SPEECH BY MS INDRANEE RAJAH, MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRESIDENT, SINDA, FOR THE SINDA APPRECIATION CEREMONY ON SATURDAY, 13 MARCH 2021

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

SINDA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Members;

Community Leaders, Partners and Volunteers;

SAC Award Recipients.

Introduction

1. Thank you so much for joining us today. I am so glad that we still have the opportunity to recognise all of you who have contributed to SINDA, and its work, and its beneficiaries in one way, shape, form or the other.

SINDA as a Volunteer-Driven Organisation   

2. The backbone of SINDA is our volunteers. We can come up with the policies and initiatives, but it is our volunteers who help us reach the ground and inspire the community. As we saw in the video, our volunteers come from all backgrounds and age is no barrier. There’s something very special about volunteering – it enriches the spirit and leaves an imprint on people’s minds and in their experiences.

Acknowledge Recipients

3. This year, we are heartened to recognise more groups for their contributions towards SINDA’s mission and vision. Among the 208 recipients today, 32 sub-committee members are also being recognised, together with community partners, volunteers and schools. All your contributions, whether these are skills-based, service-based or programme-based, have brought difference to the lives in our community. And for that, we at SINDA are deeply grateful.

Highlight Recipients

4. Let me briefly highlight the efforts of some of our recipients. Among the 66 community partners, is the Young Sikh Association, or YSA —that reaches out to young Singaporeans with the aim of supporting the development of youths in Singapore. YSA has been collaborating with SINDA since 2018 – mainly through SINDA Youth Club collaborations. In 2020, YSA also stepped forward to help the community amidst the pandemic, by supporting SINDA’s Project Shine, bringing cheer to 27 elderly households. It is heartening to see our youths work together in positive ways to help the community.

5. I would also like to highlight our partnership with schools. This partnership is invaluable, in helping SINDA reach students and in offering them a spectrum of education services. Among such programmes is the STEP programme, an island-wide tutorial programme that is only made possible by sustained partnerships with schools. In addition, through teachers, principals and SINDA Liaison Officers, we are also able to offer students and their families extended support and help.

6. Among the 68 schools today, are Ping Yi Secondary School – which has supported SINDA since day one –STEP classes have been conducted there since 1992. We are also happy to welcome Tanglin Secondary School, as one of our newest schools to host STEP. SINDA looks to your continued partnership, in jointly serving the needs of our students and ensuring their sustained academic progress.

7. Also being commended today are 42 volunteers. Many of our flagship programmes have been made possible by their involvement – GAME, mentoring programmes and events such as Back to School Festival and Project Give. And I’m delighted to recognise the efforts of two individuals who have been volunteering with SINDA over a long period – Mr B Uthayachandran and Mr Alagappan Arunasalam.

8. They have been part of SINDA’s Legal Clinic for over 20 years! With the belief that professional legal advice must be available to all, they both joined Legal Clinic, to provide free legal advice to those in need. They remain very much active in offering their services and I applaud their unwavering commitment and passion towards our community.

Conclusion 

9. Through these few individuals, you can see the wide spectrum of people and groups who have joined SINDA in our mission, of community betterment. And these partnerships remain extremely important to SINDA, in continuing our services to the community, especially in the current Covid-19 climate. I hope each one of you will build upon your positive experiences in working with SINDA, deepen our relationship, continue your meaningful impact. On behalf of all of us at SINDA, my heartiest appreciation to all of you!