Volunteers receive award for mentoring 11-year-old girl
11-year-old, who had not had formal education, is 'coping well' now
Five times a week over a year, a group of volunteers took turns mentoring an 11-year-old girl in English, Chinese, mathematics and social skills - to help her ease into primary school life as she had not received any formal education.
Ms Lim Chay Bee, 60, a volunteer with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), said of the girl: "I realised she couldn't write so I started with that, first teaching her the months of a year."
Ms Lim and her team of three other volunteers received an award for their work at the CDAC's 12th volunteers' day at Safra Toa Payoh yesterday.
Their team was one of three to be recognised at the event, where seven volunteers also received commendation awards and 234 volunteers received long service awards.
Speaking to The Straits Times yesterday, Ms Lim and her team said the girl they coached is "coping well in primary school" now.
Based on their schedules, the team members met her on different days, focusing on specific subjects, said Ms Lim.
Added team member Tan Poh Jee, 30, who works in the education sector: "For a girl who hadn't been to school for formal education, it was also behavioural and emotional support that we were looking at.
"We tried to get her to open up to us, so she would be more interested and willing to learn. We would also discuss her progress in a WhatsApp group."
The other two members were retiree Vivien Lee Kwai Peng, 68, and accountant Tan Xue Ling, 30.
Yesterday, CDAC board member Baey Yam Keng, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and for Culture, Community and Youth, thanked the group's 3,000 volunteers for their contributions.
ROAD MAP
Building on a framework developed last year to define training programmes for the volunteers, Mr Baey said the CDAC will be going a step further to come up with a road map defining competencies needed for its volunteer programmes.
Also at the event was Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Ng Chee Meng, who noted the importance of the work of volunteers.
He cited the case of a teacher who mentored a boy who had failed his PSLE a few times.
He passed eventually with her help, graduating from the Institute of Technical Education.
He now has a child of his own.
"I do not know each individual story, but for me, that is an inspiring story that makes volunteering worthwhile," said Mr Ng, who added that he hopes more people, including the young man with a child, will come forward to lend a hand.
"Our collective effort is what makes Singapore." - THE STRAITS TIMES
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