Singapore Pools shows PLove for special needs
Everywhere Miss Siti Halizah, 20, went, her mother Madam Herawati, 55, would follow.
Miss Siti has a mild intellectual disability and Madam Herawati was uneasy leaving her alone.
Now, they work at Personalised Love (PLove) Community Studio, a social enterprise that employs people with special needs to handcraft leather products such as pouches, key chains and wallets.
PLove opened yesterday at the second level of the Singapore Pools' branch in Jurong East Street 31. It is the fifth organisation to work with Singapore Pools as part of a community initiative. Rent has been waived for PLove for three years.
Madam Herawati told The New Paper: "My daughter used to be very quiet but since working here, she speaks up more and enjoys her work."
Singapore Pools' CEO, Mr Seah Chin Song, said it hopes to share corporate assets like floor space with social enterprises.
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He said: "We want to leverage on our space to support them sustainably and create even more value for the social sector."
PLove started in 2014 and became a community studio where those with special needs work and interact with the community.Their products are sold online, ranging from $8 for a leather handle to $35 for a personalised leather journal.
Founder Yeo Hwee Khim said: "It was challenging to learn how to manage them but seeing them grow to be more independent and skilled has proved to be very meaningful. "
Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng, who was a special guest at the opening, said: "I have seen PLove grow since the start. This space will not just touch lives, it will transform lives."
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