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  • Mrs Bala, 73
    The iron lady who overcame life’s adversities

    Married at the age of 13 with nine children and a husband who left for another family, Mrs Bala was determined not to crumble under the adversities that were thrown to her. Read more (click to expand).

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    When Mrs Bala’s husband racked up debts and the family was forced to move out of their three-room flat, they moved to a rental flat. After her husband left her, Mrs Bala struggled financially as the responsibility of bringing up nine children fell on her shoulders. She eventually set up a small home business selling snacks to friends, coffee shops and bakeries as she needed to spend more time with her children. Today, Mrs Bala is still relying on her food business to earn her keep.

    A proud mother of nine children, Mrs Bala’s children have grown up to become accomplished individuals in their own fields. Mrs Bala is currently living on her own but her children and grandchildren visit her occasionally.

    Suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and clogged arteries, Mrs Bala has a lot of worries in life but listens to music to take her mind off her worries. Her advice to the younger individuals: Be kind, worry less.

  • Mdm Mariyam Bee Bte Kanny, 78
    78 years old and still a diva

    Married with five children, Mdm Mariyam is a beautiful 78 year old who actively volunteers at the Kembangan Chai Chee SAC. As the first runner-up in the 2012 SAC Mother’s Day Beauty Contest & Celebration, Mariyam enjoys intimate make-up moments with her daughters.

    Read more (click to expand)

    Currently living with her husband in a rental flat, Mariyam has been an active volunteer at the Kembangan Chai Chee SAC for the past decade. Mariyam also enjoys her time at the SAC for the range of activities including outdoor outings and internal contests.

    An Indian Muslim born to a Cantonese mother and Indian father, Mariyam enjoys spending time at the SAC with her inter-racial friends, with whom she converses with in dialects including Hokkien, Teochew and Mandarin.

  • Mr Ong Hock Soon, 70
    Constantly living on the edge

    As a divorcee, Mr Ong worries about his daily finances and not having enough to pay for his rental home. He has not been in contact with his wife and children since his divorce in 1999.

    Read more (click to expand)

    An active volunteer at the Kembangan Chai Chee Senior Activity Centre (SAC) for the past five years, Mr Ong’s volunteering duties on a day to day basis include giving out breakfast and lunch to the older seniors and keeping them entertained. At 4 pm everyday, he leaves the SAC for his hawker assistant job that lasts till 11pm.

    Mr Ong is happy to volunteer at the SAC as it’s a platform for him to give back to the organization that has rendered him help when he was out of job in 2010/2011. At the SAC, he also looks forward to the activities which include karaoke sessions, hanging out with his friends with board games and occasional outings around Singapore.

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Contact Us

Who can I contact for more information?

For enquiries about organizing a roadshow for your organization, school or interest group, please contact Ms Raine Ong from South East CDC. For other enquiries, please contact Ms Jerilee Aw from 3M Singapore.

Who were the beneficiaries?

View the 3M Step-Up Challenge 2018 video below!

Results from 2013 – 2018 campaigns

Who can I contact for more information?

  • For enquiries about organizing a roadshow for your organization, school or interest group, please contact Ms Raine Ong from South East CDC. For other enquiries, please contact Ms Jerilee Aw from 3M Singapore.

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Look out for more information in 2020!

About 3M Moves

  • In its eighth year, 3M Step-Up Challenge @ South East will be rebranded to 3M Moves @ South East and remains as a joint effort between 3M Singapore and South East Community Development Council (CDC). The word ‘Moves’ narrates an act of movement – the ability to adapt to changes and signifies a group of people moving together towards a common goal.

    This campaign encourages residents, students and corporates to keep fit through various forms of exercises while lending a hand to the needy at the same time.

    This year, we aim to accumulate 5,000 hours of exercise from 4 September to 4 November 2020 to raise 3M household products for 3,000 elderly and families in need.

  • How does 3M Moves work?

    From 4 September to 4 November 2020, participants will be able to contribute by organizing their own small-group exercises or by joining the virtual workouts sessions conducted by fitness professionals.

     

    For every 20 minutes of exercise clocked by each participant, 3M Singapore will donate one product to the beneficiaries.

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Beneficiaries

Who are the beneficiaries?

The beneficiaries are the needy elderly and families residing within the South East District of Singapore. Learn more about some of them.

  • Mdm Tan Seok Ching, 84

    Crafting through the circuit breaker

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  • Ms Tan Chye Suan Emily, 71

    Recreating the kampung spirit in community centres

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  • Mr Hambali B.M., 32

    Turning over a new leaf for good

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  • Mr Vincent Choo Weng Fei, 65

    Former badminton player keeps active with daily gardening

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  • Mr Tan Wai Loon, 42

    A keen eye and a green thumb

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  • Mr Ali Bukur, 82

    Ex body-builder going on strong despite suffering two falls

    Read More

What will beneficiaries receive?

  • Each beneficiary household will receive a 3M household product pack worth $36, comprising 5 cleaning items to help improve lives at home. The items are Scotch-Brite® Multi-Purpose Non-Scratch Sponge, Scotch-Brite® 2IN1 Anti-Bac Scrub Sponge, Scotch-Brite™ High Performance Kitchen Cloth, Scotch-Brite™ Latex Mop, and Scotch-Brite™ Latex Mop Refill.

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Previous Challenges

  • 3M Step-Up Challenge 2013-2019 Results (now rebranded as 3M Moves)

  • 3M Step-up Challenge 2019 Video

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Get in touch with us

For enquiries about organizing group exercises or joining virtual classes, please contact Mr Koh Jia Yi  (koh_jia_yi@pa.gov.sg) from South East CDC.
For other enquiries, please contact Ms Flora Ang  (fang3.cw@mmm.com) from 3M Singapore.

 

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Mdm Tan Seok Ching, 84
Mdm Tan Seok Ching, 84, used to fill her days with various activities in the nearby community club. While she has participated in pickleball tournaments and performed in Racial Harmony celebrations, the former seamstress’ favorite hobby is weaving beaded items.

From purses, small figurines to a “house-shaped” tissue box holder, many of these intricate pieces are crafted from her own imagination, each one revealing Mdm Tan Seok Ching Seok Ching’s patience, focus and dedication. Her handiworks also include crafting auspicious zodiac animals from red packets, a skill which she is self-taught.

With COVID-19 social distancing measures in place, Mdm Tan Seok Ching is unable to participate in the usual community club activities. Instead, her beading hobby has been helping her through the current lull.
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Ms Tan Chye Suan Emily, 71
Ever since her mother passed away 42 years ago, Ms Tan Chye Suan Emily finds herself reminiscing about the good old kampung days. She currently shares a one-room flat with a flat mate and looks forward to activities at Harmony Activity Centre, where she can socialize with friends. Her favorite activities are outings to places like Gardens by the Bay, where she gets to enjoy nature.

The former school assistant also stresses the importance of keeping healthy – her biggest fear is losing her independence and mobility. These days, Ms Emily is glad that circuit breaker measures have eased, allowing her to meet up with friends for coffee.
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Mr Hambali B.M., 32
Mr Hambali used to turn to drugs when he faced life challenges. First when his parents announced their divorce on his 20th birthday, then again when the pressure of having to support his mother and younger brother financially became too overwhelming.

Today though, Mr Hambali has turned over a new leaf for good and is learning to accept emotional support from family and friends. He is currently a resident at the Pertapis Halfway house and is undergoing rehabilitation. Besides performing daily duties at the house, he is also obtaining a driving license through the Drive for Change programme that attaches residents to moving companies.

Looking forward, Mr Hambali eagerly anticipates spending more time with his wife and young son, re-entering the hospitality industry as well as furthering his studies in the field.
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Mr Vincent Choo Weng Fei, 65
Even after retiring two years ago, Mr Vincent Choo Weng Fei keeps a busy and active lifestyle. He typically starts his day at 5am to make breakfast for his son before heading down to the Harmony Activity Centre to exercise and catch up with friends.

  Exercise has always been a big part of Mr Vincent’s life. In particular, football and badminton, sports he has been playing since young. Before his knee replacement in 2015, he had been an active badminton player, representing Jalan Kayu Community Centre for more than a decade before he moved to Aljunied. In 1988, he even represented Singapore in a friendly match with Taiwan during the President’s visit there.

Now, he remains active in other community events, tending to the community garden at the Geylang East Home for the Aged almost daily. The fifth sibling amongst six, he also pays regular visits to his older siblings and looks forward to weekend lunches with his ex-schoolmates.
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Mr Tan Wai Loon, 42
Mr Tan has a mild intellectual disability and difficulties in hearing and verbal communication, but his passion for gardening is evident from the fruits of his labor – the colourful garden at the Association for Persons with Special Needs’ (APSN) premises.

Mr Tan’s love for gardening started in 2008, when he was first exposed to horticulture while being employed as a general worker at APSN. He quickly took ownership of the garden when given the opportunity to build it from scratch. He even asked for spare timbre to craft planting boxes after being inspired by the wooden structures built by volunteers. He is now an instructor assistant, teaching trainees and volunteers to garden and looks forward to participating in the bi-annual Garden Festival competitions.

More recently, Mr Tan has uncovered another talent – photography. During the weekends, he ventures around Singapore to snap photographs. Though he still faces challenges in communicating and making new friends, he is thankful to be doing what he loves and earning a stable income.
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Mr Ali Bukur, 82
At 82, Mr Ali may need a “tongkat” to assist him with walking and a wheelchair for longer distances, but he was once a professional body builder for seven years in his 30s. During the same period, Mr Ali also worked on a mooring boat. This career spanned 49 years, where he helped anchor big ships to ports.

Mr Ali then became a security guard but was eventually forced to retire due to a fall at work. Shortly after, he suffered another fall in the bathroom, and had to undergo an operation due to a blood clot in his brain. Luckily, he pulled through and is relatively healthy except for his mobility issues.

Mr Ali looks forward to visiting NTUC Health Day Centre for Seniors (Wisma Geylang Serai) everyday as well as weekly visits and outings with his five children. As he has had to rely on his family at home due to mobility issues, particularly during the festive periods, these 3M cleaning products will bring about greater convenience to not only Mr Ali but his family in their daily lives.
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Ms. Chua Bee Lee, 63
Ms. Chua Bee Lee is possibly more active now than she was before she retired two years ago. On most days, she teaches line dancing at one of the neighbourhood void decks around Serangoon, helping residents to remember the steps and following along with them. Otherwise, Ms. Chua can probably be found reaching out to her community through one of the many volunteering programs she is a part of.

At 63 years old, the mother of two volunteers with her daughters; from the FairPrice Walk for Rice, to St. Luke’s Hospital and most recently, the 3M Step-Up Challenge. She says that she empathises with the people she helps because she knows what it feels like to be left alone.

Her volunteering work also prompts her to reflect more about her own retirement life and the ageing population in Singapore. She recognizes the power of fostering social connections with the use of technology, hence she tries to teach the seniors on the usage of digital tools, in hope for them to step out of the house more often and re-engage with their communities.
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Mrs. Eileen Koh-Ling, 68
Mrs. Eileen Koh-Ling is an adventurous spirt in a 68-year-old body. Case in point, the only reason she didn’t bungee jump on her holiday to New Zealand was because of her family’s protest. That still hasn’t put off the determined grandmother of three from the experience, who hopes to still do it soon.

It was with that same spirit that she spontaneously took a public line dancing class in 1997 which has since evolved into a 22-year long passion for the sport. She spreads her love for the sport by teaching a class at the South East Community Development Centre twice a week and, more recently, at the Filos Community Centre where she has mature-aged students. What started off as a short-term project at Filos to teach them line dancing turned into an ongoing project, and a way for her to give back to her community by being not just a teacher, but also a listening ear.

So naturally, she signed up when she heard of the 3M Step-Up Challenge – admittedly, not knowing what it was all about at the beginning. But when she heard that she could redeem products for the needy by keeping active, she was all in.

Knowing that she may one day be at the receiving end of a helping hand, she does what she can to help others, whether it’s through line-dancing, lending a listening ear, or climbing some stairs, Mrs. Eileen Koh-Ling is stepping up.

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