ADDRESS BY MS INDRANEE RAJAH, MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRESIDENT, SINDA, AT THE SINDA DONOR APPRECIATION LUNCH ON 25 FEBRUARY 2022

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, and Chairman, SINDA Board of Trustees, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam;

SINDA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Members;

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Distinguished Donors, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Appreciation to Donors for Contributions

1. I’m happy to join you at today’s lunch to express my gratitude to all of you, on behalf of SINDA and our beneficiaries, for your commitment towards uplifting lives.

2. SINDA’s Donor Appreciation Lunch has been a longstanding tradition for us to appreciate the efforts of those who contribute, monetarily and in-kind, towards the betterment of our community.

3. Donations remain an important aspect of each community’s efforts to be self-sustaining. Your donations to SINDA span many meaningful initiatives, especially those that support the aspirations of our under-privileged students and families. Such initiatives include the Project Give campaign, family development programmes, the SINDA Family Service Centre’s social and financial assistance, providing necessities and rations for families, and many other efforts.

4. I’m heartened that over the years, the number of donors joining hands with SINDA has risen steadily. This is noteworthy and tells us that the impact of the organisation’s work resonates with more people and that they see the value in working with the organisation to broaden efforts for the community.

5. When we work together, not only do we develop stronger compassion and empathy but importantly, such efforts strengthen the community spirit and bring us closer – we develop a stronger understanding of our fellowmen’s experiences and we readily pitch in to do what needs to be done, so that those who are less-advantaged can achieve their life aspirations.

Highlight Donor Profiles

6. I wish to mention a few donors among the many of you here today:

Corporate Donors:

7. Goh Keng Swee Foundation
   Firstly, the Goh Keng Swee Foundation. The Foundation’s key objective has been to continue Dr Goh’s efforts to improve the lives of all Singaporeans. Last year, to commemorate the 11^th  anniversary of Dr Goh Keng Swee’s passing, the Foundation donated $200,000 to SINDA towards financial aid to support in-need students.

8. SINDA remains grateful for the Foundation’s generous donation which pays tribute to Dr Goh’s pioneering work in building an inclusive and meritocratic society – one where Singaporeans can have equal access to opportunities and lead fulfilling lives.

9. Mr Anil-Bhudrani [Bombay Bazaar]
   Secondly, I wish to acknowledge Mr Anil-Bhudrani from Bombay Bazaar. Mr Anil has donated $50,000 since 2018 and his contributions go towards the Project Give campaign, in support of the financial needs of less-privileged students.

10. Against the backdrop of the challenges brought upon by Covid-19, Mr Anil and Bombay Bazaar doubled their annual donation to $20k in 2021. This donation was channelled towards SINDA’s Covid-19 assistance schemes, providing the financially affected with adequate resources to tide over the pandemic.

Individual Donors:

11. We also have among us donors who have contributed in an individual capacity. Let me mention two of them:

12. Mdm Angappan Manonmani
    Mdm Angappan Manonmani has been a regular SINDA donor for over a decade and has been donating towards education assistance. In 2021, to commemorate her 70th birthday in an extra special way, she donated $7,000 to SINDA.

13. Mdm Manonmani lost her father at a very young age – her mother worked hard to raise her six children and ensure that all six had access to good education, despite of the family’s challenges. Coming from such circumstances, Mdm Manonmani believes that no child should be denied access to proper education and her donations are offered in this spirit of uplifting our students.

14. Mr Wan Pong Seng
    Also with us here today is Mr Wan who is representing the Wan family. The family has been donating generously to SINDA and other welfare organisations for a number of years now.

15. Since 2015, they have donated $400,000 to SINDA towards education efforts. They believe that education is crucial to the betterment of our students and that their success would ensure the progress of our nation.

16. While I mentioned these four donors, my gratitude goes to each one of you. For many, the common cause has been education and that underscores the importance of your donations – ensuring that our students have access to proper and quality education regardless of their backgrounds and that they can transform their life circumstances armed with this power of education.

Impactful SINDA Efforts

17. Your donations also complement the Government’s broader efforts for the less-privileged and those in need. There has been a sustained focus on social wellbeing and social expenditure has steadily increased to strengthen social mobility.

18. As a Self-Help Group, SINDA is well-positioned to extend this support to the Indian community, as its work is primarily centred around education and social welfare. By working with an ecosystem of stakeholders, partners and donors such as yourself, SINDA has been able to benefit about 25,000 individuals and families each year. We have also seen that the last two years have been extraordinary and such partnerships have been vital to supporting the community in overcoming the effects of the pandemic and helping our people recover.

19. The future landscape continues to evolve and SINDA’s assistance to students and families will carry on and strengthen, so that we can ensure that a strong social safety net is in place to support those who are vulnerable and those who need added resources to achieve their life goals.

20. In doing so, we heartened to be joined by all of you. I hope that we can look forward to your continued involvement and partnership with SINDA, so that we can all work together towards being a community of progress.

21. On that note, a big thank you once again, on behalf of all of us at SINDA, our beneficiaries and the community.

Thank you.