Metro For Children Project Milestones
About Metro for Children Charity
Launched by Metro Pte Ltd in 2001, the Metro for Children charity is an annual fundraising initiative that aims to help children from needy communities in Asia. The money raised will help finance the participation of Singapore students and skilled volunteers in capacity-building, sharing of knowledge and carrying-out community service projects for the long term benefit and betterment of lives for these communities.
With the generous support and donations from its shoppers, corporate partners and Metro staff, this project has raised over S$1 million for Cambodia, Laos, India, Myanmar and Vietnam since its commencement. Metro for Children is a collaborative effort by Metro Pte Ltd, the Singapore International Foundation and Pioneer Junior College. Together, we identify areas for improvement and work towards building tangible growth and progress in the long run.
Metro for Children Project milestones are the result of our devoted involvement for communities in need.
With the generous support and donations from its shoppers, corporate partners and Metro staff, this project has raised over S$1 million for Cambodia, Laos, India, Myanmar and Vietnam since its commencement. Metro for Children is a collaborative effort by Metro Pte Ltd, the Singapore International Foundation and Pioneer Junior College. Together, we identify areas for improvement and work towards building tangible growth and progress in the long run.
Metro for Children Project milestones are the result of our devoted involvement for communities in need.
Library of Hearts in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Year 2011
Now in our 11th year, our latest fundraising initiative provided the lives of underprivileged children with a safe learning environment and cultivation of their love for reading by building a library for Children's Shelter Foundation (CSF) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Through education, we have allowed these children with traumatic life experiences to break out of the poverty cycle and work towards a brighter future.
Beacon of Learning, Bandung, Indonesia
Aug 2009 - 2010
The project supported by the Metro for Children charity involves providing financial aid to needy students, capacity building training for teaching staff involving Singapore International Foundation teacher volunteers, and constructing a multi Âpurpose hall at Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 11 (SMAN 11 Bandung), a state senior high school in Bandung, Indonesia. As seen from the pictures, the Merlion Friendship Hall was successfully launched on 17 August 2010 and allowed SMAN students to have a conducive learning environment.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
(Special Education) Project, Vietnam
Dec 2010
This project, in partnership with Hanoi’s National College of Education, aims to upgrade the quality of special needs education in the country by reviewing the current teaching curriculum and introducing new teaching methodologies. The three-year long initiative involves the participation of teachers from the Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) who will conduct six training programmes for 45 special education trainee teachers at the college. The project’s opening ceremony and first training frame is scheduled for the end of 2010.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
(Paediatric Intensive Care) Project, Cambodia
Nov 2007 – Oct 2010
A follow-up from the earlier Singapore Volunteer Oversea Specialist Team (Paediatric Emergency Care) Project from 2004-2007, this Singapore International Foundation project aims to continue building up the capacity of Cambodia’s National Paediatric Hospital (NPH) in treating critically ill patients with training by PICU medical professionals from Singapore’s KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Apart from lectures and bedside training, the Singapore International Foundation also facilitated the retrofitting of a cleaning room and equipment donation from KKH, with support from the Metro for Children charity.
In-field Singapore Volunteer Oversea (Social
Worker), Cambodia
Aug 2006 – Oct 2009
The Singapore International Foundation fielded a social worker who was attached to Mercy Teams International (MTI) in Cambodia to counsel and rehabilitate abused children and to help MTI improve its systems and procedures so as to provide more effective intervention to the centre’s clients. Initially a one-year stint, the volunteer chose to extend her stint and ended up serving at MTI for more than three years. During her stay, she built up great rapport with her Cambodian clients and MTI colleagues. Because of her effort in supervising them in their counseling sessions, the MTI staff members are now better trained and more confident of their ability to help their abused clients, while clients are also receiving an enhanced quality of care.
In-field Singapore Volunteer Oversea (Special
Needs Educator), Cambodia
Jun 2008 - Jun 2009
Also attached to CCAMH, the Singapore International Foundation special needs educator volunteer’s role was to carry on the good work done by her predecessor, the occupational therapist volunteer. Apart from working with her CCAMH colleagues and continuing to help them improve their therapeutic skills, the volunteer also participated in national conferences and discussions on education for children with disabilities, sharing her knowledge at regional and national levels within Cambodia.
Singapore Volunteer Oversea Speech Therapy
Workshops, Cambodia
Apr 2008 – Mar 2009
In response to the high frequency of choking and lung infections common among children with cerebral palsy and those with severe intellectual disabilities, the project aimed to provide Cambodian medical professionals working with such clients with training in feeding and communications skills. A team of five speech therapists from the Speech-Language and Hearing Association in Singapore helped to train some 20 professional caregivers at CCAMH and other local NGOs on topics such as communication and feeding fundamentals, child interaction strategies as well as illness-specific intervention techniques. The overall feedback from the participants was that they found the training to be very useful and that they were able to apply the concepts taught easily to help reduce infections and choking among children.
In-field Singapore Volunteers Overseas
(Occupational Therapist), Cambodia
Apr 2007 – Jun 2008
The occupational therapist volunteer fielded by the Singapore International Foundation spent a year working at Cambodia’s Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CCAMH). His role was to train local therapists to deliver quality services to children with cognitive and neuropsychiatric disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, seizures and challenging behaviour like co-morbidity. During his year-long stint, the volunteer worked actively with his 15 CCAMH colleagues to discuss treatment plans for clients, review and develop a management protocol, as well as build up the resource pool of the centre, e.g. equipment and toys for the children.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
Early Childhood Education & Development Project,
Vietnam
Aug 2005 – Mar 2008
Involving Singapore volunteers from the Association of Early Childhood Educators, the project aimed to groom the next generation of Vietnamese through an effective early childhood education programme. Over the three-year project, the volunteers trained more than 60 Vietnamese early childhood educators at Hanoi’s National College of Education in pedagogy and early childhood education applications. They also supervised the sharing of knowledge and skills gained by the Vietnamese trainees with their fellow educators from other parts of Vietnam.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Playback Theatre
Workshops, Cambodia
Apr 2006 – Dec 2007
The objective of this project was to introduce the staff at Mercy Teams International (MTI), Cambodia, to playback theatre, as a new method of social therapy/intervention that is effective for working with abused children and youth at risk. Over 20 members of the Tapestry Playback Theatre in Singapore conducted two training workshops and assisted the Cambodian social workers in carrying out two community theatre performances for MTI’s clients (i.e. disadvantaged children and their families) and for girls at a residential shelter who have either been trafficked or abused. After the training, MTI staff reported that their clients had become more confident in sharing their difficult life experiences and the staff members had also learnt new ways to build trust and show empathy to their clients.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
Counselling Project, Cambodia
Apr 2006 – Nov 2007
This project is a response to the need for better-trained social workers and counsellors to work with children who have suffered sexual and physical abuse. Four Singapore senior therapists from the Counselling and Care Centre in Singapore fielded by the Singapore International Foundation, conducted a series of five intensive training sessions over a period of one year for more than 50 counsellors from Cambodia’s Mercy Teams International and other NGOs in the country. After the year-long training, the participants were awarded a certification in ‘Systemic Counselling for Children At Risk’.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Early Childhood
Education Workshops, Ullon, India
Jul 2005 – Nov 2007
The aim of this project is to improve the access and quality of early childhood education in rural India. Over three years, the Singapore International Foundation fielded a team of Singapore volunteers from the Regional Training and Resource Centre in Early Childhood Care and Education, Asia, to conduct six training workshops to upgrade the skills of over 20 early childhood education trainers at Ullon Social Welfare Society (USWS), a grassroots organization in West Bengal engaging in micro-credit loans, health promotion and education. The project benefitted more than 200 children enrolled yearly at USWS kindergartens and future cohorts of students.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas (SVO) Specialist
Team Emergency Paediatric Care Project, Cambodia
Feb 2004 – Nov 2007
Using the Training-of-Trainers approach, the medical team from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital helped to train their counterparts from Cambodia’s National Paediatric Hospital in areas such as assessment and management of emergency medical conditions like coma, head injuries, poisoning, infectious outbreaks…etc. The training benefitted more than 1,000 critically ill children being treated annually at the hospital.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Pro-DESKTOP
Workshop, Cambodia
Oct 2006 – Jun 2007
A team of four volunteers from Singapore fielded by the Singapore International Foundation taught a design software, ProDESKTOP, to more than 20 children and five staff at Hope Village in Prey Veng, Cambodia. The purpose is to train them in the fundamentals of design and technology, in order to enhance their creativity and confidence while improving their prospects to find jobs.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
Early Childhood Education & Development Project,
Myanmar
Apr 2005 – Mar 2007
In collaboration with Myanmar’s Department of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Singapore International Foundation fielded a team of Singapore early childhood educators and trainers from the Regional Training and Resource Centre in Early Childhood Education, Asia, as well as from the private practice, to provide training to some 70 senior early childhood education trainers from government agencies and NGOs in Upper and Lower Myanmar. The training enhanced their skills and knowledge in the principles of early childhood care and development and in the designing and implementation of an integrated early childhood education curriculum in schools.
Special Education In-field Singapore Volunteers
Overseas, Cambodia
Sept 2005 – Dec 2006
Funds raised from the annual Metro for Children charity drive enabled the Singapore International Foundation to place a special education teacher who served at Cambodia’s Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CCAMH) for more than a year, helping to develop and implement system and procedures for effective clinical and community-based services for children with multiple disabilities.
Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team
Maternal & Child Health Nutrition, Vientiane, Laos
Dec 2005 – Nov 2006
Under this project, the Singapore International Foundation fielded a team of medical professionals (doctors, nurses, nutritionists) from Singhealth and National Healthcare Group as well as polytechnic lecturers who helped to train more than 100 doctors and nurses from 16 hospitals in Vientiane in nutritional knowledge for mothers and babies and teaching pedagogy. Following the successful completion of the project, the participants implemented new health measures in their work processes such as developing a training manual in both Lao and English to train other medical staff, and using new resources like health booklets, food models and gestational discs.
In-field Singapore Volunteers Overseas, Salaap,
India
Mar-Aug 2006
In partnership with Sanlaap, an organization which works with children who have been trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, this project enabled the Singapore International Foundation to field a Singapore volunteer to conduct a series of training workshops for the staff at Sanlaap. The volunteer also helped to set up a resource centre and developed a comprehensive youth leadership manual, which was translated in Bengali and Hindi, thereby increasing its benefits to not just the centre’s staff but also the staff of other local NGOs in India.
TheatreWorks Arts Education Project, Luang
Prabang, Laos
Mar-Dec 2004
This project, organised by TheatreWorks Singapore, exposed at least 400 students to the art of Pharak Pharam (Laotian Ramayana), guided by the artistes of Royal Ballet Theatre in carrying out arts education programmes, and trained teachers in using arts as a tool when conducting lessons.
TheatreWorks Youth Exchange, Luang Prabang,
Laos
Mar-Dec 2004
TheatreWorks Singapore, aimed to encourage exchange and dialogue between the youths of Singapore and those from Luang Prabang through this project. 24 Singapore youths from different creative disciplines interacted with Luang Prabang youths and three artist-trainers from Singapore conducted workshops for the Laotian youths on Music, Dance, Theatre and Video/Film-making. In addition, the Laotian partner organisation, i.e. the Children Cultural Centre of Laos, was equipped with additional skills to initiate and manage exchanges and dialogues with international artists/organisations.
Character Formation Project in COS-Immanuel
Children Village, Cambodia
Aug 2004
COS-Immanuel is a children’s home benefiting 121 orphans and abandoned children from ages 6 to 18. The main objective of the project is to impart quality character values to these children in their formative years. It will enable the children to have a positive influence among their peers and community as well as be able to make contributions to their society. The key emphasis is the internalisation of each value taught.
A core group of volunteers from Singapore committed themselves to teaching nine character values. The Singapore volunteers also trained six coaches and six coach assistants in another 12 character values for them to continue the teaching and imparting of character values to the children.
A core group of volunteers from Singapore committed themselves to teaching nine character values. The Singapore volunteers also trained six coaches and six coach assistants in another 12 character values for them to continue the teaching and imparting of character values to the children.
NUS Volunteers Action Committee Overseas Service
Basic Health Education & First Aid Training, Myanmar
Jun 2004
Project Letpabya was an overseas community based project set up in 2002 by NUS Volunteers Action Committee Overseas Service, National University of Singapore. The main objectives include the provision of essential medical supplies and execution of education and healthcare programmes in Letpabya Village in the Kyaukpadaung Township.
The benefits of the project include 1) educating about 1,000 students who study at the local schools in Letpabya, 2) training 20 teachers of the schools to empower them to teach future batches of children after the project team leaves, 3) training 5 midwives who are stationed at various parts of the village to help them acquire additional skills and knowledge in order to better serve the community, and 4) educating mothers who frequently accompany their children to school to ensure that the relevant health education messages can be enforced at home.
The benefits of the project include 1) educating about 1,000 students who study at the local schools in Letpabya, 2) training 20 teachers of the schools to empower them to teach future batches of children after the project team leaves, 3) training 5 midwives who are stationed at various parts of the village to help them acquire additional skills and knowledge in order to better serve the community, and 4) educating mothers who frequently accompany their children to school to ensure that the relevant health education messages can be enforced at home.
ITE-IT Project, Cambodia
Jun 2004
Institute of Technical Education (ITE) formed a team of volunteers comprising of two teachers & 26 students to provide IT installation and training to four high schools in Phnom Penh. The aim is to promote IT literacy amongst high schools in Cambodia (with the installation of 80 computers) and train the teachers in both PC hardware troubleshooting and Microsoft Office Applications. The project benefited close to 4,000 high-school students.
Raffles Junior College Creative Science Project, Laos
Apr 2004
A team of three teachers from the Raffles Junior College provided assistance to a Laotian NGO PADETC on a Quality School Project. The project aimed to provide training to Laotian School Inspectors from the Education Ministry, elementary school teachers and PADETC staff in student-centered, activities-based teaching. RJC also assisted in drawing up new lesson plans based on this approach and conducted sample classes as demonstrations. It managed to successfully train four school teachers, five school inspectors and nine PADETC staff.
Mith Samlanh Friends, Cambodia
2002 - 2003
Metro for Children, in collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation, worked with Raffles Junior College students to help Mith Samlanh Friends, a Khmer organisation reaching out to street children, with a host of structural upgrading activities like building toilets, refurbishing classrooms, kitchen, canteen, play areas, clinics and training centres. The cheerier environment has helped to create a more conducive and welcoming environment for over 1,500 children who benefit from Mith Samlanh’s services each day.
