Singapore, 16 November 2000 – People with moderate to severe disabilities or low functioning skills often depend heavily on their family members and caregivers for daily living activities. For family members and caregivers who need to go to work besides tending to the needs of their charges, playing such multiple roles can be stressful and taxing.

At the Society for the Physically Disabled, beneficiaries are taught self-care skills such as eating and dressing independently. At the same time, they are also taught essential domestic skills such as meals’ preparation and general housekeeping. By learning how to be self-reliant, beneficiaries can help alleviate the level of stress in the home environment and at the same time, gain a sense of dignity.

“Our aim for this programme is that people with disabilities can gain independence and dignity in self-help skills. By learning simple domestic tasks in their daily lives, not only can they lessen the burdens for their family members, they can also integrate more fully into the community “, said Mr Loke Ho Yong, Executive Director of The Society for the Physically Disabled.

This programme has already won the support of NTUC FairPrice, the first to come forward to support SPD through a donation of $10,000 and regular grocery provisions.

he support from NTUC FairPrice allows SPD to customise a room in its existing premises to replicate the interior of a common household kitchen, so that there can be easy transferability of skills learnt from the Centre to that of a home setting. NTUC FairPrice will also sponsor the groceries needed for meal preparation at the living skills training centre.

SPD officially launched its Domestic Living Skills Programme on 16 November 2000. In conjunction with this event, NTUC FairPrice held its Kindness Day programme at SPD where FairPrice staff volunteers entertained the beneficiaries with songs, games and cooking demonstration. Beneficiaries, on the other hand, also expressed their appreciation by whipping up a few simple dishes for their guests from NTUC FairPrice.

NTUC FairPrice launched a Kindness Campaign in November this year to mark its first year of corporate membership with the Singapore Kindness Movement. In addition to the FairPrice Kindness Day, the supermarket retailer also organized an art contest for its shoppers’ children to depict in drawing acts of kindness in and around FairPrice.