Singapore International Foundation

25 Nov 2009

Gift of education this Christmas From Singaporeans to Indonesian kids

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Singapore, 25 November 2009…The lives of some 1,000 Indonesian schoolchildren stand to grow a little brighter this Christmas, through the annual Metro for Children charity’s Christmas fund-raising drive in Singapore from 1 to 24 December 2009. Organised by Metro Pte Ltd, in collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and Pioneer Junior College (PJC), the drive this year will focus on providing a better quality of education to children at a high school in Bandung, Indonesia.

The funds raised will go towards building a new community hall for the Indonesian students and financial aid for the needy among them.

Mr Aaron Ng, SIF Director for International Volunteerism and Community Partnerships, explains, “Our adopted school, SMA Negeri 11 Bandung, is a model government high school in Indonesia which takes in promising and talented students. It operates on a tiny budget which cannot provide sufficient facilities and training. Thirty per cent of its student population — approximately 300 students — also come from financially challenged families. These students sometimes have to go without food, borrow books and school supplies, and travel long distances to attend school.

“The money raised through the Metro for Children charity will benefit our adopted school holistically. Part of the money will go to selected needy students to help cover the cost of transport, meals, books and school supplies. This will go a long way to relieve the financial burden on their families and enable these students to concentrate better on their studies. To raise the school’s standard of English language teaching, the SIF also plans to recruit Singapore teachers to conduct at least two training workshops for their Indonesian counterparts.”

Says Ms Jacqueline Tan, Assistant Marketing Manager of Metro Pte Ltd, “It has never been more important to support young people in their quest for education. The recent global recession has affected everyone, but the most vulnerable youngsters are suffering the most. Metro for Children aims to change that. The programme will raise aspirations and open up a world of possibility through knowledge and skills. Furthermore, we will be contributing towards the cost of building a community hall for our adopted school. It will not just be a place for the school to conduct teambuilding and extra-curricular activities but also a gathering point for people living within the neighbourhood, thus nurturing a strong community spirit. We hope that through the collective effort of a group of resolute Singapore youth volunteers, as well as the local community and donors, Metro for Children charity will be able to make a real difference.”

Young Singaporeans also stand to gain valuable life experiences through the Metro for Children charity. Some 700 PJC students have volunteered their time and effort during the year-end holidays to man fund-raising booths at all four Metro stores across the island – Paragon, Causeway Point, Compass Point and City Square Mall – from 1 to 24 December. A portion of the money raised will help to sponsor PJC students on a service-learning expedition next year to Indonesia. 

Mrs Tan-Kek Lee Yong, PJC Principal, says, "Pioneer Junior College is committed to developing our students to be committed learners and compassionate leaders; hence our continued involvement in the Metro for Children charity every year. I am very pleased that our staff and students share the same passion and are willing to commit their school vacation for this cause.”

Eighteen-year-old PJC student, Ms Andrea Tan Shu Ming, who participated in last year’s charity drive and later went on a community service trip to refurbish an orphanage in Cambodia, shares, “It is definitely beyond words how this trip has taught me important life skills, enlightened me and made me appreciate the things I have. Hardship to me no longer has the same meaning it had before.”

Since the inception of the Metro for Children charity in 2001, it has raised more than S$1 million for projects that benefit women and children in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and India.