Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the Singapore Children Society Charity Gala Dinner

Mr Koh Choon Hui, Chairman of Singapore Children’s Society,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to join all of you at the Singapore Children’s Society Charity Gala Dinner this evening.

It is heart-warming to see so many guests supporting Singapore Children’s Society’s cause of bringing relief and happiness to children in need. Your support is important as the Society continues to broaden its reach through its programmes and services.

The Singapore Children’s Society was founded in 1952 to provide basic shelter, comfort and relief to the children during the post-war years of Singapore. The intent was to have a safe place for malnourished children to receive adequate care until they were strong enough to go home. The Convalescent Home, now known as Sunbeam Place, was set up to house children from as young as six months old.

Through the years of Singapore’s growth and development, the Society’s services have changed to meet the changing needs of children. Today, Sunbeam Place has evolved from being a place of care and recovery for sick children to be a residential home and a gazetted place of safety for abused or neglected children. Its residents are nurtured through enriching activities which help to develop their strengths. The Children’s Society also assists MSF in reintegrating children who have been removed from their homes, so that they can rejoin their families through the Safe and Strong Families – Reunification programme. In addition, the Society conducts extensive research on preventive measures in response to the changing times. Over the years, the Singapore Children’s Society has contributed significantly to the national ecosystem of caring for children in need.

The Singapore Children’s Society now operates 12 service centres and runs 77 programmes island-wide to support vulnerable children and their families. This remarkable growth is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication from staff and volunteers at all levels throughout the years.

The fruit of the Children Society’s work is clearly evident in the lives of their beneficiaries, so let me share a heartwarming example. Mdm Jagir Kaur was about 12 years old when her father, who was the family’s sole breadwinner, became blind. As her mum was illiterate and could only speak Punjabi, Mdm Kaur had to stay home and take on the responsibility of being the family’s primary caregiver. It was only through the assistance of the Children’s Society that Mdm Kaur had the opportunity to receive an education despite her difficult family circumstances. Inspired by the Children Society’s efforts to improve children’s well-being by giving them access to educational opportunities, Mdm Kaur’s daughter, Ms Harveer Kaur, is now a Senior Social Worker who helps troubled youths at JYC @ Children’s Society, one of the four community youth drop-in centres run by the Society to promote positive youth development. This is a strong reminder of how the uplift on the lives of our beneficiaries can have a positive imprint on the generations to come.

I am glad that in recent years, the Society has also expanded your mandate to help youths in need. Youths play an important role in our society. The JYC @ Children's Society initiates youths into adulthood through a youth-led leadership event named YouthGIG. Youth leaders are tasked to conceptualise, plan and execute a final proposal to give back to the Jurong community as part of the initiative. This is a synergistic approach with the VIA (Values In Action) system executed across schools in Singapore, where students embark on learning experiences that support their development as socially responsible citizens who contribute meaningfully to the community.

Recently, the Society has also established the Singapore Children’s Forum to encourage children to think globally and actively share their views in a responsible manner. I understand that this year’s Forum will be held next week. I commend the Society for its efforts to engage and listen to the young regarding issues that matter to them.

As we work together towards championing the best interests of our children, this synergy, co-creation, and collaboration helps us to extend our collective reach. The Children’s Society sets a good example, and I am heartened that your work has touched so many lives.

In closing, I wish to thank the members of the Executive Committee and Standing Committees, and all staff members of Singapore Children’s Society, for their dedication towards helping children, youth and families in need.  Let us all continue to play our part in supporting our children so that they can maximise their fullest potential.

I wish everyone a pleasant and enjoyable evening ahead. Thank you.