» Back to School Festival 2025 – Speech by Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, CEO, SINDA

Guest of Honour, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development and President, SINDA,

Ms Indranee Rajah;

SINDA Executive Committee Members;

Parents and Students.

Opening

A very good morning everyone. It’s really nice to see all of you here — our families, partners, volunteers — gathered for the 18^th edition of the Back To School Festival, or BTSF.

BTSF Support to Families

One of the things I’ve always noticed in my 28 years as an educator is seeing how excited the children are on the first day of school — proudly showing off their new school bags, new shoes, and the “coolest” stationery. These may seem like small things to adults, but for children, they matter. They give them confidence, and that’s one of the reasons BTSF has remained such an important initiative for SINDA all these years.
For parents, BTSF also brings a sense of relief — a feeling that, “Okay, we’re ready for the next year.” We know many of you face challenges, but year after year, you show tremendous determination to give your children the best. And I want to assure all our parents: you are not alone. The community is behind you, and organisations like SINDA are here to support you every step of the way.

Stories of Impact

Over the years, many families have journeyed with us. One of them is Ms Patimah Bhavani Robert, whose sons — Raffael and Jairus — have literally grown up with SINDA. Beyond BTSF vouchers, they have benefitted from our programmes, and when you speak to them, you meet confident young men who care for their community. And they’re only 15 and 13! This shows what can happen when a young person joins SINDA’s programmes, meets other youths, and realises, “I’m not that bad. I can be a champion too.” Once a child believes that, they begin to blaze their own trail.

Building Self-Worth Through a Holistic Approach

This year’s theme — “Building Self-Worth, Empowering Futures” — reflects exactly that. We want our children to understand that while life may present many challenges, their worth is not defined by their circumstances. When they believe in themselves, anything becomes `.

SINDA’s commitment is holistic — the vouchers are just one part. We aim to support families through education, emotional wellbeing, and community ties.

This is our 18th edition of the Back To School Festival. When we started, there were only a few hundred families. Today, we are supporting 8,500 beneficiaries, and distributing $1.7 million worth of vouchers. This scale is possible because all of us at SINDA strongly believe in ensuring every family has a fair start.

And this year, we have had many partners working with us. You saw earlier the wonderful display put up by our children. One of our key partners is SUTD. They are renowned for their excellence in robotics and technology, and our children have been working closely with them. When bright young minds from SUTD guide our students, our children absorb that spirit of curiosity and excellence. Some of the children you see — seven, eight, ten years old — are already coding and creating with impressive skill.

This is why collaboration matters. SINDA cannot do this alone. We need a community of like-minded partners. And this year, of the 8,500 children, 3,700 are new beneficiaries who were introduced to us by various partners. Reaching these families shows the strength of our collective effort.

Closing – Call to Action

To all our parents — I know many of you face your own struggles, but what stands out is your courage and your determination for your children to succeed. Many of you tell me, “Whatever I face is my problem. I want my child to do well.” And I salute you for that. SINDA will always be here to make that dream possible.

Today is also meant for enjoyment — for parents and children to spend time together. For some of you, it may be your first visit to Rainforest Wild Asia. Make the most of it. Enjoy, take photos, laugh, explore.

Children — today is your chance. You are with your parents for the next two to three hours, so ask them many questions! Enjoy your day as a family.

And remember — join SINDA’s programmes, get involved, and benefit. That is how we grow together.