Youth who faced childhood tragedy among 12 inaugural President’s Challenge fellows
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During the good days, Ms Shirlene Ng told herself to “grit your teeth and woman up”, and that eventually got her through private school and Temasek Polytechnic.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Follow topic:
- Shirlene Ng, a President's Challenge Fellowship recipient, overcame a troubled childhood including her mother's suicide and time in foster care, inspiring her to pursue psychology.
- The President's Challenge Fellowship supports individuals like Ng, social sector professionals like Joshua Tseng, and ITE graduates to improve themselves and help others.
- President Tharman highlights the fellows' commitment to social good, addressing weaknesses in child protection following tragedies like Megan Khung's case.
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SINGAPORE – Growing up in a troubled family, Ms Shirlene Ng was 13 when she witnessed her mother take her own life. Her mental health took a hit.
“I had my own suicidal attempts, and when I turned 14, I was admitted into IMH,” said Ms Ng, referring to the Institute of Mental Health.
Ms Ng, who is now 21, switched between foster families and children’s homes eight times over the years.
She had her share of dark days. But on days when she could hold herself together, she told herself to “grit your teeth and woman up”, and that eventually got her through private school and Temasek Polytechnic, where she studied psychology.
Ms Ng is among 12 recipients of the inaugural President’s Challenge Fellowship, which was formed to provide opportunities for three groups of people: those who are bouncing back from major adversities like her, professionals in the social sector, and outstanding graduates from the Institute of Technical Education.
Besides Ms Ng, recipients of the Springboard Fellowship are F&B employee Nur Shahirah Omar, 39, who hopes to get a psychology degree; medical technologist Selva Raju Arumugam, 33, who was orphaned in his teens; and ex-offender Barry Yeow, 58, who is now director of art studio 5seventeen.
Five of the fellows are outstanding ITE graduates who will now serve as mentors to current students, while running new programmes for them.
The 12 individuals were revealed during the televised President’s Challenge Night fund-raiser on Nov 2. The President’s Challenge, established in 2000 to raise money for and support various social causes, raised nearly $15 million which will support 60 programmes.
The fellowships, which cover the three tracks, were launched in May.
Ms Ng’s aftercare manager of the alumni group from HCSA Dayspring – a residential home she stayed the longest at – urged her to apply for the Springboard Fellowship.
In this category, recipients will be given support to embark on new pathways, such as through education or entrepreneurship training.
The fellowship will enable Ms Ng to pursue a psychology degree and pair her with a mentor to guide her. Through her childhood ordeal, and having done an internship at the Singapore Girls’ Home, Ms Ng wants to help individuals with challenging pasts and trauma.
“I (want to) have the necessary qualifications to give back to the community that helped to raise me. It’s so important to have safe adults around you when you’re growing up,” said Ms Ng, who is currently applying for university courses.
Speaking to the media before the fund-raiser show on Nov 2, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said of the 12 fellows: “Some of them had very difficult growing-up years... (but) they are committed to developing themselves, and to serving others, in particular, helping others who might be in the same situation that they went through.”
“They were each chosen because they are role models, they are catalysts for the social good,” he added.
Highlighting Ms Ng’s story in a Facebook post on Nov 2, President Tharman said: “No child should ever face darkness alone. No child should suffer the tragedy of Megan Khung, and others before her like Zabelle Peh, Izz Fayyaz Zayani and Umaisyah, who lost their lives in the hands of abusive adults.”
Megan Khung was abused by her mother and the woman’s then boyfriend
A review panel of the case revealed in late October that two police officers who handled a police report failed to follow processes
“Singapore is taking important steps to plug weaknesses in the system, and prevent this happening again,” said President Tharman.
“But it takes a village to protect a child: neighbours, those in the community, and especially professionals like Shirlene with compassion, skill, and an eye for those in a bad way.”
Of the 12 President’s Challenge Fellowship recipients, three from the social services sector received the Civic Action Fellowship to deepen their expertise and develop new approaches to solve social issues.
The fellowship enables these professionals to take sabbaticals for one to two years to do this.
One of the recipients in this category is Mr Joshua Tseng, 28, who is visually impaired and runs digital media consultancy Blind Mice Media.
His firm advises website operators, especially those from the public sector, on how to make their site features more inclusive for people with disabilities.
Mr Joshua Tseng runs digital media consultancy Blind Mice Media, which advises website operators how to make their site features more inclusive for people with disabilities.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Over the next one to two years, Mr Tseng will work with researchers to shape recommendations and local policies to make the virtual world more accessible for individuals of different needs.
The President’s Challenge has partnered with various organisations to support the fellows by leveraging their expertise and networks.
These include philanthropic organisation Quantedge Foundation, the Singapore Management University, the Singapore University of Social Sciences, investment company Temasek and its philanthropic arm Temasek Foundation, the Singapore Institute of Management, and the Singapore Business Federation Foundation.
The other Civic Action Fellows are Ms Cheok Xue Ting, 39, chief operating officer of non-profit Trampolene, which empowers individuals with autism and special needs with tailored career pathways; and Mr Lim Tanguy, 56, chief executive of legal aid charity Pro Bono SG.
The ITE Inspire Fellows are Mr Mohamad Suhaimi Sukiman, 42, co-owner of the Dutch Colony Coffee Co chain; Mr Edmund Lek, 58, senior vice-president of operations at offshore and marine firm Seatrium; assistant director of nursing Jocelyn Ng, 45, at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital; hairstylist Noel Ng, 33, who owns a few salons; and Mr Anders Tan, 40, founder of social enterprise Inclus.
Dutch Colony’s Mr Suhaimi, 42, enrolled in ITE after secondary school, as he had to care for his ailing mother while sitting his O levels.
While pursuing a Nitec in building drafting (architectural), he excelled academically for the first time, while his part-time job as a barista sparked his love for coffee.
The amount of financial assistance or funding given to the fellows was not revealed, but Mr Suhaimi received $10,000. With the funds, he plans to introduce a “Brew Your Career” programme at ITE to help students see a potential career in coffee, or use it as a platform to learn transferable skills.
These include running coffee appreciation workshops for the students and a career-related podcast.
President Tharman told the media: “This inaugural set of fellows, they’re each broadening the canvas of leadership of social change in Singapore.”
