Upcoming website to match children's specific needs with willing donors
By
Amelia Tan
Primary 2 pupil Fazaruddin Abdul Rashid (seen here with his mother, Madam Habibah) has leukaemia, and his family needs money for his treatment. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
A WISHING well of the digital kind will soon be set up. Come January next year, a website will bring together needy children and members of the public looking to make donations to help fulfil these children's specific needs.
LET THEM TELL THEIR STORY
'Each child has unique needs which may not be addressed through the current financial assistance schemes...I wanted a platform for needy children to tell the public, from their point of view, what they need.'
Mr Trevor Xie, founder of Student Advisory Centre, the charity behind the website
LOOKING to lend a helping hand to a needy Singapore child? To do your part, you can go to the Children's Wishing Well, a website that will feature postings on students who need aid, once it is fully operational.
The Student Advisory Centre (SAC), which is setting up the site, assures members of the public that only legitimate postings will be put up there. All the postings would have gone through screening in the students' respective schools.
The website - aptly named the Children's Wishing Well - will feature short write-ups by these students' school counsellors on the problem each child faces, the proposed solution and its estimated cost.
Members of the public may choose which child to help out through online payment methods or by posting cheques made payable to the charity behind the website, the Student Advisory Centre (SAC).
SAC founder Trevor Xie said the postings will be legitimate because children needing help will be identified by their teachers. Each child is briefed in one-on-one sessions with his teacher and school counsellor on how the website will work to help him.
Postings are made only with the agreement of the child and his parents although specific details such as the child's full name, address and school will not be publicised for privacy reasons.
Mr Xie said he hit on the idea for the website when he heard about a student on SAC's free lunch programme who needed money to buy milk powder for his baby brother because his mother could not afford it.
He said: 'Each child has unique needs which may not be addressed through the current financial assistance schemes, which provide things like textbooks, school fees and food. I wanted a platform for needy children to tell the public, from their point of view, what they need.'
So far, principals of six primary and secondary schools have said they will take part in the project. To guard against abuse, a few selected representatives from each school will be given a password, without which postings cannot be made.
Mr Xie is looking for a corporate partner to champion the cause through advertising and promotions. He also wants to set up a fund with donations from organisations which will go into helping children unable to attract donations from the public.
Members of the public may visit www.wishingwell.org.sg from Wednesday and request to be placed on the mailing list.
Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.
