Donors, Partners & Volunteers Join with SINDA to Support Disadvantaged Indian Students and Families

Month-long Project Give Campaign, activities and more at Little India during the Deepavali festivities focus on partnerships for community upliftment.

1. Saturday, 8 October 2022 – SINDA celebrated the many donors, partners and volunteers who worked dedicatedly towards supporting disadvantaged students and families this Deepavali, at a special event at the Indian Heritage Centre, as part of its annual Project Give (PG) Campaign. The event was witnessed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development and SINDA President Ms Indranee Rajah, who expressed her gratitude to donors and spoke on the continued importance of collective community action.

2. The event honoured more than 100 donors and partners who contributed in various ways, including monetary contributions and efforts towards many other ground engagements.

3. The Donor Recognition Ceremony is a part of SINDA’s Project Give, which is hosted each year to promote greater awareness of community initiatives, encourage the spirit of giving back and to strengthen community bonds. Hosted since 2001, PG also ensures that the needs of less-privileged students and families are looked after during the festive period.

4. The campaign has evolved over the years from a fundraising drive to a broader community-centric awareness campaign aimed at engaging every segment of the Indian community during the festive period. Stimulating awareness of community needs and initiatives, Project Give has grown to encourage the act of giving and the building of community bonds. In recent years, Project Give has transformed itself into a platform to encourage community-for-community initiatives, together with its ecosystem of donors, partners and volunteers, in benefit for the community.

5. The event saw donors talk about their aspirations and passion for community betterment, while beneficiary students and families shared their inspirational stories and gratitude for receiving adequate support to meet their needs.

6. Running concurrently is the PG booth, which was hosted for five weeks, supported by the Indian Heritage Centre and the Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association. The booth began on 17 September 2022 and will conclude on 23 October 2022, coinciding with Deepavali eve. This year’s in-person activities signify the return of this signature community upliftment initiative after two years of safe management measures. The space saw various exhibitions, traditional games, craft-making and cultural activities, hosted by several SINDA’s partners and volunteers. These were intended to raise community awareness on community themes, as well as to add to the vibrancy of Deepavali celebrations.

7. Running in tandem with these booth activities were various SINDA initiatives that focused on supporting the needs of the community during Deepavali. These included:

• • Community Launch of Project Give (17 September) – the Project Give Campaign got off to a roaring start as the campaign was launched with a 1.5km run from SINDA HQ to Campbell Lane by Thaarumaaru Runners – a running group in support of the Indian community and SINDA representatives. They were joined by 30 motorbike riders from Riders Aid, which organises rides in support of charity. The run and motorbike run culminated at SINDA’s PG booth, where the PG flag was handed over to SINDA’s children beneficiaries – signifying the various collaborative community efforts at play to support our community and our younger generations.

• • Celebrate! Festive Gift Pack Distribution (1 October) – festive snacks, groceries and a $120 grocery voucher provided to 1,200 low-income families to heighten their festive celebrations, distributed by SINDA volunteers and partners. This year, SINDA partnered with Grab to distribute festive gift packs to families. 50 Grab drivers delivered 600 festive gift packs to families island-wide.

• • Down Memory Lane (8 October) – an initiative to create a positive and enriching experience at Little India for seniors living alone, including trishaw rides and festive meals; seniors were also engaged by SINDA’s befriender youths.

8. Heartened to be able to host Project Give physically, the return of the Project Give Campaign, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, Chief Executive Officer, SINDA said: “The Project Give booth has been a feature of Deepavali celebrations at Campbell Lane, with many looking to take part in its activities. SINDA is happy to be able to host PG physically again, engaging the Indian community and spreading joy during this festive period.”

9. On celebrating the many hands at work, Mr Anbarasu also shared that: “This year we have introduced new initiatives as part of our Project Give campaign and this would not have been possible without the support of our partners and volunteers. I am heartened and grateful for the support from the community towards supporting families in-need during such festive periods and helping them celebrate the festive season with peace of mind.”

About SINDA

The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) is a Self-Help Group, set up in August 1991 to address educational and socio-economic issues facing the Indian community in Singapore.

SINDA actively strives to build a well-educated and confident community of Indians that stands together with the other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore. In the course of fulfilling its objectives, SINDA works closely with many volunteers, schools and grassroots organisations. In the process, SINDA has steadily evolved into a credible organisation that serves as a pillar of the Singapore Indian community.

Today, SINDA runs a wide array of programmes that not only effectively serves to uplift the educational performance of Indian students, but also promotes family harmony and uplifts the social status of ethnic Indians.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, is Chairman of SINDA’s Board of Trustees. Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Education is President of SINDA’s Executive Committee.

For more information on SINDA, please visit www.sinda.org.sg.

For more information, please contact the following media representative:

Manesh Rangarajan (Mr)
Senior Executive, Corporate & Marketing Communications Division, SINDA
DID: 6393 7269
Email: manesh@sinda.org.sg