PPIS Newsletter March ’20
As a non-profit organisation dedicated to working with women of all ages, this month is especially significant for us as it marks the celebration of International Women’s Day (Mar 8). The global campaign serves as a reminder of the journey that women have undertaken thus far, as well as marks a call-to-action for the empowerment of women and girls.
The transformative power of empowering women ripples across every facet of society. After all, women are the backbone of the family and the bedrock of a nation. In pursuing our mission of strengthening families and inspiring women, PPIS strives to champion for women’s rights through our various services and programmes. We hope to continue engaging women to inspire and embolden them to be the best version of themselves.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #EachforEqual, recognizes that the fight for gender equality is one that requires the support and co-operation of everyone. As women embark on the journey towards realising their full potential, we seek to support them by continuing to work with community partners and organisations that share our mission of inspiring women and strengthening families. PPIS acknowledges the importance of fostering deeper collaborations with the wider community in achieving this goal. With that being said, I look forward to working with you in delivering progress for women and our girls. Let’s join hands to create a better future and empower tomorrow’s generation, today.
– Mdm Rahayu Mohamad, PPIS President
We started the year on a high note in January with our inaugural Marriage Conference event in collaboration with Safinah Institute which saw a turnout of 250 participants.
We had planned for a film screening in celebration of International Women’s Day 2020 in March, but when COVID-19 situation worsened, we made the difficult decision not to proceed with the event.
It is indeed a challenging time. But without challenge we would not have the opportunity to emerge better as a person and as a community. As Martin Luther King Jr said – The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
As an organization, PPIS has put in place measures to ensure that our clients and staff are in safe hands when they are in our 16 centres.
Beyond the panic and anxiety, increasing disruption from travel bans and work from home mandates, and a general recession-like climate will impact our day-to-day business-as-usual. In times of pressure, however, staying agile and adaptive are more important than ever. We also need to stay vigilant in our personal hygiene as well as ensuring that we stay away from crowded places.
Our Early Childhood Education and Social Services must be prepared to serve those who fall into the cracks. We must weather this storm together not only as OnePPIS but to stay united with the rest of Singaporeans. #OnePPIS #SgUnited
– Mdm Tuminah Sapawi, PPIS CEO
Spotlight
RESEARCH & ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
The month of March is indeed significant to PPIS as we commemorate the International Women’s Day; a celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The Research & Engagement Department (RED) of PPIS, representing the voice of local Muslim women, wants to take this opportunity to recognise the contributions of a group of unsung heroes in our midst: the caregivers, many of whom are women.
Caregiving is a responsibility that is taken on voluntarily and selflessly with minimal monetary incentives, or none at all. When a woman commits to become a full-time caregiver for her household, she compromises much of her ability to earn an income, which renders her susceptible to financial insecurity in her old age. There are more women than men in the workforce due to caregiving, and yet women are by large the most disadvantaged demographic group when they get older.
This is an area where PPIS, as part of the Singapore Alliance for Women in Ageing (SAWA), has a crucial role to play. A coalition of four local organisations, SAWA comprises Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS), Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) and the Tsao Foundation.
SAWA promotes the independence, care, participation, dignity and self-fulfilment of older women. We have called on the Government to take a gender and life-course approach to ageing and consequently ease the burden on our caregivers in our inaugural submission for Budget 2020. We are making policy recommendations that are based on genuine ground concerns to help catalyse positive changes in the lives of the caregivers and the aged in our society.
At RED, we believe that effective structural changes can happen when research is accompanied with advocacy. We are also marking the beginning of the year with a milestone research project to acquire a deeper and a more nuanced understanding of the demographic group we serve the most – women. We know that as cultures evolve and trends change, so do the ideals, needs and challenges of our Muslim women today.
We will be researching the aspirations of our Muslim women, which will be a landmark study in this area as rarely have Muslim women been understood through this lens. We hope this research will offer us fresh perspectives, thus enabling us to address real needs and issues through our programmes. Because women, in their multiple roles as caregivers or otherwise, their families and our community will always be at the heart and soul of what we do in PPIS.
Wisma Geylang Serai 1st Anniversary
PPIS Family Service Centre (East) (FSCE) was involved in Wisma Geylang Serai’s (WGS) first anniversary in January 2020. We had an open house where families visited our centre and took part in interactive activities. One of the activities was a programme that combines elements of dikir barat, skit and poetry recital. Titled “Intai Kami Antara Nampak”, or “Peeks in between Sightings”, the programme focused on aspects of family violence.
It started with a vibrant dikir barat performance by Ulan 95! Attendees were then treated to an engaging skit performed by our very own staff from PPIS FSCE and led through a short discussion on the different types of abuse, ways to assist someone going through domestic violence and what they can do if they have experienced domestic violence themselves.
PPIS FSCE also had the honour of hosting Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat together with Senior Minister of State (Defence and Foreign Affairs), Dr Maliki Osman and Member of Parliament Mr Saktiandi Supaat who paid a visit to our centre as part of their WGS tour.
Social Work Day 2020
In celebration of Social Work Day, which falls on 17 March, PPIS organised the “Our Aspiring Social Workers” workshop for students from PPIS Student Care Centre (Bedok) on 16 March. In line with this year’s Social Work Day theme, “Promoting the Importance of Human Relationships”, the workshop provided a brief respite from the COVID-19 pandemic as students learnt about the important roles that social workers play in society.
The workshop was conducted by Principal Social Workers, Ms Zahara Mahmood, Ms Nasriah Nasir and Ms Sarinah Mohamed at PPIS Student Care Centre (Bedok). The students took part in fun games like storytelling and role-play activities, which aimed to impart the value of empathy and active listening on students.
Prior to the workshop, the students created beautiful cards for social workers in PPIS, which were individually signed with personal messages by CEO of PPIS, Mdm Tuminah Sapawi. In addition to this, our social workers received a pleasant surprise – a tote bag filled with a personalised flask and a cupcake! The tote bag was specially designed by Social Work Associate from PPIS Family Service Centre (West), Muhammad Farhan!
We would like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation for our social workers and wish them all a Happy Social Work Day! Thank you for your unwavering passion and dedication in uplifting the lives of those in need!
‘Bring Your Own Bottle’ Initiative
PPIS recognises that the fight against COVID-19 involves the support of everyone. In the spirit of collaboration, some of our staff volunteered at Temasek Foundation’s Bring Your Own Bottle (#BYOBclean) initiative by helping to pour and pack hand sanitizers for the public.
We met other wonderful volunteers during the afternoon session. It was indeed a meaningful initiative as not only were they given free hand sanitisers, but the requirement of bringing their own bottles contribute towards a better protection of our environment.
In these challenging times, let us all be united against COVID-19. We can do our part by ensuring personal hygiene as well as avoiding crowded places and practising social distancing.
PPIS urges you to do your part in keeping yourself and your loved ones you safe!
‘We Love We Care’ Initiative
To nurture the spirit and value of love and care, we need to start young. Our children aged 3 to 6 from PPIS Child Development Centre (Bedok Reservoir) took part in the “We Love, We Care” initiative to show their appreciation for service officers who are braving it out amid the COVID-19 situation.
They packed comfort food like biscuits into several hampers and wrote thank you notes to healthcare workers from Changi General Hospital (CGH) and officers from Tampines Fire Station SCDF 2nd CD Division.
For the younger students, they did a hand cut-out to show their hands that care. These were presented to the healthcare staff at CGH.
PPIS CEO Mdm Tuminah Sapawi and Principal Mdm Fatrah Mohamed Fauzi along with some teachers presented the hampers and cards to both organisations.
We hope that public officers on the frontline stay safe in the battle against COVID-19! Thank you again for going beyond the call of duty.
Check it out!
In the News
Digital Transformation in PPIS
These days, it’s hard to imagine a life without the ease of technology. In this article, IT Manager of PPIS, Mr Thariq Aziz Abdul Hamid, shared PPIS’ journey in adopting technology to boost productivity since 2014. Read about it here!
Diary Tok Kadi Conference 2020
We kickstarted the year by taking part in the Diari Tok Kadi Conference 2020 organised by the Muslim Youth Foundation! During the event, Ms Maimunah Mosli, Principal Family Therapist from PPIS Family Therapy Institute, spoke about the importance of having a safe space to discuss marital issues for young couples. Read more about it here!
Preschool Precautionary Measures
At PPIS, the safety of our students is of utmost importance. With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, PPIS Child Development Centres stepped up their efforts in keeping both our students and staff safe by implementation precautionary measures like checking of temperatures. Read our other measures on BERITA and Berita Harian!
Marriage Preparation Courses for Couples
Love isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. It takes commitment and hard work to maintain a relationship. In this article on the science and art behind an enduring marriage, INSPIRASI PPIS was cited as one of the centres that provides support to the newly married and those preparing for marriage. Read more here!
DETIK Interview on Budget 2020
This year’s Budget saw a more enhanced focus on families. Ms Nurhuda Yusoff, Assistant Senior Social Worker from PPIS Family Service Centre (East) spoke about the social impact of this year’s Budget on Singaporeans for Detik’s episode on Budget 2020. Watch her interview here!
#OnePPISCares – Distribution of Hand Sanitizers
In light of the COVID-19 situation, PPIS staff from our Head Office rolled up their sleeves to pour and pack hand sanitisers into personalised bottles for their fellow colleagues, most of whom are at the forefront serving the community. Read about it on BERITA and Berita Harian!