Building independence for a fulfilling life

It’s 8am. Annie Teo, 53, picks out her favourite outfit, slings her backpack over her shoulders and puts on her socks and shoes. She then takes a public bus to TOUCH Centre for Independent Living (TCIL) from her home in the southwest of Singapore to Bukit Merah.

These seemingly easy daily activities of living were a challenge for Annie 20 years ago. Annie was diagnosed with intellectual disability, and it is a challenge for her to communicate and care for herself.  

Since attending TCIL (BM), Annie has learnt different skills that enable her to be more independent, such as art and crafts, money management, snack making, and housekeeping. Her time at TCIL (BM) is made more enjoyable with her lifeskills coaches and like-minded friends. Over the years, Annie has become a known friendly figure at the centre. Her lifeskills coaches have shared that she is now better able to communicate her needs and is more confident of taking on daily tasks. She can also readily assist them and lend a helping hand to her peers.

Her favourite activity is drawing. She loves being able to freely express her thoughts and emotions on a blank canvas. It stimulates her imagination and transports her to places she never knew. To spur her creativity, she regularly visits the library to draw references from the books that she reads. Her drawing was even selected as one of the designs for this year’s National Day Parade goodie bag.

As a tribute to the nation, Annie drew inspiration from the happy times she spent with her family and friends, as well as her favourite flower, the orchid. By combining these elements that she loves, Annie hopes that Singaporeans can continue to be resilient and make time for their favourite hobbies.

Annie has been empowered to discover her artistic talents and be more independent. Join us in building the independence of our other clients! #EveryoneCanBeSomeone