Family business TPC injects S$12 million to uplift underprivileged families
The sum will be disbursed over 6 years, with community hubs to be built around the rental flats in Fengshan
[SINGAPORE] An unemployed father withdrew his four children from school.
To help the family get reintegrated in society, Dr Maliki Osman roped in his daughter, a lawyer, to coach the children in their studies once they had been re-enrolled in school.
But the journey wasn’t easy.
Recounting the experience, the former minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and second minister for education said his daughter had at one point asked: “What do I do with a family that is not motivated to help themselves?”
Dr Maliki was speaking at the Impact Week conference – which brings together global leaders and frontline changemakers – taking place from Tuesday (Sep 16) to Thursday at the Suntec City Convention Hall.
Recognising the difficulty of shifting mindsets, Tsao Pao Chee (TPC), a private sector corporation chaired by Chavalit Frederick Tsao, launched on Tuesday its Social Transformation Project at Fengshan (STP@FS).
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“Social transformation begins with self-transformation,” said Tsao. “When we nurture awareness, resilience and compassion within ourselves, we create the conditions for families to flourish and communities to thrive.”
TPC will inject S$12 million over six years; the sum will be put towards building community hubs around the rental flats in Fengshan, to provide underprivileged families with support through access to facilities and social workers, among others.
STP@FS is meant to uplift those who have fallen through the cracks. Therefore, the 50 families receiving assistance through the initiative are not already part of programmes such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s ComLink+.
These families were identified by working with MP for East Coast GRC Hazlina Abdul Halim, who looks after the Fengshan ward.
“With the tools, support and confidence, parents are better equipped to nurture their children in positive and conducive environments,” the MP said.
STP@FS is an initiative by Octave Institute under TPC.
“It is not about the money,” said an Octave spokesperson, adding that the programme is instead about shifting each family’s mindset. “If the father says there is no need to work so hard… (and just) live in a rental flat, where is the motivation for (the child)?”
This “shifting of the consciousness of the family” was one of the main challenges faced when spearheading the programme, he said, in addition to the collaboration with various parties on this initiative.
On why such a public-private partnership is important, the spokesperson said it is a step towards the “we first” society touted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at this year’s National Day Rally.
Minister for Education Desmond Lee, who was guest of honour at Impact Week, said: “For some families, it is not just an issue of providing more assistance or resources. Many of them face a complex web of interlocking challenges, and despite their best efforts, find it challenging to sustain progress.”
He added that amid “significant geopolitical uncertainty, with conflicts around the world”, there has been a rise in nativity, with “a strong distrust of others, and a reluctance to collaborate”.
Concurring, former Swedish prime minister Stefan Lofven – who was one of the event’s keynote speakers, said: “The era is defined by disruption – from inequality to digital transformation… The true strength of society is in how it protects the vulnerable.”
Asked about impact measurement, the Octave spokesperson said indicators of success would include seeing an increase in applications by beneficiary families for Build-To-Order flats and an uptick in them being gainfully employed.
He added that Octave is working with relevant government agencies and organisations, such as NTUC e2i, to ensure the initiative’s follow-through.
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