At the heart of every individual’s journey is the power of community and acceptance. It’s the collective support of family, friends, and the wider community that often makes the difference between struggle and success.  

In a visual storytelling project, Photography for Good (PFG), organised by The Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS) with the support of Fujifilm Singapore, SPD collaborated with award-winning photographer, Mr Derrick Ong to put up a photography exhibition that told the story of eight SPD beneficiaries and their families.  

One of them was Mr Lim Hua Song who had a stroke when he was in his fifties. He lost his physical abilities and most of his memory. All he could recall was that he had two brothers and two sisters, worked as a hardware storekeeper, and that he had fainted at home. When he first started attending rehabilitation sessions at the senior care centre located at SPD@Toa Payoh, his life was colourless as the incomplete, black and white pages of his colouring books. With the encouragement of his family and SPD professionals, Mr Lim started to heal. The muted greys in his colouring books are now filled with vibrant hues. He regained his speech through music. Today, the 62-year-old sings Teresa Teng’s ballads with gusto, as if to declare his triumph over the challenges that once restrained him.  

Through the photographic lenses of 12 amateur photographers, under the mentorship of Mr Ong, the photographs captured glimpses of the joys and triumphs of persons with disabilities at SPD centres and in their home and the community.  

The other SPD beneficiaries profiled in PFG were Mdm Alison Goh, 46, (Enabling Services Hub at Tampines (ESH@Tampines)), Awlia Waafini Binte Abu Bakar, 6, (Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children at SPD@Jurong), Mr Babu Rajan Chandru, 32, (SPD Sheltered Workshop), Mr Eddie Koh, 49, (SPD Day Activity Centre), Ms Janevi Chew, 19, (ESH@Tampines) and Mdm Noraini Binte Hamid, 51, (Specialised Case Management Programme). 

Open to the public from 14 to 22 September, the launch of the week-long SPD Photography for Good Exhibition at the Prinsep Gallery at Selegie Arts Centre on 13 September was graced by Mr Tan Kiat How (above, centre in white shirt), Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Digital Development and Information, & Ministry of National Development.  

“A lot of time and hard work had gone into this project over the last few months, and the result was the curation of this gallery of images that spoke volumes of faith, courage and love, and also the power of a community that unites to transform and improve lives,” said Mr Abhimanyau Pal (above, far right), Chief Executive Officer, SPD.  

The PFG exhibition was one of the significant events in SPD’s 60^th anniversary celebrations this year and it aimed to increase awareness of the work that the organisation does and the impact that the help of a supportive community can make in uplifting people with disabilities.  Through this collaboration with PSS, it had hoped to inspire the community and highlight the importance of inclusion building.  

“Grateful for the opportunity to build deeper empathy for people with special needs in our community through the “Photography for Good” project supported by Photographic Society of Singapore and charity organisation SPD. The project has given me the privilege to walk into the homes and lives of people. Besides witnessing and documenting the challenges first hand, I am also inspired by the positivity displayed by the individuals,” said Mr Simon Siah (above, second from left) who photographed Mdm Goh, Awlia and Mdm Noraini.