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When mum's gone: How she equips her less able child to live independently
A joint effort by DBS Foundation and SG Enable is addressing the gap in financial and digital literacy skills training for persons with disabilities
Since Mr Sayfullah was a teen, Madam Fadillah has taught him how to order at fast-food restaurants and cafes using his iPad. Today, he can do so confidently.
PHOTO: THARM SOOK WAI
Kareyst Lin, Content STudio
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One fear constantly weighs on Madam Siti Fadillah’s mind: When she’s no longer around, “what will happen to my Sayfullah?”
Mr Muhammad Sayfullah is her 21-year-old special needs son. And Madam Fadillah, 46, is his mother and main caregiver.
Mr Sayfullah was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy when he was nine months old. The condition affects his muscle control, motor skills and speech.
He is wheelchair-bound and uses an assistive technology tool, an iPad, to communicate. The eldest of three children, Mr Sayfullah has a sister, 19, and a brother, 11.
Madam Fadillah knew she needed to have a difficult conversation with her son about the future.
With a heavy heart, she asked: “What if Mummy is no longer around?” It was met with raw, tearful distress from Mr Sayfullah, who was 10 years old then.
He had relied on his mother for all daily activities. “He thought that I would be caring for him to no end,” says Madam Fadillah.
But in that moment, it suddenly hit him that one day, she might be gone.
Madam Fadillah’s concerns are common among caregivers of special needs individuals, highlighting a gap in support for this community.
In focus groups held by SG Enable, 80 per cent of persons with disabilities surveyed said that digital and financial literacy, which are essential for daily living, are not covered in any existing training programmes.
About 450 participants joined SG Enable’s focus groups held between 2022 to 2023. They included persons with disabilities, caregivers, social service agencies, institutes of higher learning and employers.
To address this gap, DBS Foundation and SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion, entered into a three-year partnership to equip 7,000 persons with disabilities and caregivers with these crucial skills.
The partnership is the first of its kind, says Ms May Koh, director of Enabling Academy at SG Enable, “in which a corporate partners the disability sector to upskill persons with disabilities on a national scale”.
Needs, wants, and fun
The learning curriculum by DBS Foundation and SG Enable, of up to 30 modules, will be rolled out in 2025. Pilot workshops are underway.
Mr Sayfullah and Madam Fadillah were invited to the first pilot workshop last November, together with three other persons with disabilities and their caregivers.
Mr Sayfullah was initially reluctant to attend the financial literacy workshop, his mother shares. “I don’t like mathematics,” he quips.
The family, together with their two-year-old cat Cheetah, lives in a two-room rental flat in Eunos. In the living room, with walls painted a cheery yellow, there is a hospital bed with side rails and adjustable sections. It’s where Mr Sayfullah sleeps each night.
Madam Fadillah affectionately teases her son (“Why are you shy today, Sayfullah?”) throughout the conversation. Mr Sayfullah listens quietly; when a topic interests him, such as shopping centres and food, he chimes in using his iPad.
Mr Sayfullah uses an assistive technology tool, an iPad, to communicate.
PHOTO: THARM SOOK WAI
It took some persuasion before Mr Sayfullah agreed to attend the 1.5-hour workshop held at Enabling Village in Lengkok Bahru. The session was facilitated by DBS employee volunteers. The topic: needs and wants.
By the end of the workshop, “Sayfullah had so much fun, he didn’t want to leave”, Madam Fadillah says.
Mr Sayfullah was also keen to contribute to the discussion. When a facilitator said gadgets are a “want”, he disagreed and pointed to his iPad. “He understands that it’s a need for him,” Madam Fadillah adds.
Acknowledging the importance of financial literacy for Mr Sayfullah, she also hopes that future sessions can cover other crucial life skills, such as cashless payments and how to calculate discounts at supermarkets.
Impact beyond banking
- Starting them young: On weekends, these bank staff volunteer their skills and time – to teach young kids about money management in a fun and simple way.
- She grew up in a rental flat, now she's giving back: Find out how this DBS volunteer befriender provides support and guidance to help her assigned ComLink+ family improve their financial plight.
He wants to empower
Growing up with Madam Fadillah’s love and encouragement, Mr Sayfullah not only dreams big – he wants to contribute to the society.
His aspiration? To open a “technology-powered cafe” manned by persons with disabilities.
The idea took root after his mother brought him to the APSN Cafe for All in the Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Hub in August 2022.
The cafe is run by trainees from The Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), who have mild intellectual disabilities.
“(The staff) were intrigued by Sayfullah and his iPad,” says Madam Fadillah. At the same time, “we were intrigued by their ability to cook and serve us food that (looks and tastes just as good as other restaurants)”.
On the way back, Mr Sayfullah turned to his mother: “I want to employ people like them.”
Madam Fadillah was initially puzzled: “For what?”
That’s when Mr Sayfullah clarified excitedly that he wanted to open a cafe selling “coffee and his favourite apple crumble”. He envisioned a smart kitchen and a place where people with disabilities could work and thrive.
Madam Fadillah gives him her wholehearted support. She has never doubted his potential to achieve more. “I’m always challenging him to learn new things, (and in return), I’ve learnt so much from him as well.”
While her fears for his future haven’t entirely disappeared, her perspective has shifted. Mr Sayfullah’s dream gives her hope – that even when she’s no longer around, he’s able to craft a fulfilling, independent life for himself.
Skills and support for the less able
Last November, DBS Foundation partnered SG Enable to strengthen support and skills training for persons with disabilities.
Set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2013, SG Enable is the focal agency for disability and inclusion.
The initiative’s aim: To enable persons with disabilities to live more independently, especially in today’s fast-changing world.
DBS Foundation is contributing $1 million to the initiative. The bank will provide subject matter expertise in financial and digital literacy skills, and mobilise its employee volunteers as workshop facilitators.
It’s also timely and necessary. As the world becomes more digital, persons with disabilities are vulnerable to being left behind, says Ms May Koh, director of Enabling Academy at SG Enable. For example, they may be “more vulnerable to online scams and cyber attacks”.
The learning curriculum will include topics like needs and wants, and scenario planning to ensure the long-term financial security of persons with disabilities in the event of their caregiver’s death.
“With an ageing population, declining birth rates and shrinking household sizes in Singapore, the disability landscape will face challenges such as care planning for persons with disabilities who may outlive their caregivers, and increased caregiving loads for smaller families,” says Ms Koh.
In Singapore, 40 per cent of adults with disabilities will be 65 years old or older in 2030, according to the Enabling Masterplan 2030, which maps out the country’s vision for creating a more inclusive society.
Giving time and heart work
The initiative resonates deeply with Ms Kavitha Sivadoss, one of the DBS volunteers who facilitated the pilot financial literacy workshop.
She is vice-president of DBS’ investment and trading technology division, and mother of a special needs child.
Ms Kavitha Sivadoss is mother to a special needs child herself, and an active volunteer with DBS Foundation initiatives.
PHOTO: DBS FOUNDATION
Her younger son, 18, was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when he was three. She has an older son aged 20.
The workshop was “memorable”, says Ms Sivadoss, as it was her first experience working directly with persons with disabilities.
Ms Sivadoss became an active volunteer with DBS Foundation initiatives shortly after joining the bank in 2022. Last year, she accumulated 114 volunteering hours, equivalent to about 14 working days.
The bank’s over 14,000 employees in Singapore get two days of volunteering leave per year. They are encouraged to volunteer their time and skills to support the community.
“I used to spend my entire weekend caring for my younger son,” says Ms Sivadoss. But now that he has moved to India to live with her husband, who’s working there, “I decided that volunteering was a good way to make use of my time”.
This was produced in partnership with DBS Foundation.
