Siblings among 32 visually impaired recipients of Tan Chay Bing bursary awards worth $54,200 in total
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Nur Anisah Daaniys and her brother Muhammad Nabil Aydin, seen here with their parents, were among those who received the Tan Chay Bing bursary awards.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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SINGAPORE – Ten-year-old Nur Anisah Daaniys hopes to be a doctor one day but fears that her visual impairment may get in the way.
“My condition kind of prevents me from being a doctor,” she said. “Doctors need to see.”
Her parents, both engineers with Seagate Technology, said they are happy as long as she pursues her dream – any dream.
Their hope for her brother, Muhammad Nabil Aydin, seven, who has visual impairment and autism, is that he can live independently.
Both siblings were among 32 recipients of the Tan Chay Bing bursary awards presented by Central Singapore District Mayor Denise Phua at the Singapore Association of the Visually Impaired (SAVH) on Wednesday.
Anisah loves science experiments at Lighthouse School where she and her brother are studying, and makes her own videos for her YouTube channel. She also loves to sing, and was immediately recognised by Ms Phua as a “good singer” from her past performance with inclusive orchestra Purple Symphony.
The financial help is a plus as “visual devices like a braille typewriter do not come cheap”, said Ms Nurul Zayani, their mother.
Mr Muhammad Sufian, their father, added that they have to employ a helper to look after the children as the parents are away at work.
The total disbursement for the bursary award this year amounted to $54,200 – the highest to date. Since the fund for the awards was established in 2011, it has given out 307 bursaries worth $392,900.
The wife of the late Mr Tan Chay Bing, the oldest son of philanthropist Tan Kah Kee, set up the fund in his memory. The bursary award is administered by SAVH to assist needy, visually impaired students from special education and mainstream schools, as well as institutes of higher learning.
Another $56,260 has been allocated in 2023, when disbursement will be extended to more educational institutions, including Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Lasalle College of the Arts, School of the Arts and Singapore Sports School.
Of the 32 recipients this year, 11 are from special education schools, two from primary schools, six from secondary schools, six from Institute of Technical Education (ITE), six from polytechnics and one from a public university.
Undergraduates receive $4,000, with the other amounts being $800 (special education school), $1,200 (primary school), $1,500 (secondary school), $2,000 (ITE) and $3,000 (polytechnic). Recipients must be Singaporeans or permanent residents aged seven to 25, whose families have a per capita household income of not more than $1,800.
SAVH president Derek Ong said it also supports its clients with job coaching and interview techniques when seeking employment. It hosted the inaugural All-Inclusive Community Job Fair in conjunction with International White Cane Day on Oct 15.
Mr Daryl Tan, grandson of Mr Tan Chay Bing, cited poetry by the late Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan: “The path is narrow and too long to see the end. But I will seek for it back and forth.”
He added: “This poetry signifies the need for us to relentlessly pursue lifelong education in our journey regardless of the challenges life offers to us – so that we are able to grow and realise our aspirations.
“We will, one day, anchor in the harbour of success.”
