Daanii Shauqii
Daanii Shauqii, 13, joined TOUCH Young Arrows (TYA) when he was seven. Living in a two-room rental flat in Marine Parade with his mother, Mdm Halimah, he was known as the boy who never keeps still. He also also struggled academically and had difficulty interacting with his classmates. TYA volunteer, Thomas, observed Daanii and noticed that he had short attention span and thought of creative ways to engage him. Finally, after four years when Daanii was in primary five, he could sit through more than an hour of academic coaching without taking any breaks. At home, Daanii also learnt to be more caring towards his mother. Mdm Halimah is encouraged to see her son improving in his social skills and making good progress in school, especially when he scored full marks in a recent spelling test.
Mdm Chew Siew Teng
Mdm Chew Siew Teng, 71, has polio and mobility issues. She now lives alone in her flat after her husband passed on 15 years ago. Six years ago, Mdm Chew suffered a fall at home, which left her hospitalised for three weeks. She fell again several times at home, leaving her feeling anxious. Preparing meals was a constant struggle as she was afraid to head out for fear of falls when buying groceries. Fortunately, Mdm Chew was referred to TOUCH’s Meals-On-Wheels programme, where she received meals delivered to her doorstep daily by volunteers.
Chen Zhiyu
Chen Zhiyu, 37, joined TOUCH Centre for Independent Living (TCIL) in May 2007. Diagnosed with intellectual disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder, he had difficulty expressing himself. At TCIL, Zhiyu used to be quiet and reserved, and would often go for lunch alone as he found it challenging to start a conversation with others. Whenever he faced difficulties and encountered problems managing his emotions, he would show his frustration by hitting his head against the wall.
Zhiyu was placed on the Job Preparation and Employment Services Track in 2011 to prepare him to be gainfully employed. After joining the programme, Zhiyu discovered his artistic talent and was offered the position of Workshop Apprentice under TOUCH SpecialCrafts Sheltered Employment Programme. With open communication and support from his family, Zhiyu managed to settle into his role at TOUCH SpecialCrafts and transit from being a part-time to a full-time staff in 2022. Art has given Zhiyu more confidence in life. He is no longer the reserved person he once was and is now able to briefly introduce himself and converse with others with some prompt occasionally.