From Family to Society

Hean Lee is a distributor and wholesaler of handy electronic and electrical household products ranging from power adapters, portable fans, rice cookers, and many more. Its products, marketed under the Soundteoh Electronic brand, can be found on the shelves of major electronic retailers, including Giant Supermarkets, Best Denki, and Courts. The company has a sweeping presence in several Southeast Asian countries.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Hean Lee's Director, Mr. Kelvin Lee, to find out more about the company's perspectives on corporate social responsibility following its first charity collaboration with Club Rainbow in conjunction with SG Cares Giving Week.  

“Everyone to think positively and cherish every day. We should always look forward to tomorrow as miracles could happen.”

— Mr Kelvin Lee, Director of Hean Lee

Founded in 1957 by old Mr. Lee Hian Cheong, Hean Lee is now managed by the third generation of the Lee family. Philanthropy has always been part of the family culture as old Mr Lee donated money to build schools, shelters, and roads in Xiamen, his hometown that he left at a young age to escape from the widespread poverty and famine in China. Mr Kelvin Lee and his brother wanted to continue the family legacy of giving back to society after they started helming Hean Lee. They did so mainly by creating and supplying products that they felt were in line with the latest technology to add convenience to users and by partnering with local businesses and communities to help build brand awareness.

Some of Hean Lee's corporate social responsibility efforts included cross-promotions with local businesses and the sponsorship of home-grown football team Geylang International FC. While Hean Lee used to focus mainly on supporting local brands, they made a slight pivot to focus more on people following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hean Lee donated valuable items such as face shields and portable fans to improve the working conditions of healthcare frontline workers who had to work in sweltering temporary medical setups.

In November 2021, Hean Lee partnered with Club Rainbow on a budding artist program as part of the SG Cares Giving Week. As a result, the artwork of an 11-year-old Club Rainbow beneficiary was chosen as the packaging design of Hean Lee's wireless AC-operated doorbell. Mr. Kelvin Lee found it an intriguing process as a business rarely collaborated with a charitable organisation on its product packaging. With the success of the first collaboration, Hean Lee was considering extending or launching similar partnerships with Club Rainbow in the future.  

Hean Lee sincerely hoped the collaboration could help create more awareness and support for Club Rainbow. Their efforts in corporate social responsibility also led to Soundteoh Electronic being awarded the Singapore Prestige Brand Award 2020/2021 Established Brand Award. When asked for words of encouragement for the young beneficiaries of Club Rainbow, Mr. Kelvin Lee encouraged everyone to think positively and cherish every day. We should always look forward to tomorrow as miracles could happen.

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Should your company or organisation wish to support our children and their families, please email us for a discussion: contact@clubrainbow.org

Education Awards 2022 - Rising above difficulties and differences

Recognized for their hard work and improvement, recipients of Club Rainbow’s Education Award Amelia, Sufaira, Keertana & Nazin were thoroughly surprised and elated when they were informed of their academic achievement. For many, this accomplishment was not an easy feat, and they shared that multiple challenges needed to be overcome throughout their learning journey.

For Amelia, the phrase “practice makes perfect, never give up” has motivated and pushed her to be resilient throughout her academic years. This persistence has been backed up by supportive teachers who have worked hand in hand with Mdm Joanna, Amelia’s caregiver, to identify and work on areas requiring more targeted revision. Together with therapy, Amelia’s learning development has improved exceedingly, enabling her to read, count, and, most importantly, grasp more excellent motor skills. These improvements have driven her to clinch many medals and become her school’s representative in competitive swimming.

Mdm Joanna is proud of Amelia’s growing braveness and independence and continues to be attentive to Amelia’s needs. She identified and harnessed Amelia’s love for music as a learning tool, which has played a significant role in making learning and memorization more enjoyable and fun (E.g., Multiplication Table Song). Amelia’s activeness was also expressed through her enjoyment in Club Rainbow’s horse-riding outdoor activity, where she learned to guide, clean and had the opportunity even to hug the horse. Mdm Joanna believes that such avenues of learning should be incorporated to better cater to the needs of children.

Mdm Anisa, Sufaira’s caregiver, also resonates with this and attends courses that impart skills and practices concerning multi modalities to be equipped and self-reliant when helping Sufaira in the areas she is weaker. This practice also aligns with Club Rainbow’s therapy intervention programme that Mdm Anisa praised, where children can explore various ways to express themselves, such as drawings or actions.

On top of this commitment, Mdm Anisa dedicates herself to her daughter’s academic journey. Sufaira has put in her due diligence needed by making duplicates of worksheets, practising, and trying them repeatedly until done right. She has also benefitted from the help of her schoolteachers. She is grateful for Club Rainbow’s tuition programme, which has proven helpful to both Amelia and Keertana.

Keertana has shown continuous improvement, allowing her to clinch this education award for a second time and become more confident in her day-to-day interactions. She has also picked up hands-on life skills such as cashiering at the minimart at school. Keertana believes in “just giv(ing) it a try,” and Mdm Chitra, Keertana’s caregiver, is very proud of her daughter’s mindset and progress. Yet, it can be challenging at times, and Mdm Chitra shares that attending Club Rainbow’s counselling services has proven to be beneficial, where she is able to talk through her struggles and seek advice and help.

Mdm Erni, Nazin’s caregiver, also agrees that such support systems are essential, highlighting her interactions with her parents in similar situations to hers. Where they better understand her challenges and offer more relatable and timely advice and tips on how to raise Nazin. She also mentions how Club Rainbow’s social workers have supported Nazin and herself greatly by providing encouraging and assuring words to push on and move forward whenever she felt down.

This education award recognises and acknowledges the continuous ability displayed to press on, as well as Nazin’s effort in his academic work, where his communication capabilities and range have expanded and advanced, leading him to recognise more words through his picture cards.

While we celebrate the achievement of our Education Award Winners, these milestones are only made possible with our caregivers’ sacrificial and unconditional love and support. They have also shared some words of encouragement and advice to fellow parents who might find themselves in similar scenarios.  

Mdm Anisa’s advice to parents would be to “not compare children with others” but “let them learn at their own pace and method.” Mdm Chitra believes every child is “unique and (has) their strengths.”, while Mdm Joanna encourages parents to let children “explore and blend into society” with which they would eventually be part and for parents to continuously be “patient, believe and have confidence in their children, and never give up on them.”

Education Awards Presentation Ceremony 2022

Last Saturday, we had our first in-person event, Education Awards Presentation Ceremony 2022, after more than 2 years of hiatus. The award recognises the efforts and achievements of the children and motivates them in their academic learning and character building, despite their challenges. Close to 200 attendees including the Guest-Of-Honour, Speaker of Parliament and Patron of Club Rainbow, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, our children and their families, Council members, corporate and individual supporters, staff and volunteers attended the ceremony at our new centre, Sandbox.

During the ceremony, Club Rainbow’s mascot, Ray, made its first appearance. At the same time, we witnessed the soft launch of Sandbox – a purpose-built space where children and caregivers can attend programmes and services in a safe environment.

Located within Sandbox are also a digital lab, a visual arts studio and a performing arts studio. With these new facilities, Club Rainbow is set to expand and deepen our engagement with the children and families, through Arts and Vocational Development, two of our core pillars.

Looking ahead, Education will continue to be the cornerstone of our immediate and future plans. We will be having new initiatives to address the diverse needs of the children at different stages of their journey with Club Rainbow, from early childhood to youth, with the clear goal to empower them towards being independent, active contributors in society.

New initiatives launched early this year:

LEAP – Early Intervention catering to the younger children

LEAP – Primary and Secondary for the older children with an aim to maximize their learning developments.

The upcoming initiative, LINK, aims to equip our youths in essential soft skills such as social communications and financial management. These skills will be useful for our youths in their tertiary education journey or when they start working.

In the pipeline is an exciting programme – LAUNCH, to provide opportunities to our youths and caregivers through the development of vocational skills based on individual’s unique abilities, strengths and interests, and eventually, micro-enterprises that aim to provide families with a supplementary source of income.

This year is our 30th Anniversary – a new milestone and exciting chapter for us. We wish to thank everyone for journeying with us. With your unwavering support and contributions, we look forward to continue supporting more children and their families, for many more 30 years to come.

Visit our social media, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more about our work and 30th Anniversary celebration.

 Together, we can Dream the Future!

#celebrate30withCRS #clubrainbowsg #dreamthefuture2022 #DTF2022

Celebrating International Nurses Day

By Tang Su Yen, Content Contributor

International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May. This is also the birth date of the founder of modern nursing – Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale overcame societal norms to professionalise nursing for women in the Victorian era and spurred the revolution of hospital hygiene practices following her experience caring for soldiers during the Crimean War in 1853. Her practice of making rounds to tend to wounded soldiers with a lamp in hand gave her the moniker ‘The Lady with the Lamp’. By implementing concepts that are still being used by nurses till this day, such as infection control, therapeutic communication, public health advocacy, etc., the death rates at hospitals were greatly reduced due to her efforts.

In modern times, nursing has become a much-respected profession within the healthcare sector. It is defined as the care of individuals, families and communities so they may attain, maintain or recover optimal health and quality of life. In reality though, nurses face many challenges in their work. It is a physically and emotionally demanding job, not to mention the stress of having to be exposed to illnesses and chemicals as part of their work. While they are required to be patient, compassionate, strong and efficient while doing their job, nurses are only human and they deserve our respect and care too.

For International Nurses Day this year, we spoke to several beneficiaries of Club Rainbow to collect some heart-warming stories of their experiences with healthcare professionals and gave them a chance to show some love to the nurses and healthcare professionals who cared for them during their time in hospital.

10-year-old Nur Fitri Soleha and Daddy -

“Soleha was born with Thalassemia Major (Alpha) which causes extreme anemia. She had to go for monthly blood transfusions at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) since she was diagnosed at 3 months old until she turned 7. We are extremely grateful to the medical practitioners and nurses at KKH, including Sister Nurse Chewing, Sister Anh, Sister Wai Wai, Sister Nurse Munirah, to name a few, that have taken care of Soleha throughout her journey. May Allah bless you all and repay your good deeds for caring for my family.”

Lotus Flower by 14-year-old Elijah Sim

14-year-old Elijah Sim and Mummy -

“A special shout-out to Nurse Fang at KKH’s Child Development Unit who has constantly been warm, gentle patient with Elijah during his visits, always going the extra mile to render assistance. We have been touched by her kindness and would like to take this opportunity to thank Nurse Fang for her hard work.”

Message from Mdm Wang, Mother of Elijah Sim
The roots of the lotus are in the dirtiest water however they still managed to produce the most beautiful flowers. The nurse just like the lotus flower with their inner strength and determination are able to come out of any difficulties. Thank you nurses for all the selfless  contribution during this pandemic, keep on frighting. We will stand with you.

Thank You by 7-year-old Chevelle Tan

7-year-old Chevelle Tan and Mummy -

“Thank you to all nurses, especially Chiu Ying and Danlin who took care of Chevelle when she was at KKH Children’s Day Therapy Unit. They were caring and gentle while handling Chevelle’s special needs and behaviour issues during her treatment. Thank you for your professional advice and care especially during instances when Mummy felt lost and panicked. We are also deeply grateful and would like to show our appreciation to the nurses in KKH oncology ward 76 who helped and supported us from March 2018 to December 2019. We really appreciate all that you have done for us”

Note: In this article, we have also featured artwork from Club Rainbow’s beneficiaries in appreciation of the healthcare workers who have taken care of them in commemoration of International Nurses Day.

#IWD2022 Building New Identities

Leaving her job presented an emotional challenge apart from a physical one, especially since Annette had come to know her colleagues as a second family.

“All my colleagues were like my family members,” she told us. “They would ask me about my children, about my exams… That made me feel less alone.”

"To care for a child with special needs is tough; there's an endless number of therapy sessions and medical appointments. Let's not forget that there are long waiting hours to endure, [because of] many circumstances that are unforeseen and can't be helped, like when other children need more attention, so appointment hours [can get] pushed back," she explained. "Daily caring is okay, but when there's an emergency… I was fortunate to have such a supportive boss, who would give me the green light to leave when I had emergencies [with the kids] to take care of."

Given the close-knit community, Annette had found in her working environment, leaving her job felt like losing a part of her that had become central to her identity.

"There's a harmful stereotype of housewives, what we call the 'huang lian po' [yellow-faced women]," she described the image of a poorly dressed and dishevelled middle-aged woman, the belittling colloquial. A term often used at the expense of mothers who were not professionally employed and had left their jobs to take care of their children. "Apart from dealing with the mental and emotional drain and burnouts, sometimes we don't feel respected as mothers. People forget that being a Mom is also a difficult job."

"There are times we feel that we're not living for ourselves, but our children."

This explains why Annette advocates self-care, a practice that helps with her self-esteem. "Self-care doesn't need to be luxurious. Making yourself a cup of coffee after the children have left for school, watching dramas, having a moment to sit in silence when you are done with household chores are all forms of self-care. I like to take some time to ensure that I look presentable for myself. Take the time to ask yourself, 'do I like how I look today?"

Engaging in self-reflection allowed her to appreciate herself better as a parent and a woman. While Annette once found it difficult to reconcile her workplace ambition with the responsibilities she shoulders as a mother, she cheerfully told us that the decision to look after Thaddeus and Jovan proved to be rewarding, as it allowed her to access different platforms to spread awareness on special needs.

"I was in and out of different jobs and companies, so I got to meet different people. Along the way, [I found that] some of my colleagues didn't even know about autism. Many of them had their stereotypes, so this allowed me to let them know autism itself is a spectrum, [some] are less impaired in their daily living skills, [and some] are verbal. Letting [others] know that those with special needs are not that different from us, [I consider that] a blessing in disguise."

But she finds that not everyone can be keen to learn more. When asked about her most significant barrier in being a caregiver for persons with special needs, Annette replied quietly, “the eye of the public”.

"There are people who will label you as a bad parent who doesn't guide your children well, especially when younger. Thaddeus and Jovan can experience meltdowns where they would sit on the road and refuse to move, and people will point their fingers at you."

This worry about societal judgment extended to her concern about seeking help. "There was a long period I was so afraid to ask for help. My situation with Thaddeus and Jovan was so different from other people's. To others, I was just an aunt; they couldn't comprehend why I was doing this."

““Life is unpredictable. We can only make the best of what we have.” ”

— Annette, caregiver of Club Rainbow Singapore

Experiencing rejection from kindergartens and childcare centres was almost "a slap to the face", where she found the legitimacy of her family questioned. "Once they knew that I wasn't their actual parent, I would start to experience a bit of pushback."

This desire to help parents like her enabled her to find her calling. After attaining her diploma in special needs education, Annette became a part-time special needs tutor. She helps special needs students with sensory and regulation issues, work habits, and learning gaps. For her future, Annette aspires to lead a social enterprise employing persons with special needs. She encourages women like her who desire to return to the workplace to develop more skills in preparation for the workforce.

"Life is unpredictable. We can only make the best of what we have." she acknowledged. "Let's live at our own pace and don't compare ourselves to others."

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

#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.