WGS Jaguar Scout Group - MINDS

MINDS’ Vision 

To be a world-class voluntary welfare 

organisation that advances the 

development, well-being and aspirations 

of persons with intellectual disability and 

their integration into society 

MINDS Headquarters 

800 Margaret Drive 

Singapore 149310 

Tel: 6479 5655 Fax: 6479 0706 

Website: www.minds.org.sg 

MINDS Centres 

Idea Employment Development Centre 

29 Rosyth Road, Singapore 546190 

Tel: 6282 4852 Fax: 6280 5078 

SIA-MINDS Employment Development 

Centre 

800 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149310 

Tel: 6473 1148 Fax: 6473 3885 

Woodlands Employment Development 

Centre 

30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-02 


Tel: 6366 3966 Fax: 6366 7422 

Ang Mo Kio Training & Development 

Centre 

Blk 134 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1677 


Tel: 6456 4174 Fax: 6456 0570 

Clementi Training & Development 

Centre 

Blk 304 Clementi Ave 4, #01-487 


Tel: 6776 8743 Fax: 6776 8741 

Napiri Training & Development Centre 

7 Lorong Napiri, Singapore 547533 

Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357 

MINDS Special Education Schools 

Fernvale Gardens School 

7 Fernvale Road, Singapore 797635 

Tel: 6481 6697 Fax: 6483 2631 

Lee Kong Chian Gardens School 

802 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149311 

Tel: 6473 8332 Fax: 6473 4776 

Towner Gardens School 

1B Lengkong Lima, Singapore 417557 

Tel: 6446 2612 Fax: 6243 7498 

Woodlands Gardens School 

30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-01 


Tel: 6468 0566 Fax: 6468 2142 

MINDS Home 

MINDSville@Napiri 

7 Lorong Napiri 


Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357 

MINDS Social Enterprise 

800 Margaret Drive 


Tel: 6473 7512 (ext.244) 

Fax: 6473 0831 

mindspeak: the heartvoice of special people 

CONTENTS 

2 Message from the CEO 

3 Interview with Mrs Jaya Mohideen 

4 National Day Heartland Celebrations @ South West District 

5 The Flame within our Youths 

7 WGS Jaguar Scout Group Bagged Silver Award! 

8 The Kool Kidz of TGS 

9 Fun Fit @ FGS 

10 Outings at The Eastern Shores of Singapore 

10 Off to the Singapore Flyer 

11 HSBC Helped to Improve the Lives of Low-Income Families 

12 MINDS Community Group Home 

12 Visiting Group from Macau 

13 A Cut above the Rest: Enhancing a Client’s Employability 

14 Successful Open Employment at WEDC 

14 Christmas Gifts from MINDS Craft 

15 Being Able 

16 Our Overseas Learning Journey to Adelaide 

17 Occupational Therapy in MINDS EDCs 

Advisory Committee 

The Public Relations, Education & Communications Committee 

Chairman: Boo Chong Han 

Members: Doreen Yap | Daniel Tan | Keh Eng Song | Desiree Lim 

Editorial Committee 

Advisors: Keh Eng Song | Jeannie Ho 

Editor: Desiree Lim 

Members: Anthony Tan | Jenny Alexander | Josephine Ong | Suzana Soo | Paul 

Sin | Prema Thevarajah | Ng Mun Wai | Stephen Shi | Koh Gee May | Ling Chong 

Beng | Rose Kwek | Rosalyn Peng | Shafiyah Sarwan | Mike Koh | Mimi Tan | 

Gerald Ng 

MINDSpeak is published by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore 

(MINDS). 

Designed and printed by adamsapple. 

© Copyright is held by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in 

any forms or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recordings or otherwise, without 

prior written permission of the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are those of the authors 

and do not necessarily reflect those of publisher.

Message from the CEO 

Welcome to the second issue of our revamped MINDSpeak. 

Our first revamped issue of MINDSpeak published in August received many positive feedbacks from our readers saying that 

they enjoyed the refreshing and attractive newsletter. Thank you for these encouraging words. We certainly welcome any 

feedback and ideas from you on how we can better engage and inspire all our stakeholders through this newsletter. 

In this issue, we bring an insightful interview with our Advisor, Mrs Jaya Mohideen. Mrs Mohideen has been with MINDS 

since September 2001 as a Board Member and became President of MINDS from September 2003 to September 2009. 

Her contributions to MINDS and our clients with intellectual disability have been numerous and significant and we look up 

to her as an agent of change – someone who studies the present, envisions the future, and makes a positive difference 

everyday. 

Read the inspiring stories about our four MINDS pupils and clients who were the torchbearers for the inaugural Youth 

Olympic Games Singapore which took place in August 2010, and a proud moment for our Woodlands Gardens School’s 

Jaguar Scout group for receiving silver in the Frank Cooper Sands Award. Without a doubt, our clients are equally able if 

given the opportunity. 

We are thankful to HSBC for helping 18 families to make their homes a better place for study as part of its 2010 Corporate 

Responsibility Challenge. In fact, there are many other corporations doing similar deeds for our clients that we are very 

grateful for. 

Finding open employment for our clients with moderate to severe intellectual disability is a major challenge for MINDS. We 

share with you our centres’ efforts in trying to get national certification for our clients and thus enhance their employability, 

as well as one success story out of Woodlands Employment Development Centre. With patience and perseverance, we 

are confident that many more will be able to join the workforce in open employment through our Job Placement and Job 

Support Programme. 

This issue also marks an important milestone in the history of MINDS; the launch of MINDS’ Community Group Home 

Project. We have been preparing a group of male and female hostel residents from our MINDSville@Napiri Hostel/Group 

Home since 2005 to live in a non-institutionalised environment within the community. MINDS transitional Group Home 

in MINDSville@Napiri is modeled after a typical HDB unit so that higher functioning clients on open employment can be 

trained to live independently and be integrated into mainstream society. We are happy that a group of five residents has 

moved into two rented HDB flats since May this year. The Project also received a Special Mention in the NCSS inaugural 

Outstanding VWO Award 2010 (Innovation) during the recent NCSS Members’ Conference. We are now looking at selecting 

and training the next batch of residents to join the pioneers. 

As we approach the end of the year where festive spirits fill the air, let’s not forget about the continual strive of our staff, 

donors, volunteers and caregivers for our pupils and clients with intellectual disability. Thank you all and I look forward to 

another great year where more can, and will, be done for them. 

Enjoy the upcoming festive seasons. Don’t forget to shop for your festive gifts from our MINDS Craft. 

Mr Keh Eng Song 

Chief Executive Officer 

MINDS 

mindspeak: the heartvoice of special people 02

Interview with Mrs Jaya Mohideen 

Mrs Jaya Mohideen led MINDS as President from 2003 to 2009. She established key policies and frameworks that not only 

put MINDS in the forefront of social services, but also safeguarded MINDS from governance failures and the impact of the 

global economic downturn. Besides MINDS, Mrs Mohideen also helped to influence directions that shaped the services and 

well being of persons with intellectual disability in Singapore through the MCYS Enabling Masterplan. 

Mrs Mohideen is Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland, a business woman and a mother of two. Among her 

many laurels are the prestigious Singapore National Day awards - Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) and Public 

Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat). She was made a commandeur of the Order of Orange - Nassall by Queen Beatrix 

of The Netherlands in 1993. Mrs Mohideen is also the first woman Non Resident Ambassador in Singapore. MINDS is very 

fortunate to have her continue as Advisor to MINDS. 

MINDSpeak: How did you 

first hear of MINDS and what 

motivated you to become 

involved with the organisation? 

Mrs M: I was approached by 

Prof Tan Ser Kiat to succeed 

him as President of MINDS. 

MINDSpeak: Do you recall 

what came to your mind 

when you first visited MINDS 

schools/centres/homes? What 

has changed since then? 

Mrs M: My first visit to Tampines Home in 2003 was an 

eye-opener. The Home was housed in an old school with 

multiple and undulating levels. It was most unsuitable 

for persons with intellectual and physical disabilities. 

This reinforced my full support for MINDS to have all 

purpose-built schools and institutions, which programme 

had already been initiated by Prof Tan. We have now 

completed our building programme to achieve this 

objective. The more important observation during that 

visit was that MINDS was then operating in three silos: 

schools, homes, and employment/training centres. 

For MINDs to move forward, it had to be transformed 

into a seamless organisation with integrated, cohesive 

and holistic policies and programmes. We have also 

completed this exercise. 

MINDSpeak: MINDS President, Mr Conrad Campos, 

attributed MINDS’ sound corporate governance to your 

leadership even before all spotlight was on charities in 

recent years. What caused you to pay such high level of 

attention on corporate governance since years ago? 

Mrs M: In any organisation, good corporate governance 

is the cornerstone of that organisation’s success 

and continuity. No organisation should be run as a 

personal empire as it would surely fail. I am familiar with 

organisational change and re-engineering of organisations 

and processes. 

03 mindspeak: the heartvoice of special people 

As the Exco and I were ultimately accountable, I had to 

build checks and balances to safeguard public funds, 

focus on staff and career development, training, and 

deployment. Several committees were established to 

deal with specific subjects and new young professionals 

were inducted into MINDS. MINDS is now an open and 

transparent organisation. 

MINDSpeak: What is the toughest part of your work or 

the biggest challenge that you faced over the years with 

MINDS? 

Mrs M: My toughest challenge was to sell my views 

to my colleagues in the Exco and later to the staff 

of MINDS. I am deeply grateful to my fellow Exco 

colleagues as they were equally involved and committed 

to our causes. What MINDS has achieved is a collective 

effort by Exco and our sterling staff. I may have been 

the initiator but the actual delivery is the collective work 

of many in MINDS. 

MINDSpeak: What is the most rewarding aspect of your 

work with MINDS? 

Mrs M: I am still committed to MINDS and am still a 

MINDS volunteer. It is rewarding to see how policies and 

programmes directly impact on and benefit our clients 

and staff. 

Front row, left to right: Mr Conrad Campos, 

President of MINDS; Dr Aline Wong, 

Vice-Patron of MINDS; and Mrs Jaya Mohideen, Advisor of MINDS. 

Back row, left to right: Mr Keh Eng Song, 

CEO of MINDS; and Mr Jeffery Tan, Honorary Secretary of MINDS.

Even while posing for a group photograph, our client was too eager to add more folded hearts to the largest origami national flag. 

NATIONAL DAY 

HEARTLAND CELEBRATIONS 

@ SOUTH WEST DISTRICT 

Text by Mdm Shafiyah Ahmad Sarwan 

Photos by Shah Rizan and MINDS HQ 

In celebrating Singapore’s 45th year of nationhood, the South 

West District was proud to ‘fly’ the Largest Origami National 

Flag at the celebrations at Chua Chu Kang. Measuring 28ft by 

18ft, the National Flag was made with a record 45,000 origami 

hearts folded from recycled materials. More than 10,000 

residents from the district have been involved in folding the 

origami hearts. 

To do their bit for the community, staff and trainees from 

MINDS-Clementi TDC were engaged in the folding of these 

origami hearts on the 27 July 2010 at the void deck of Blk 303, 

Clementi Ave 4. They were joined by Dr Amy Khor, South West 

District’s Mayor; Mr Gabriel Lim, Vice-President of MINDS; 

Mr Keh Eng Song, CEO of MINDS; Ms Koh Gee May, Director 

of Residential, Training and Development Services; and more 

than 130 residents. Students from ITE Clementi College West 

and Pei Tong Primary School were also present to help mentor 

and work with the MINDS clients and other participating 

senior citizens on folding the origami hearts. 

“This is a fun and meaningful way for South West District to 

celebrate National Day, bond and do its part for Singapore 

and our environment.” said South West District’s Mayor, 

Dr Amy Khor. 

South West District’s Mayor, Dr Amy Khor and a student volunteer 

patiently guided our client on folding the origami heart. 


04

The Flame 

within our Youths 

Text and photos by Leena d/o Kamapalan, Noor Azimah 

bte Jumali, Noor Adilah and Ravindran Krishnan 

To many people, “Friday the 13th”, brought much spinechilling 

memories of a popular movie series many years ago. 

It is also a day that the superstitious among us are wary of. 

However, to all of us at MINDS, it was the most anticipated 

and embraced day in the month of August. For it was on this 

day that history was created by Alan and Nur Adilah, both 

pupils of Lee Kong Chian Gardens School (LGS), as well 

as Siew Ping and Ahmad Salim, both clients of Woodlands 

Employment Development Centre (WEDC). 

Alan, Nur Adilah, Siew Ping and Ahmad Salim were chosen 

to be four of the World’s first Youth Olympics Games (YOG) 

2010 official torchbearers. A total of 2,400 Singaporeans 

were selected by a very stringent YOG selection board for 

this special honour of representing our nation and the flaming 

spirit of youths everywhere. 

Our four young torchbearers each ran 100m on 13 August 

2010, and they were all cheered on by pupils and staff 

from LGS, WEDC, Woodlands Gardens School (WGS) and 

members of the public. 


Siew Ping completed her relay run with cheers and 

support from MINDS CSG and WEDC. 

Alan handed the YOG Torch to Nur Adilah 

after he finished his relay run. 

Siew Ping and Ahmad Salim attended the Pre-YOG Press Conference 

When asked for their feelings about their role as the YOG 

torchbearers, both Siew Ping and Ahmad Salim said that 

they felt “happy and good” and that their parents “were very 

happy” for them. They both met more friends through the 

Pre-YOG press conferences and the relay run too. 

Alan, Nur Adilah, Siew Ping and Ahmad Salim are four 

“ordinary” youths who strive to achieve “extraordinary” goals. 

MINDS congratulates and salutes all our YOG torchbearers!

Alan (second from right) and Nur Adilah (second from left) posed for a 

photograph with their teachers before the relay run. 

About our YOG Torchbearers 

Alan Tan Jian Hong 

Alan was born with Down’s syndrome in 1993. When he 

was younger, he had very short attention span when he was 

younger and preferred ‘easier’ tasks and would ‘give up’ 

readily when faced with slightly challenging ones. 

Today, Alan is a School Prefect of LGS. He is a very helpful 

and responsible pupil who is very meticulous and passionate 

about the tasks he is assigned to, both at home and in 

school. Alan has been participating in the Special Olympics 

(SO) Singapore National Games since he was 12 years old. 

He also participated in this year’s National Vertical Marathon 

held at OCBC Plaza and several Singapore Disability Sports 

Council (SDSC) sporting events. Alan has garnered many 

prizes from his participation in various other sports meets 

and events. In addition, he has been participating in the 

Schools’ Annual Reading Month for the last three years and 

has also performed in dances for school events. 

Nur Adilah Shaharudin 

Nur Adilah strikes us as a fun-loving and playful pupil. She 

was born with Global Developmental Delay in 1995 and at 

seven years of age, her developmental milestones were that 

of a one-year old. According, to her mother, Nur Adilah only 

started to speak her first few mono-syllabic words at the age 

of five. Nur Adilah joined LGS Sports CCA at the age of 13. 

In just a couple of years, she has participated in several SO 

Singapore events, including the last National Games in 2009 

and the SDSC sports meets. 

This year, Nur Adilah made her debut run up the OCBC Plaza in 

the National Vertical Marathon 2010. She has also participated 

in the school’s Annual Reading Month and has read stories 

aloud in the presence of her teachers and peers before the 

whole school. 

Cheng Siew Ping 

Siew Ping is a 21-year-old avid athlete. She suffered from 

birth asphyxia and has neurofibromatosis related skin 

problems. Siew Ping’s forte is sports and she has never 

missed any of her trainings with the SO. She represented 

Singapore in several SO events and won many medals over 

the years. 

Siew Ping is a very independent client who exhibits potential 

for Open Employment. She is currently attached to MINDS 

Shop @ Woodlands Ring Road where she received training 

in retailing. She also assists in headsets recycling in WEDC. 

Siew Ping is a very helpful and dependable individual who is 

well-liked by her peers and TOs. 

Ahmad Salim 

Ahmad Salim is a 22-year-old Malay youth who was 

diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome. He is a sports enthusiast 

and enjoys swimming, bowling and cycling. 

Ahmad Salim is an independent client who also exhibits 

potential for Open Employment. He is currently attached to 

the MINDS Food and assists with kitchen duties, such as 

washing of dishes. At WEDC, Ahmad Salim is very much like 

an elder brother to all his peers. 

WEDC clients and YOG torchbearers, Siew Ping (left) 

and Ahmad Salim (right) 


06

WGS Jaguar Scout Group Bagged Silver Award! 

Text by Ms Asmawati Saimon 

Photos by WGS 

Created in 1995 in honour of the father 

of Scouting in Singapore, the Frank 

Cooper Sands Award is awarded 

annually to sectional scout units for 

unit excellence. The award centres on 

Unit Administration, Unit Participation, 

Training & Development, Unit Finances 

and Unit Initiatives, with assessment 

being done on the previous year’s 

accomplishments and activities. 

It is recognised by Ministry of 

Education-CCAB under the Best Unit 

Scheme. Scout units participate to get 

Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. 

It was the first time Woodlands Gardens 

School (WGS) sent our Jaguar Scout 

group to participate in the Frank Cooper 

Sands Award hence the Silver Award 

is a surprising and encouraging win for 

us all. It was a proud moment when the 

Scout Chief Commissioner handed us 

the silver plaque during the presentation 

ceremony on 31 July 2010. 


The Jaguar Scout group and their award 

WGS Jaguar Scout Group is indeed 

an active extension scout unit with a 

current enrolment of 44 girl and boy 

scouts. We actively participate in both 

Yishun District Scouts activities and 

Extension Scout activities such as 

camps, campfires and Games Day. 

We sent our scouts for Sixer’s Training 

Camp (STC) with the mainstream scouts 

to develop their leadership skills. We 

also collaborated with mainstream scout 

groups, such as the Woodlands Ring 

Primary School’s Soaring Eagles, to 

conduct activities together. WGS has 

our own unit initiatives, such as hikes, 

as well. 

We carried out the proficiency badges 

scheme where some of our scouts 

attained the Camper and Athlete 

badges, and are in the process of doing 

the progress badge scheme as well. 

Every year, we take part in the two scout 

fund-raising activities, namely Jobweek 

and Donation Draw. 

Last year, one of our scouts received 

the first prize in the Earth Hour colouring 

competition, beating many participants 

from other primary schools. Our scout 

group also had the honour to welcome 

the VIPs, and this includes Minister of 

Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, during our 

School’s official opening. 

The dedicated and enthusiastic scout 

leaders from our WGS Jaguar Scout 

unit also contributed to our success. 

Last year, Ms Santha, myself & other 

scout leaders from extension scouts put 

together a presentation and exhibition 

on extension scouting at the Scout 

Youth Symposium. 

On a last note, we would greatly like 

to thank parents of scouts from WGS 

Jaguar Scout Group for giving the 

scouts a chance to participate actively 

in all of our activities!

The Kool Kidz of TGS 

Text by Jeanie Morgan 

Photos by Ms Shen Sihui (TGS volunteer) 

On 24 April 2010, a group of 12 junior level pupils from 

Towner Gardens School (TGS), which goes by its stage 

moniker The Kool Kidz, launched its inaugural hip hop 

dance performance at the SMRT Esplanade Station to 

celebrate the opening of more Circle Line stations. With 

their gorgeous makeovers, courtesy of volunteers from ITE 

College East, these dancers wowed the crowd with their 

stylish costumes, funky moves and acrobatic spins. They 

repeated their success on 8 August 2010, when the group 

performed at the Bedok South Neighbourhood Park for the 

Bedok National Day Dinner. 

According to Mrs Tjoa-Tan Chye Hong, head of TGS 

Music and Movement CCA, “Even though these public 

performances were brand new experiences for these 

pupils, they remained focused throughout and were so 

spontaneous and really into the moments. We were all so 

proud of them!” 

Indeed, over the years, the Music and Movement CCA at 

TGS has evolved to become one of its niche areas. Shortly 

One of our dancers, Mohd Farhan bin Md. Hardi thrilled 

the crowd with his acrobatic moves. 

after The Funky Hip Hoppers – the school’s original group of hip 

hop dancers – had graduated last year, 12 new pupils aged 8 to 

13 years old were recruited to form The Kool Kidz – TGS’ next 

generation of hip hop dancers. These young dancers with high 

levels of energy and a great sense of rhythm meet regularly to 

practise and perfect their routine. 

As Mrs Tjoa-Tan pointed out, “Some of our dancers are selfmotivated 

to pick up the breakdance moves on their own and 

in their free time.” Naturally, as the dance moves can be quite 

complicated, she and her team of teachers need to modify the 

dance moves from time to time. Another challenging aspect of 

training is helping the pupils to cope with their frustrations and 

fatigue, especially when they experience difficulties mastering 

certain dance moves. 

Whatever the future holds, The Kool Kidz looks all set to groove 

to the beat of greater things to come. The group just completed 

its latest performances at the aLife concert on 2 October 

and the Children’s Charities Association’s Annual Fair on 6 

November. 

These funky TGS dancers wowed the folks during their performance 

at this year’s Bedok National Day Dinner 

At the SMRT Esplanade Station…the dancers looking all 

relaxed while waiting for their turn to perform. 


08

Fun Fit @ FGS 

Text by Quek Yan Ying 

Photos by Ang Bee Choo 

Aim and throw! 

One bright and sunny morning, Special 

Class students and their caregivers 

gathered within the school compound of 

Fernvale Gardens School (FGS) for a dose 

of healthy living in the form of “Fun Fit 

@ FGS”, a Level Activity organised by 

FGS teachers. 

A new initiative that was introduced this 

year, the Level Activity aims to bring 

together students, caregivers and teachers 

through a fun-filled school event, with 

the ultimate objective of encouraging 

interaction and collaboration among all 

parties. Each level—Junior, Senior and 

Special—would have their own respective 

Level Activities. 

Held on Saturday, 24 July, “Fun Fit @ FGS” 

kicked off with a tour of the school, where 

caregivers got to see what the school 

environment was like. This was followed by 

a session of mass exercise in the school 

hall. Students, caregivers and teachers did 

some simple stretching exercises while 

soft strains of relaxing music played in the 

background. 


Soothing melodies were replaced 

by the jaunty rhythms of loud pop 

music that blared from the radio as 

students and caregivers, organised 

in groups, played friendly matches 

against one another. During one of the 

games called ‘Make-a-Face’, students 

in each group took turns to race and 

stick an eye, ear, nose or mouth onto 

a giant cardboard face without facial 

features. The first group to form a 

complete face with all the features 

would win the game. Shouts and 

laughter filled the air as teachers and 

caregivers cheered the students on. 

Next came snack time, which also 

provided a chance for students, 

caregivers and teachers to mingle and 

get to know one another better over 

food. After this, caregivers and 

students went to different activity 

stations to try out different activities 

that they could easily do at home. At 

one of the stations, participants learnt 

how to make home-made ice cream. 

At another station, colourful arrays 

Student (centre) tries to ‘make a face’ with the help of her 

caregiver (left) and FGS’ Occupational Therapist (right) 

Making a fruit salad as a family Working together to design recyclable bag 

of fruits were laid out on platters. 

A mini-competition was held where 

different families pitted their creative 

juices against one another to make 

the fruit salad with the most attractive 

presentation. The creative juices 

continued flowing at the Art and Craft 

station, where parents and their children 

used fabric paints to design recyclable 

bags, which they later brought home. 

Last but not least, a station showcased 

the different teaching aids that teachers 

used to teach the students in school. 

From this station, caregivers could 

pick up tips on how they could teach 

their children skills at home. A folder 

containing a list of websites suitable for 

the students was also distributed to each 

family. 

It is hoped that through this Level 

Activity, parents and caregivers would 

not only bring back ideas on how to 

teach and engage their children at home, 

but also strengthened relationships— 

between parent and child, and between 

parent and teacher.

Outings to the Eastern Shores 

Text by Rosalyn Peng and Hema d/o Thenarassu 

Photos by ATDC and Hema d/o Thenarassu 

Ang Mo Kio TDC (ATDC) held its Annual 

Picnic at Pasir Ris Park on 17 June 

2010. The event was sponsored by SCC 

100, Church of Christ The King, which 

adopted ATDC since 2002. Animators of 

SCC 100 were led by Vice-Chairperson, 

Ms Rennie Ratna Achuthan, and 

Treasurer, Ms Agnes Ho. Gracing the 

event were Father Stephen Yim of 

Church of Christ The King; 

Father Stephen Yim cheered all participants of 

ATDC during the games and gave out prizes to 

our five lucky draw winners. 

Mr Keh Eng Song, CEO of MINDS; and 

Ms Mimi Tan, Chairperson of MINDS 

CSG. 

The picnic was a fun-filled one as 

volunteers and caregivers actively 

participated in the telematch relays with 

our clients and staff. Lunch followed 

and there was free and easy time for our 

clients, staff, volunteers and caregivers 

Off to the Singapore Flyer 

Text by May Lian 

Photo by MINDSville@Napiri 

The morning of 15 May began with a slight drizzle but that 

did not dampen the moods of everyone at MINDSville – 

Children’s Wing. Some 16 staff and 17 volunteers from 

Standard Chartered Bank took the 18 children for a ride on 

the Singapore Flyer. 

The Bank has graciously sponsored the trip and the children 

were obviously very excited at the thoughts of riding on the 

world’s tallest observation wheel. They stood in awe and 

wonder upon seeing the giant Ferris wheel and approached 

the entrance with much trepidation and glee. 

Once they got into the Flyer capsules, squeals of delight 

could be heard. Every child tried to spot and identify famous 

landmarks from 162m above ground – the Merlion, Marina 

Bay Sands and even faraway Changi Airport! The 30-min 

ride felt too short to be true and everyone reluctantly moved 

on to lunch, rest, games and some singing. 

A candid group photo for all the participants to 

CTDC’s outing at East Coast Park 

to mingle and interact as they walked 

along the sandy beaches. 

On 29 July, 42 staff, trainees and 

caregivers from Clementi TDC (CTDC) 

had an outing to East Coast Park. The 

group enjoyed the photo shoots and 

played various games. The caregivers 

joined in whole-heartedly with much 

dancing and singing. 

When many of the children asked when they could go on the 

Singapore Flyer again, we knew that we had made their day. 

That is all that matters. 

“Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted.” Garrison Keillor 


10

HSBC Helped to Improve the Lives of 

Low-Income Families 

Text and photos by MINDS Social Workers 

MINDS social workers were 

approached earlier this year to identify 

families who might benefit from a 

corporate project undertaken by 

HSBC. This project sought to create 

conducive study environments for 

children from low-income families 

as part of HSBC’s 2010 Corporate 

Responsibility Challenge. 

Based on the criteria set by HSBC, our 

social workers recommended some 

potential families, and facilitated the 

visit and assessment of each family. 

Assessment of the homes took into 

consideration the layout of the flat and 

the type of renovations or furniture 

necessary for the makeover. 

Spring cleaning work, repainting and 

installation of new furniture were 

then carried out from 9 to 11 June 

2010 with volunteer staff from HSBC 

rolling up their sleeves to turn the 

homes into a comfortable place for the 

children to study and learn in. A total 

of 18 families from MINDS schools, 

EDCs and TDCs benefited from this 

wonderful and generous corporate 

initiative of HSBC. 


HSBC makeover experience for Norton* , 

a MINDS student and one of the beneficiaries 

Volunteer HSBC staff came bright and early to Norton’s flat at 9am and began to 

shift furniture and belongings out of two congested rooms where Norton, his elder 

sister and younger brother studied and slept in. As there was very limited space 

in the house, Norton’s father would sleep on a mattress in the living room every 

night. The children’s beds were old and shaky, the paint in the rooms was peeling 

off, and the walls were very old-looking. There was a need for more space for the 

family of four and Norton’s sister had to use her ironing board to do her homework. 

However, after a day of hard work, Norton and his family were filled with delight to 

see the finished outcome! 

Norton’s sister said, “My brothers now have a proper room! It is more organised 

and they finally have a place to study. I can teach them homework in their own 

room now. They even have a new whiteboard!” 

“Now, they have new fans, pillows and tables. The old broken things are thrown 

away. Children happy, I also happy,” said Norton’s father simply. 

Norton himself had something to say too, “I like my room now. It is in my 

favourite colour, yellow!” Commenting on the overall experience, his sister said, 

“HSBC Challenge has helped me and I am really grateful. I hope that other families 

like me can have this kind of experience too.” 

* Name has been changed to protect the family’s identity 

Details contributed by Cherlyn Oh. 

Before makeover After makeover

MINDS Community Group Home 

Text and photo by MINDS HQ 

MINDS’ in-house transitional Group 

Home project was initiated in 2005 

to train higher functioning clients 

with intellectual disability to live 

independently and be integrated into 

the community. 

With the help from NCSS, MCYS 

and HDB, as well as funding from the 

VWOs Capabilities Fund and the Tote 

Board Social Service Fund, MINDS 

managed to secure two rental flats to 

realise the aim of this project – that 

is, to see 12 adults with intellectual 

disabilities integrated successfully into 

the community over the next three 

years. The first batch of two female and 

three male tenants moved into the two 

four-room rental flats in the East on 10 

May 2010. Some 50 guests attended 

their house-warming luncheon on 22 

May 2010 and were glad to hear them 

expressing their happiness and joy for 

their new home and new lives. 

MINDS adopts strategies such as 

co-tenancy, duty rosters and social 

support to prepare the clients for 

Visiting Group from Macau 

Text by Rosalyn Peng 

Photos by ATDC and MINDS HQ 

On 26 July 2010, MINDS welcomed 25 visitors from Macao 

Association of Parents of the Mentally Retarded. The visiting 

group comprised mainly of board members and members of the 

Association who are also caregivers of people with intellectual 

disability. 

Mr Keh Eng Song, CEO of MINDS, and the management 

personnel of Woodlands Gardens School, Woodlands EDC and 

Ang Mo Kio TDC dedicated the entire day to making this visit 

interesting and fruitful for the visiting group. They introduced 

MINDS and our services through our corporate presentations, 

orientated them around the three premises and engaged in 

lengthy Q&As with the visitors. 

Residents of the MINDS Community Group Home with MINDS staff and 

volunteers who made the project possible. 

independent living in the HDB rental 

units. A Community Facilitator from 

MINDS will help the tenants build a 

support network with the Residents’ 

Committee, volunteers and their 

employers etc. 

The Community Facilitator, together with 

some selected volunteers, will conduct 

regular home visits to monitor the wellbeing 

and progress of the residents 

too. In addition, CCTVs were installed 

at the Community Group Home so 

that residents could call the staff from 

the 24-hour MINDSville@Napiri for 

assistance if they should encounter 

problems. 

The Project received a Special Mention 

in the NCSS inaugural Outstanding 

VWO Award 2010 (Innovation) 

during the recent NCSS Members’ 

Conference. 


12

A Cut above the Rest: 

Enhancing a Client’s Employability 

Text and photo by Jason Sim 

Three of the 12 NSRS-certified trainees 

In today’s competitive employment market, SIA-MINDS 

EDC (SMEDC) recognises the importance of developing 

relevant training programmes to support trainees who have 

the potential to be placed in the open employment market. 

One possible way is to raise their employability by equipping 

them with relevant work skills and appropriate certification – 

something that is imperative in almost every industry today. 

SMEDC initially planned to have its Training Officers trained in 

relevant industry skills which are in demand and are suitable 

for our trainees. The Training Officers will then teach and pass 

on their new skills to their trainees. 

However, to ensure proper certification for these trainees – 

which will enable us to convince potential employers of their 

work skills competency – SMEDC proposed and negotiated 

with U-Training Centre to allow our Training Officers to train 

our trainees on skills learnt from the Centre, and be certified 


thereafter. This gave our trainees more time and flexibility to 

better acquire and retain the knowledge and skills. In addition, 

our Training Officers understand our trainees best and know 

how to best train them, given their challenging learning pace. 

To our delight, U-Training Centre supported our proposal and a 

team of Training Officers was formed. 

The team thus began their intensive in-house National Skills 

Recognition System (NSRS) Training Course in Cleaning 

Sanitary Fixtures, Fittings & Toilet Floors conducted by 

U-Training Centre. This comprised a four-day course, followed 

by a compulsory theory and practical test on the fifth day. The 

Training Officers then returned to train their trainees. 

They also analysed the NSRS on-the-job-training blueprints 

and course materials from U-Training Centre, and devised a 

simplified sequential training programme to be conducted 

within six months’ duration. The team ensured that every 

draft and revision of the training programme was done in 

consultation with U-Training Centre so that the programme 

outline would not deviate from the NSRS standards. On top 

of that, U-Training Centre even donated essential training 

materials and equipment which catalysed the quality and 

productivity of the training. 

This collaborative effort eventually paid off within six months 

when all our 12 trainees passed the formal NSRS assessment 

and attained their NSRS certification in Cleaning Sanitary 

Fixtures, Fittings & Toilet Floors! Six of them formed a service 

crew at Lee Kong Chian Gardens School and their professional 

service has already impressed the school’s staff. 

SMEDC is currently exploring opportunity to work with 

U-Training Centre on another certification course in cleaning 

food shops as we noticed a growing demand in this area. 

Our next milestone would be to work with other service 

providers to certify our trainees with other relevant industry 

work skills based on the changing market demand. We strive 

to gain the confidence of potential employers in employing our 

trainees, by equipping them with industry-recognised skills 

that give them a cut above the rest.

Successful Open Employment at WEDC 

Text by Aariyapillai Rajagopal Reena, Melissa Teo and Lee Yong Ho 

22 years old Grace Sangeetha was a 

trainee of Woodlands EDC (WEDC). 

She successfully got an open 

employment position as a part-time 

dish washer cum kitchen helper in 

Sakura Cuisine at Yishun North Point 

since February 2009. 

Grace shared with us that her daily 

work includes washing cups and plates 

at Sakura Cuisine and assisting with 

clearing of tables. She is happy with 

work and enjoys helping the others. 

Her friend Shareyzza, another MINDS 

client, is also working at the same 

restaurant. Grace finds her co-workers 

Christmas Gifts 

from MINDS Craft 

A wide range of products from Artistique Syne, 

art and craft wing of IDEA EDC 

WEDC Trainees made these pretty coasters. 

friendly and helpful and she receives much 

support from her Training Officer, Melissa 

Teo, and Occupational Therapist, Reena 

too. 

Grace knew that she is working at the 

restaurant for salary and said that her 

mother is managing her income for her. 

She buys necessary items and saved the 

rest for rainy days for Grace. During her off 

days, she will help her mother in household 

chores and both of them will go out to 

Woodlands Central and Ang Mo Kio Hub. 

Grace now aspires to be a Supervisor in 

Sakura Cuisine in future and her mother is 

happy for her. 

Mr Puru, Grace’s Supervisor, 

commented that Grace is a good 

girl and is very helpful. He said 

that whenever there is a need for 

manpower, Grace will help to double 

up as lobby crew. He said that Grace 

is able to handle customer service 

work and treat the customers with 

respect. He concluded that on the 

whole, Grace is a conscientious and 

neat employee. Chef Lai Kok Leong 

agreed with Mr Puru and further 

added that Grace is a hardworking 

and helpful girl. 

Start your Christmas shopping at MINDS 

Craft now! 

Our MINDS Craft trainees from various EDCs 

have put together some ideal festive gifts for 

everyone – at affordable prices. 

We have Christmas cards, coasters, tea 

light holders, note pads, bookmarks, fridge 

magnets, costume jewellries, saori tote bags 

and pouches, decorative tiles, and many more. 

These items can be customised to suit the 

needs of organisations and companies. Call 

Ms Suvarna of MINDS Craft at 6282 4852 (ext. 

201) for a friendly consultation now. 

Five of SIA-MINDS EDC artists’ best paintings were 

made into Christmas cards. 


14

Being Able 

Text by Salinah Kader 

Photos by SMEDC 

Salinah with two of her trainees 

25 January 2008 was a very important date for me as it 

was my first working day as a Training Officer at SIA- 

MINDS EDC (SMEDC). I was still wondering then if I 

had made the right decision to take up this job. After 

all, I had no prior experience working with people with 

intellectual disability and my 20 years of experience 

working in the healthcare industry seem to have little 

relevance. 

I had many initial concerns and jitters, such as “how I 

should talk to my trainees” and “will they understand 

me”? I also had to overcome the fear sparked by 

naysayers who told me that people with intellectual 

disabilities are not capable of doing things and that 

they might harm me. However, being a positive person, 

I decided not to let negative thoughts get in my way 

of knowing another human being. And so my journey 

began. 

And the journey has been enriching and beautiful so 

far. Never have I seen a bunch of people happy and 

smiling everyday, including Mondays and post holidays. 

Never have I seen such hardworking, dedicated and 

talented people, and not once have I heard them make 

grumbling and whining of sorts when they are told to 

work at a faster rate to meet work demands. 

At the end of the day, they are still smiling happily 

and have so much enthusiasm, passion and energy in 

whatever they do. 


They showed me that nothing is impossible and to be 

brave to face the world, which makes me feel ashamed 

of myself at times. 

I read up on books about people with special needs 

and in October 2008, I attended the Diploma in 

Disability Studies (DDS) Course. This course was 

full of insights and provided me with an in depth 

knowledge of people with intellectual disability. 

Not only did I understand more about the disability, 

I have also learnt that they can achieve anything 

with adequate training and support. They have their 

desires and wants, which can be what we desire too - 

to be accepted in the community and to be happy! 

Upon graduating from the DDS course, I became 

more aware of what my role as a Training Officer 

can contribute towards making the lives of my 

trainees more enriching and beneficial for them and 

their families. My journey in SMEDC has been a great 

learning process for both my trainees and myself! 

It has been over two years since I first joined SMEDC 

as a Training Officer and I am glad that I had made 

the right decision to join them. Throughout this 

period, I have learnt a lot about adults with intellectual 

disability and there is still more that I know I can learn 

from them. 

To the trainees I am working with, I salute you 

because you have taught me the meaning of “Being 

Able” in whatever I do, regardless of any difficulties 

or circumstances. 

Salinah (third from right) at her DDS Graduation ceremony. On her right is 

Mr Keh, CEO of MINDS, and Professor Trevor Parmenter

Our Overseas Learning Journey to Adelaide 

Text by Lawrence Alphonsus Yeo Kim Seng 

Photos by WGS 

Assembly session at Pasadena High School Disability Unit 

15 staff from the school sector and CDU embarked 

on an overseas learning journey to Adelaide, South 

Australia, from 14 to 19 June 2010. The objective of 

this learning journey was to study the South Australian 

special education system, transition programme and 

vocational training and opportunities. 

The visits to the various schools and centres were 

coordinated by the Flinders University and the places 

visited were as followed: 

- Hamilton Secondary College 

- Henley High School 

- Pasadena High School 

- St Anne’s Special School 

- St Patrick’s Special School 

- Kensington Centre (school) 

- Special Education Resource Unit (SERU) 

- Bedford Industries 

- Daws Road Centre 

- MINDA Incorporated 

The trip started with an introductory lecture of the 

South Australian special education system by Dr 

Kerry Bissaker, a senior lecturer at Flinders University. 

In Adelaide, most of the schools adopt the model of 

inclusive education where mainstream schools have a 

disability unit for students with special needs. Although 

the lessons are still conducted in a separate unit, the 

students have the opportunity to interact and co-share 

the facilities with their mainstream peers. The schools 

are each assigned with a district school counsellor 

and support officers. Their role is to provide additional 

support and they sit in during the parent-teacher 

meetings as well. 

Daws Road Centre, which is a vocational transition 

centre, works very closely with the schools to provide 

attachments and elective training programmes to 

equip the students with the necessary skills for 

employment. The participants of the trip also had the 

opportunity to witness at Bedford Industries how the 

workers with special needs operate various heavy 

machineries to pack furniture parts and wines to be 

sent to the retail stores. These machineries have been 

modified and equipped with additional safety features 

so that the workers can operate them safely. Bedford 

Industries also has a setup for independent living 

where they offer accommodation for those who work 

in open employment and in their sheltered workshops. 

The visits to the schools and adult centres gave the 

participants an insight into how transition is followed 

through from their schooling years. A lot of emphasis 

is placed on the ‘End in Mind’ planning where every 

student is identified with certain work skills for some 

potential work placement. This identification could 

take place many years before their graduation so 

that there will be ample time for the schools to teach 

the necessary skills and facilitate work attachments. 

There are also many financial and welfare schemes 

offered by the state government for persons with 

special needs, and efforts are made to ensure that 

they are well supported by the society. 

This trip has indeed been an enriching learning 

journey for all the participants. They have been able 

to adapt their insights and newly acquired knowledge 

into their areas of work. This will ultimately enhance 

our skills in teaching and learning for the education of 

our students. 

Participants of the learning journey with staff and lecturers of 

Flinders University 


16

Occupational Therapy in MINDS EDCs 

Text by Manikandan Palanivel 

The Occupational Therapist in MINDS EDC takes on roles 

such as assessments of the clients and 

implementations of appropriate treatment interventions for the 

clients. 

Areas of assessment include productivity skills, Activities of 

Daily Living (ADL) skills, leisure skills, sensory assessment, 

and community mobility skills and physical assessments. 

Areas of intervention include on-the-job training, job site 

and task modification, work simplification, ergonomics, 

community mobility training, ADL skills training, physical 

skills training and conducting programmes such as relaxation 

training, falls prevention and community mobility programme. 

Occupational Therapy Programmes 

The Occupational Therapist is also involved in planning and 

delivering programmes to the EDC clients. 

One such programme is the Vocational Skills Training 

programme, which provides physical skills training, on the job 

training, education on good work behaviour and ergonomics 

(proper body posture at work) to our trainees. 

We also use Physical Fitness Training Programme to help 

clients lose weight and provide endurance training. The 

frequency of the sessions is two to three times per week. 

Activities include Gym Exercise Programme such as treadmill, 

static cycle and aerobics. There will be pre-assessment and 

post-assessment reports and monthly review of clients’ BMI 

and quarterly review of clients’ weight. 

Relaxation Training Programme is also used to teach our 

clients the appropriate way of relaxation and stress and anger 

management. Techniques include deep breathing exercises, 

listening to relaxation music, guided imagery, stretching, 

aerobics, Squeeze-and-Breathe exercise and visualisation. 

Falls Prevention Programme was implemented to target 

ageing clients with balance issues, poor physical skills which 

affects his/ her functional mobility area and has poor safety 

awareness. The programme educates on potential hazards and 

safety at home, in the community and in the workplace. 

Occupational Health and Safety Programme was put in place 

to educate clients on hazards identification in the workplace, 

eliminating and minimising the hazards, environmental 

modification and safety education. 

And lastly, we have Community Mobility Programme which 

targets independent travelers and educates them on road 

safety and safety on the bus and train. 


Open Employment (OE) 

The Occupational Therapist also helps in placing clients out in 

the mainstream society for open employment. The objective 

is for the clients to attain a life of quality and maximise their 

participation in society. 

Our selection criteria: 

• Potential vocational skills 

• Client’s interest In Open Employment 

• Independent in traveling (at least 

between home and the centre) 

• Independent in their daily living skills 

• No serious medical problems 

• No major behavioral issues 

Our present employment 

placement includes: 

• Hospitality 

• Food and Beverage 

• MINDS Car Wash 

• House keeping 

• General Cleaning 

Job Placement / Job Support Programme 

• New Programme launched in early this year (2010) 

• Supports clients with ID on job placement and job support 

• Involves a team of Job Placement Officers, 

Occupational Therapists and Psychologists 

• Job sourcing – SNEF 

• Funding – NCSS / MCYS / Tote Board

On our Coverpage and Rear Page 

About our Artists 

Glass painting with Koi fishes ( coverpage ) 

Ai Ling, a trainee of IDEA EDC, has been crafting art pieces since 

1998. She is exceptionally gifted in glass painting. The art & craft 

work hones her fine motor skills and one can see her skills improving 

through her years in Idea EDC from her creations. Ai Ling feels a sense 

of accomplishment whenever one of her art pieces is admired or 

purchased. 

Glass paintings with Panda and Parrot ( rear page ) 

The Panda and Parrot pieces were crafted by Naga, a trainee of IDEA 

EDC. Naga has been in the art & craft unit in IDEA EDC for the past 

two years. Her liberal use of paint results in glass-painted pieces which 

are very rich & vivid. She has a flair for adding her signature vibrant 

look to all the pieces she does. 

Glass painting with Zebra ( rear page ) 

The glass painting with Zebra was done by Yoke Ying. Yoke Ying has 

been in the art & craft unit of IDEA EDC for at least 11 years, with 

her initial years spent in the recycled paper/mosaic group. She is a 

meticulous artist who spends a fair amount of time on one piece. Her 

work is very neat & precise. 

These four pieces of glass paintings measure 23cm by 23cm 

each and are available for sale at $90 each – includes customised 

frames. To order them, please call Ms Suvarna of MINDS Craft at 

6282 4852. 


18

About MINDS 

MINDS stands for Movement for the 

Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. 

MINDS started with a single classroom 

of 26 children back in 1962. 47 years 

later, MINDS has grown to be one of the 

oldest and biggest VWOs in Singapore. 

MINDS’ services include four special 

education schools, three sheltered 

workshops, three day activity centres 

and a multi-service residential facility 

catering to a broad spectrum of ages 

and needs of persons with intellectual 

disability. MINDS serves about 2,400 

clients in the 11 facilities located 

island-wide. MINDS had received 

strong support from various funding 

bodies, the community, corporations 

and individuals. It is our vision to 

grow and become a world-class VWO 

that advances the development, wellbeing 

and aspirations of persons 

with intellectual disability and their 

integration back into society.

WGS Jaguar Scout Group - MINDS

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