iConnect Student Care @ First Toa Payoh Primary School organises various outings
such as this to maximise students' potential. - MWS picture.
By MEL LEE
DEAR Susanna,
Do you know that I rue the days we spent worrying about Charis
when you started working full-time?
That fortnight of arguing and debating on where to put her up
so that she could have a safe place to stay after school and have
someone supervise her with homework taught me about openness.
We could have brought up the issue in our cell group meeting instead
of keeping mum about it for many days. Even our normally cheerful
girl felt the tension in our relationship and became irritable,
poor child.
As it happened, as soon as word got around that we were looking
for a student care centre, we were flooded with recommendations
from well-meaning church friends. That was when we found out that
the Methodist Welfare Services actually runs such programmes for
children and youth!
Well, I completely enjoyed the period that followed those stressful
days. We had a good time shopping around for a place even though
it was tiring and you and I had to take some time off from work.
Indeed, we were blessed because as we went from centre to centre
inspecting the facilities, our expectations became clearer to
us.
We agreed to find a student care centre that would be near Charis'
school in Geylang. We needed an affordable one, of course. Most
importantly, we wanted a centre that had a loving and happy environment,
one that we could trust to inculcate the same values we try to
instill in Charis. With such expectations we expected to take
a while more to find the right centre but with the help of Margaret
and our cell group we came to know about D'Joy Children's Centre
located in Lavender.
Finding out that D'Joy Children's Centre also runs a Student Care
Centre did not solve our problem immediately as we needed to make
transport arrangements too. But praise God, Charis' school had
a group of girls who attended the same student care centre and
were sent there by their school bus. And to Charis' delight, one
of those girls was her classmate, Tanya.
It soon became apparent that we made the right choice in sending
Charis to D'Joy Student Care Centre. Our little girl became even
more motivated in school and blossomed in other areas as well.
I was so impressed with the first birthday card she made for you.
Who would have imagined that our daughter could actually draw
and colour so vividly her work seemed to pop right out of the
card! And of course, being her proud father, I exclaimed that
creative streak must have come from my genes, ha ha ha.
Don't you agree that these four years at D'Joy are some of the
happiest for Charis? I can still remember her animated accounts
of their school holiday outings and how she could not stop talking
about them for days. She loves her friends and teachers so much
she will be heartbroken at the end of this school year when she
realises she will not be able to see them every day starting next
year when she goes to secondary school.
Mel Lee is the Senior Executive (Communications) of the Methodist
Welfare Services.
Editor: The story of Jin Han and Susanna will continue in the June issue of Methodist Message. Although theirs is a fictional story, it reflects many of the situations encountered by our various centres. Any similarities to actual persons, places or situations are purely coincidental.
MWS services for
children and youth
Affordable quality child care and student care services are
provided for the holistic nurturing and development of each young
life. Preventive programmes, pastoral care, counselling and remedial
services are offered to youth. Annual MWS bursaries are awarded
to school children from disadvantaged families.
* D'Joy Children's Centre Tel: 6294-9960 Fax: 6294-9597
admin@djoy.mws.org.sg
* iConnect Student Care @ FTPPS Tel: 6352-5996 Fax: 6252-5321
admin@iconnect.mws.org.sg
* Methodist Children & Youth Centre Tel: 6562-2211
Fax: 6569-8038 admin@mcyc.mws.org.sg
* MWS Bursary Awards Tel: 6478-4700 Fax: 6478-4701 admin@mws.org.sg
Daybreak Family Service Centre Tel: 6756-4995 Fax: 6752-4702
admin@daybreak.mws.org.sg
Sembawang Family Service Centre Tel: 6754-2890 Fax: 6754-0112
admin@sfsc.mws.org.sg
Both the Family Service Centres also operate Student Care Centres.
How you can support MWS
Pray
Your prayerful support for MWS' ministry is very critical.
Donate
Contact Mr David Tan, our Executive for Donor Management: 6478-4706,
email: DavidTan@mws.org.sg
Volunteer
Contact Ms Angeline Kwa, our Executive for Volunteer Management:
6478-4720, email: AngelineKwa@mws.org.sg