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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
In its nineth year, 3M Moves (previously known as 3M Step-Up Challenge @ South East) remains as a joint effort between 3M Singapore and South East Community Development Council (CDC).
This campaign encourages residents, students and corporates to keep fit through various forms of exercises while lending a helping hand to the needy at the same time.
This year, we have exceeded our target of 7,000 hours of exercise during the campaign period from 2 August to 11 October 2021 to raise 3M stationery for 3,000 students in need.
From 2 August to 11 October, participants contributed by organizing their own exercises * or by joining the virtual workout sessions conducted by fitness professionals.
For every 20 minutes of exercise clocked by each participant, 3M Singapore donated one stationery to the beneficiaries.
Who were the beneficiaries?
The beneficiaries were the underprivileged students residing within the South East District of Singapore. Learn more about some of them.
Each beneficiary received a 3M stationery product pack worth $34, comprising 8 stationery items. The items are Post-it® To-Do Flags, Post-it® Yellow Flag, Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Post-it® Notes with holder, Scotch™ Titanium Precision Non-Stick Scissors, Scotch™ Kids 5” Scissors, Scotch® Double Sided Tape with Dispenser and Scotch® Transparent Tape 500.
Learn practical study and organizational tips in this Learning Resource Guide.
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.