Issue 6 - Association of Muslim Professionals

ENHANCED PLANSFOR AFYS IN 2010 by Celia HamidClients of AMP’s Adopt a Family & Youth Scheme (AFYS) canexpect more employment assistance this year as it steps up itsreceive basic religious educationthat will enhance their holisticefforts to ensure all its adult clients secure employment this development. Some 120year. Those who are already employed will be equipped withadditional skills to ensure they remain relevant and employed.More homemakers who are unable to join the workforce will alsochildren are now attendingpart-time madrasahs all overthe country.be encouraged to enrol into AMP’s Micro Business Programme,which will allow them to earn supplementary income to helptheir families. This is in line with the scheme’s goal in ensuringthe low-income families under AFYS achieve financial stability.AFYS currently assists approximately 500 beneficiaries from 100families, who receive a combination of financial, economic andsocio-educational assistance. As a transitional scheme, AFYShopes to strengthen these families holistically, for them to beAdditionally, AFYS will also enrol all school-going children self-reliant within two to three years.under the scheme into part-time madrasahs where they willGrooming youths into future leaders for the community – this is Young AMP’svision for the years ahead.Hoping to become a ‘Hub for Young Professionals’, Young AMP’s focus towardsproactive networking will include students and working professionals fromvarious educational backgrounds, namely the ITEs, madrasahs, polytechnics anduniversities, to involve them in Young AMP programmes and activities. Young AMPrecently hosted a dialogue session with students from the Nanyang TechnologicalUniversity (NTU) Muslim Society to discuss areas of collaboration and views onvarious issues. Tea sessions with more schools are in the pipeline.A directory of Malay/Muslim professionals has also been placed in the YoungAMP website (www.youngamp.sg) for youths and emerging professionals to tapon. Students can write to these professionals to seek advice or listen to theirexperience as a way to prepare them for their future careers. At the same time,young working professionals can sign up on the website to support and prepareour aspiring students for their careers.Young AMP also hopes to involve more youths and young professionals in “handson”community programmes this year to raise their awareness of the situationon the ground. This will provide them the necessary tools to complement theirleadership and thought process when they discuss potential strategies for thecommunity.For more information or feedback on Young AMP programmes, please log on towww.youngamp.sg.WHAT’S IN STOREFOR2010?by Sheikh Farhan Salleh BawthanYoung AMP Essay Competition deadline extended to1 July 2010!Win up to $3,000 and have your essaypublished in Young AMP’s second book!Visit www.youngamp.sg for more details.The Giftof GivingSeveral generous individuals recentlystepped forward to offer donations in kindto selected families under AMP’s Adopta Family & Youth Scheme (AFYS). Severalfamilies received new vinyl sheet flooringfor their homes while others had their flatspainted by a group of volunteers. Somealso received brand new furniture fromthese kind-hearted donors.In addition, an AFYS beneficiary, AbdulHafiz Haron (pictured), recently received anew pair of soccer boots from a generousradio listener, who tuned in to AMP’s radiocampaign in January this year. Hafiz’smother spoke on the air about herfinancial struggles after herhusband left. She mentionedin particular, how proud shefelt when Hafiz was electedas the team captainof his school soccerteam yet dejectedthat she wasunable to buy hima pair of soccerboots, which heneeded.AMP would liketo thank its donorsfor their generouscontributions andlook forward totheir continuedsupport.by Suzieyati Malimar5