LOL in Ho Chi Minh City

4-6 July 2013

Went for the annual IRO teambuilding which took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The theme this year was LOL - "Live the Moment, Optimize the Strengths and Liberate Our Hearts and Minds".

Notre Dame Cathedral

As a former Participating Youth (PY) of SSEAYP, travelling to ASEAN countries meant an opportunity to catch up with PYs. Glad to be able to meet up with some of the Vietnam PYs even though I notified just 2 days back.

Ane welcomed us to her To Coffee Cafe at District 3.

While traditional cafes operate on the business model of having clients sit and chat with their friends, To Coffee is experimenting a take-away coffee concept. It also sells coffee powder grinders and filters for customers to DIY.

Ane holding her newborn baby

Dinner was at a street-side eatery.

Appreciated Hien taking his time out travelling 1 hour just to have dinner with me. And happy to know Ivy is now a Teen Magazine journalist. 

The following day, the Amazing Race began.

Photo with Pho2000 in our background

The subsequent rain in the evening didn't douse our fighting spirit. Running around Ho Chi Minh City and trying out local activities were pretty cool.

On the last day, met up with Thu and Quang of SKY programme, which Eunos CC Youth Club hosted in 2011 and 2012. Quang brought us to a new city in District 7. The man-made lake, the infrastructure and environment were impressive. One wouldn't even see the difference between Singapore and this part of the city.

Vietnamese Lunch at Thu's place was splendid.

Hope to visit Vietnam again!

NACLI Community Leadership Digest Feature

Thanks NACLI for the feature in its biannual magazine to People's Association (PA) grassroots leaders, and to Alicia for penning my story.

“Kick away the branches from the pedestrian walkways, so others will not trip on them”

This was one of the many little ways that Mr Fong Yoong Kheong’s late father would impart to him about caring for his community. The elder Mr Fong was a “kampong” community person.  He would greet all the neighbours and know them well, extending gifts of food and thoughtful trinkets from overseas trips.  Yoong Kheong was struck by how his late father was so deeply involved in the community, familiar with neighbours and showed acts of compassion like extending an RC event ticket to a lone old lady at the void deck so she too could join in the fun.

This same community spirit resonates in his son today.

One of the youngest Resident Committee (RC) chairman to be appointed,  Yoong Kheong stepped into community volunteerism when he completed his National Service (NS).  With eight months to spare before entering tertiary education, Yoong Kheong spent a lot of time in his neighbourhood, only to realise that he did not really know his neighbours or fellow residents.  Yoong Kheong did not stop there.  He went to Eunos CC and found that there was a youth club.  He joined, hoping to contribute back to the community and at the same time realise his aim of getting to know his community better.

While volunteering at the Youth Executive Committee (YEC), Yoong Kheong harnessed online media and set up a website, using various social media platforms to better connect them with the youths.  He was also one of People’s Association’s earliest New Media Champion, a title given to grassroots leaders who actively utilise social media to reach out to their community. 

Yoong Kheong is motivated by the knowledge that his effort and time spent goes towards meaningful causes. When he discovered that the Resident Community (RC) is an even better platform in outreaching and interacting with the residents, his late father supported his decision to embark on a bigger scope of grassroots work and even helped out at his events.  Together with his RC team, Yoong Kheong has launched several successful initiatives for the residents; such as Mental Wellness Mahjong, kidsREAD Programme, fund-raising Recycling Programme. The fund-raising Recycling Programme is an initiative that lets residents use recycling as a means to raise funds for the low-income residents within the community.   As a legacy to his late father’s positive influence, the Programme is also a platform for the RC to promote the kampong culture; empowering residents to help one another through their actions.  This kampong culture formed a foundation for subsequent initiatives that the RC would introduce, like the Simply Eunos facebook and website which operates as an online kampong portal, uniting all grassroots committees in Eunos in one place.

To better himself in the service of the community, Yoong Kheong has always actively taken up the grassroots development training offered by National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI), the community leadership development arm of the PA. He sees the value in the training of new grassroots leaders to learn from the best practices of other organisations/committees and be equipped with up-to-date skills and knowledge, so they can contribute more effectively to the community.

But it does not stop there.  Yoong Kheong wants to do more.

He feels that as volunteers, organising and implementing projects is not enough.  And that is why he is today part of the inaugural Master Programme in Community Leadership and Social Development  (MCLSD) jointly offered by the PA and SIM University.  With a full subscription on board, the programme offers its current undergraduates a wide spectrum of knowledge in these fields.  As a chosen student of this programme, Yoong Kheong believes that through the combination of theory (MCLSD) and practice (volunteering), he can discover and share new insights and strategies on how to enhance resident-helping resident culture, providing platforms for forging a closer community.

NACLI Leadership in Community Programme Study Trip to Beijing

28 October to 3 November 2012

National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI) runs the 6-month long Leadership in Community Programme (LCP) for People's Association (PA) Grassroots Leaders from various constituencies across Singapore. One of the highlights of the programme is the Study Trip. I was fortunate to be part of the 3rd batch of LCP which conducted a study trip to Beijing.

Day 1 - 28 October 2012

LCPians bade farewell to our families at the Changi Airport Terminal 1 in the morning.

LCP 3!

The flight from Singapore to Beijing took about 6 hours. At the Beijing Capital International Airport, we met our local guide - Xiao An - and tried the subway.

Our Guide - Xiao An

We were greeted by a Raffles City building when we exited the subway station.

After our Dinner

After dinner, we checked into the Park Plaza Science Park Hotel. In the vicinity of the hotel was a street filled with local eateries and street-side hawkers which operated late into the night. Some of us had some barbeque snacks as we immersed ourselves in the late night chill, seated on wooden stools.

It was interesting to see people having their haircut at salons past midnight. Someone suggested probably it's because many worked overtime and had to return home late.

Day 2 - 29 October 2012

Our schedule was a tight one. Morning call could be as early as 5.30am.

LCPians at the entrance of the hotel

Tram Bus

Dedicated lane for bicycles and motorcycles

The first programme item for the day was the Lecture by Mr Lu Bin, Director-General, Socialised Elderly Care Committee on Aging population in China and its Response Measures.

China is ageing before it could prosper (未富已老). Its policies on ageing is centred upon the traditional values of Chinese society of Filial Piety and the mindset of bearing more children for them to take care of one in one's late years (养儿防老). However, the values were increasingly being threatened with increasing Chinese having to travel across cities to work.

Mr Lu shared that China is now experimenting the concept of Regional Centres (区域中心) which would provide training for social workers and support to eldercare service providers. China intends to provide 20 Regional Centres within the next 5 years. The centres would play a role of connecting the family, community and institutions, as well as strengthening networks for effective mobilisation of help to the elderly.

Funding of elderly services could also be drawn from commercialising the sector, for instance, the sizable population of elderly would provide potential for targeted marketing of products, senior tourism, and traditional handicrafts that could be sold.

Mr Lu summed it all up by saying that seniors require all the things that youths and middle-age groups require. Hence, by fulfilling the needs of seniors, everyone's needs can be fulfilled.

An extensive Q&A session commenced after the lecture.

Presentation of token of appreciation by Mr Patrick Teo, Assistant Dean (Grassroots Leadership Programme), National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI)

After lunch, LCPians visited the Chao Yang Men Street Community Centre of the Dong Cheng District Community.

Free condom dispenser

Calling for military enlistment

"Serve the People"

Interaction with the local Residents' Committee Chairperson

The Chao Yang Men street comprises 3 Hutongs. The Community Centre provides support services for elderly to age at home. Volunteers patrol the community throughout the day and question visitors on their purpose of visit. The volunteer patrol programme is so successful that the street had not seen crime for the past decade.

Dance performance by residents with Special Needs

Unique cultural song performance by elderly (Volunteer on patrol with red armband on)

LCPians get to learn singing the cultural song

Handicrafts for sale

LCPians try out some local toys

List of services

Tour along the Hutong

Complaint Box

Publicity Window

Reminder for families to be cautious of cults (such as Falungong)

Our LCPians making balloons for children

In the evening, we enjoyed an Acrobatics show and passed by the Olympic Water Cube and Bird Nest.

The Bird Nest

Water Cube

Day 3 - 30 October 2012

We took a coach to Tianjin in the morning.

We attended the Lecture by Mr Tang Zhong Xin, Nankai University on Community Building and Organisation system in China.

Tianjin handicrafts

After lunch, the delegation visited Qing You Xi Li Community Service Station of Nan Shi Street, Tianjin He Ping District.

The Residents' Committee Chairlady greeted us

The Lou Men 楼门 culture was briefed to us. In some of the apartments, residents take ownership of the stairwells, hence negating the need for cleaning service providers. Residents also proudly decorate the walls with their photographs and artworks. Furniture at the void deck was also contributed by residents.

Members of the Chinese Communist Party who are residents, would have their names publicly stated so that others could watch over them.

Next, we did a house visit to one of the apartments. Most of the government housing were under 99-year lease.

Followed by a dialogue with the District Secretary.

The return trip to Beijing was via the high-speed rail.

At the Tianjin Station

BBQ Supper along the street

 Day 4 - 31 October 2012

LCPians gathered at the Xia Guang Li Community Centre to await the visit to an Eldercare facility.

Family Planning info booth

The Eldercare facility catered to 18 elderly who do not have family members or caregivers at home during the day. Every morning, a minibus would fetch them to the facility for them to spend their daytime together with their elderly peers.

At the facility, there is a communal room where seniors could play mahjong and card games, as well as enjoy massage on a massage chairs. The TV also provides entertainment to them.

There are 9 bedrooms, each of which is shared between 2 seniors. The bedrooms are only used for daytime naps and resting of the elderly.

Just adjacent to the bedrooms is a Community Health Service Centre, which provides outpatient medical services to elderly.

Well decorated walkways

We had the opportunity to interact with the elderly over at lunch at the canteen, which is one floor above the Xia Guang Li Community Centre. The canteen provides food to elderly staying around the community as well as the seniors of the Eldercare facility. Food is also delivered to immobile elderly. To be financially sustainable, the canteen is patronised by other workers as well. 

This visit left me a deep impression as it presents a sustainable model that could be operated to serve elderly residents within a community.

Healthy choice of food prepared specially for elderly

Lunch was followed with a dialogue session with Director of the Eldercare Facility.

We pulled over at Silk Street to do some shopping of souvenirs.

Posters bearing support of China's sovereignty of "Diaoyu Island" are a common sight

On our way to visiting Tiananmen Square.

After dinner, LCPians had a debrief session at our hotel.

Day 5 - 1 November 2012

To the Great Wall of China~

We found a Kopitiam.

Inverse painting of souvenir

Visit to a typical residence in a Hutong:

Calligraphy using water on common walkway

Interesting yoghurt drink

Supper

Day 6 - 2 November 2012

Visit to Forbidden City to understand the history and culture of China.

Ancient "clock"

Interesting drawings on environmental awareness

Next, we visited Loving Heart Home, a self-help group for HIV/AIDS community. HIV/AIDS individuals are employed to help their community.

Day 7 - 3 November 2012

Activities aplenty early in the morning at the entrance to the Temple of Heaven.

Taiji Sword play

"Chapteh"

Tourists welcome to join in the activities

If you enjoyed the activities, you can also purchase chaptehs and other toys from the folks

Multiracial Emperor maybe?

Some groups were singing communist folk songs. When they knew we were a group of foreigners, we were asked to go into their midst and join them in dancing as they sing Chinese songs with Western melodies.