Sharity elephant makes a comeback with its own website

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim interacting with students and teachers from Methodist Girls' School and Rainbow Centre on March 21, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Ms Rebekah Foong, level head of Information and Communication Technology at Methodist Girls' School (MGS), fondly remembers receiving activity packs in primary school full of Sharity elephant stickers.

An iconic symbol of care and compassion, the pink cuddly elephant Sharity was introduced in 1984 to encourage Singaporeans in their school years to donate. It stopped being as active in outreach in 2008, but since 2015, with support from the Ministry of Education, it has re-appeared.

On Tuesday, it made a guest appearance in the MGS school hall, much to the delight of Ms Foong and pupils of the school.

Organised by Community Chest, the fund-raising arm of the National Council of Social Service, the event was part of the official launch of a new Sharity website and held in conjunction with MGS's 130th anniversary celebrations.

Ms Foong said Sharity's transition to an online platform will make its message even more relevant and accessible.

"The kids are digital natives and a website like this with interactive activities is very engaging for students," said the 32-year-old.

Sharity's online debut aims to provide primary school students, teachers and parents with access to information on pertinent topics such as interacting with persons with disabilities and dealing with challenges in school. Community Chest hopes to inspire a new generation of students to "Care Deeply" and "Share Freely".

The website has songs, teaching materials for classroom activities, games and contests. In addition, eight animated episodes featuring Sharity & Friends will be released on the website by the end of the year.

Remote video URL

Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Education, and Social and Family Development who was guest of honour at the event said: "I hope the new website will provide opportunities for teachers to engage the children and also for parents to bring the message of caring and sharing into the home."

The website may be viewed at http://www.comchest.org.sg/sharity/

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