Prior to joining NTUC First Campus (NFC), I was with another organisation that worked with children and youths. One particular experience made a big impact on my life, and that experience has been the impetus for me to continue championing opportunities for children from disadvantaged families.

I met a young child from a single-parent family whose mother was struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis. When I first got to know this boy, he was very rude and struggled with social interactions. Colleagues worked with him daily, and got to know him better. He also went through counselling programmes. A few months later when I met him again, he was a totally different child. He was more cheerful, and was even willing to share about his day with me. The last I heard, the boy had finished Secondary School and is serving as a volunteer to help children with similar backgrounds as him. This boy is a testimony that when the right help and support is given, things will definitely change for the better.

My desire to continue providing opportunities for change for children is carried out in my work at NFC. As the mother of a pre-schooler, working in the early childhood field has a special meaning to me. I know from personal experience that it takes a village to raise a child. And knowing that I am part of the NFC village that is able to reach out to disadvantaged families brings great joy and meaning to my work. It also makes me want to do more; to always want to find ways to go the extra mile. Knowing that my work makes a difference to less-fortunate children gives me a real sense of satisfaction.

NFC’s Bright Horizons Fund (BHF) has a range of programmes that reaches out holistically to low-income families through a variety of support areas such as financial, wellbeing, learning, health and nutrition. The programmes are planned in such a way that they address the specific needs of these families, in hopes of giving them much needed support during challenging times.

My main role at BHF is to manage donations as well as activities related to fundraising. I plan programmes to raise awareness for the BHF so that more people know about it. Raising awareness for the BHF also aims to secure more funds so that more can be done for disadvantaged families and their children under our care.

Young children are our most valuable assets – they represent our future and what we feed them today, shapes our tomorrow. The success story of the boy I was assigned to many years ago bears witness to this truth. Any support, no matter how big or small, goes a long way in enabling the BHF to reach out to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It will allow us to expand our range of programmes to address the diverse needs of children under our care. We will be able to do more, give more, and help more low-income families.