficiaries’ latest information for the updating of their profiles with the MYMCA.

This trip to MYMCA was our first CIP trip as a 3rd Saints Advocate, our first exposure to the community outside of school grounds and one that marks the beginning of our journey as servant leaders. In our two years to come as a Saints Advocate, there will be numerous CIP projects that we will embark on. However, our projects might not always be successful. The first time we carried out this CIP project earlier in March, it fell far short of MYMCA, our teachers’ and our expectations. Unclear about what we had to do, we left many crucial holes in our data collection that made it useless to MYMCA. After realising our mistakes, we contacted and apologised to Tracy, who had coordinated the project for us, and offered to redo the project. She kindly allowed us a second chance.

We didn’t want to disappoint Tracy and our teachers again, and most importantly, the many beneficiaries whom we were responsible for. I made a little promise to myself then that we were going to do this with our utmost effort - and indeed, we all did, and we were able to see the reward of our efforts.

The experience of the home visits was a very impactful and inspiring one. Seeing the poor living conditions of these less fortunate people, it really saddened me to think of all the things we have
taken for granted in our lives. Going to their houses and going through our required list of information, scanning and making copies of their identifications, bills and bankbooks, it felt almost like they were laying their lives before our scrutiny, and although receiving help should not be a thing to be ashamed of, then it certainly felt without dignity. I wanted so much to able to do something to help, that none of them would have to live in such desperate holdings. Hearing stories from Tracy about hostile beneficiaries, it was rather hard to imagine. However, even with the more “forceful” beneficiaries removed by Tracy from all our visiting homes, my group did visit one elderly man that reacted quite violently toward us. He lived in a comparatively well furnished house, and when we stated our purpose, he hotly remarked that MYMCA cannot do much to help him and that we were wasting his time. It angered me slightly that he was so ungrateful of the aid he was receiving, when many others may need it more than him. However it is not for me to judge his case, so I just noted down my observations for MYMCA to review. Overall this CIP gave me some insight to what service work may be like. Engaging in helping others, we will be touched and inspired many times along the way, but good intent does not promise being appreciated, yet every setback can remind us and direct us back to our simple desire to love.

Lastly, I also want to share that the eagerness of the Advocates to do the CIP right the second time really surprised me. Freeing a Saturday morning and gathering punctually at the early hour of eight before heading out to all their respective houses, the compassion of every Saints advocate was evident, and their desire to serve the community unmistakable. Though in this CIP, we did not really do much to help the beneficiaries or MYMCA, but it is with this same passion and determination that we will strive make a difference in the lives of others, and for those we do touch, it is one more life inspired. I hope that we will keep this passion burning strong inside us throughout our journey as one Saints Advocate. Up and on!

-Pang Hui Jun

Interview updates

Dear JC 1 applicants,

We are happy to inform you that 45 JC 1s  have been selected to be part of the 3rd saints advocate.

List of successful applicants will be out on the CIP notice board (2nd floor- next to comp lab 2) on 27th Feb, mon at 8am.

We will like to thank all applicants for turning for the interview. We are sorry that we are unable to accept every applicant. We are touched by your desire to make a difference in the community and we look forward to your support in the various college community programs organised by advocates.

For all successful applicants, please note that the first meeting will be coming Monday,27th feb, 530pm at the trophy room. Pls bring along a pair of shorts, college tshirt and writing materials.

Take care and god bless!

Rgds,
Mr Ho

Work Attachment at Gawad Kalinga (Jeremy)

I was actually rather indignant about participating in this CIP work attachment because I was already so busy with my other commitments. It was because of these commitments that I did not participate in the OCIP but considering the timeframe for the work attachment is much flexible, I thought maybe I should take it up, try something new while benefitting the community.

Though my attachment is rather short, officially it is only about a week long, but it was a pretty enriching week. My work attachment was with Gawad Kalinga, an organisation serving to bring the poor out of poverty in mainly the Philippines but is now reaching out to other developing nations. I got to work with Shruti, a fellow saint advocate, and Rina, a full time worker at the office.

In this 5 days, half of the time was set aside for the planning of our task force fundraising project that we would execute when school reopens. 

Shruti and I would discuss, brainstorm ideas, and do the various planning for the successful execution of our project.

However, I was most impacted by the cause of the organisation and the belief that the full time workers, the beneficiaries and anyone related to GK had for their work. GK is an organisation that is all about the people. 

The first thing that Rina spoke to us about was not about how we should go about doing the fundraising and how we should try to make as much money as possible. Instead, she said that it is not about the money, it is about the cause, how we should focus on the work that the organisation is doing, what they are advocating for (which is to bring people out of poverty), and create an awareness around that. 

She was also glad that we were attending this work attachments and interns that want to advocate and raise awareness of GK rather than those that were fundraising.

After hearing what she spoke of and her passionate believe in the work of GK, it has also greatly inspired and changes my attitude towards social causes. 

Whenever we embark on a project to help the community, we must always remember why and what are we working for. For GK we were working towards bringing the poor out of poverty, through the means of providing them funds to build shelter, farms allowing them to build closely knitted communities that allow them a comfortable, peaceful, safe environment as compared to those in the slums. 

Hearing about the impact I would create, it was inspiring and made me want to champion the cause even more. I had taken part in social projects before but I was often blinded by the hard work and setbacks that I would forget about the vague understanding for what I am championing. This time, I was greatly enlightened by what it means to work for a cause and to have great believe in it and I hope it would inspire me to go further with my GK project.

-Jeremy

Work Attachment at Gawad Kalinga (Shruti)

Gawad Kalinga Hope initative

When I first chose GK as my work attachment taskforce I was clueless and I basically thought it was an organisation that raises funds and builds homes for the poor. However in the very first meeting with the program coordinator I was proved wrong.

Gawad Kalinga is an international charity organisation that aims to help the poor families live in bright, colourful and conducive homes. 

Before GKH enters the slum, the people there generally are territorial and uncaring the extreme hunger and poverty makes them undignified and succumbing to the harsh circumstances of poverty but GKHi builds homes for these people teaches them to care for one another and nurtures a caring community.

Gawad Kalinga as I realise now is all about the people. It doesn’t do work just for the sake of building homes to improve the living standards of those in the slums. 

It empowers the people by showing them that they can live a better life by taking up this opportunity. Apart from building homes the GKHi gives each family a specific plot of land and they can choose if they want to grow cash crops or crops for consumption. What I really like about the organisation is that it empowers people. It shows them they have a choice in moulding their own future. This way the slum people will feel dignified and will work even harder to come out of the poverty situation.

Furthermore the full time workers like Mr. Paulo and Ms. Rina are really passionate about the work they do. The people who work here also strongly believe in working for this cause because they want to end poverty and by being the brothers’ keeper. 

In this way a caring and cohesive community is nurtured. Their stories are inspiring and we as interns can see the bigger picture, that is the need to support and champion the cause for what it is and not merely for fund-raising.

The organisation way of tackling the problem of problem is also really commendable because it teaches the poor to be self-sufficient and live with dignity. They do so by playing a part in contributing to the construction of the homes instead of just sitting there waiting for it to be handed to them.

To conclude Gawad Kalinga as its name implies gives care and its work is beyond each individuals’ own materialistic selfish goals and it aims to bring up a community of people who are there for each other and progress as one community.

-Shruti