Experience of a "befriender"

What low-income families want

How ComLink+ works

Linking the dots for low-income families

How you can help such families

How MSF's new "family coaches" will work

Hear how you can donate in terms of financial assistance or even in other ways if you can set aside your time.

Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

The Forward Singapore exercise began in June 2022, and over 16 months, more than 200,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life have taken part in engagement sessions on a wide range of topics. The engagement exercise ended with the Forward Singapore Report released by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct 27, 2023.

The report reflects Singaporeans’ collective aspirations and shared understanding of our roles and vision for the future.

Today, about 14,000 families with children who live in public rental housing are supported by the Community Link programme – in housing, employment and education. It’s a programme to support lower-income families in all HDB towns, with a focus on those living in public rentals with children under 21.

In this episode, we’ll look at the new and boosted ComLink+ programme.

ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis hosts three guests in this episode:
Mr Manas Gupta, a ComLink volunteer befriender who conducts home visits to help families in need of community support
Mr Malminderjit Singh, a volunteer with a foster home and who is also on advisory boards related to community support
Mr Lim Teck Kiat, a senior director in policy from the Ministry of Social & Family Development

This podcast is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information, in support of Forward Singapore: https://str.sg/wFbY

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:35 Why Mr Manas became a "befriender" to a low-income family, and how they have interacted with him

5:30 Mr Malminderjit on how the financial assistance scheme was crucial in shaping his own life, and what low-income families actually want, what moves the needle

10:56 Mr Lim explains how the new ComLink+ programme will work

16:05 Ensuring longer-term financial support and reducing gaps in early childhood development - befrienders can also link the dots for ComLink+ new "family coaches"

18:30 Can potential donors reach out financially? Also, can the community chip in more, besides just financial donations, such as in mentorships, internships, jobs

21:50 The ComLink+ programme's new “family coaches”: How this new role works, and other volunteer partnerships

More on how you can help in ComLink+:

ComLink+ programme: https://str.sg/ixLQ

Select your preferred cause: https://str.sg/ixLM

MSF website: https://str.sg/ixLY

Listen to other instalments of this Forward SG-themed series:

Pt 1: Jobs & upskilling - https://str.sg/iqXa

Pt 2: Youth panels - https://str.sg/iqXR

Pt 3: End of profit-flipping BTO mentality - https://str.sg/ixLf

Produced by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg), Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#inyouropinion

Hear how you can donate in terms of financial assistance or even in other ways if you can set aside your time.
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The Forward Singapore exercise began in June 2022, and over 16 months, more than 200,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life have taken part in engagement sessions on a wide range of topics. The engagement exercise ended with the Forward Singapore Report released by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct 27, 2023.
The report reflects Singaporeans’ collective aspirations and shared understanding of our roles and vision for the future.
Today, about 14,000 families with children who live in public rental housing are supported by the Community Link programme – in housing, employment and education. It’s a programme to support lower-income families in all HDB towns, with a focus on those living in public rentals with children under 21.
In this episode, we’ll look at the new and boosted ComLink+ programme.
ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis hosts three guests in this episode:
<ol>
<li>Mr Manas Gupta, a ComLink volunteer befriender who conducts home visits to help families in need of community support</li>
<li>Mr Malminderjit Singh, a volunteer with a foster home and who is also on advisory boards related to community support</li>
<li>Mr Lim Teck Kiat, a senior director in policy from the Ministry of Social &amp; Family Development</li>
</ol>
This podcast is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information, in support of Forward Singapore: <a href="https://str.sg/wFbY">https://str.sg/wFbY</a>
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:35 Why Mr Manas became a "befriender" to a low-income family, and how they have interacted with him
5:30 Mr Malminderjit on how the financial assistance scheme was crucial in shaping his own life, and what low-income families actually want, what moves the needle
10:56 Mr Lim explains how the new ComLink+ programme will work
16:05 Ensuring longer-term financial support and reducing gaps in early childhood development - befrienders can also link the dots for ComLink+ new "family coaches"
18:30 Can potential donors reach out financially? Also, can the community chip in more, besides just financial donations, such as in mentorships, internships, jobs
21:50 The ComLink+ programme's new “family coaches”: How this new role works, and other volunteer partnerships
More on how you can help in ComLink+:
ComLink+ programme: <a href="https://str.sg/ixLQ">https://str.sg/ixLQ</a>
Select your preferred cause: <a href="https://str.sg/ixLM">https://str.sg/ixLM</a>
MSF website: <a href="https://str.sg/ixLY">https://str.sg/ixLY</a>
Listen to other instalments of this Forward SG-themed series:
Pt 1: Jobs &amp; upskilling - <a href="https://str.sg/iqXa">https://str.sg/iqXa</a>
Pt 2: Youth panels - <a href="https://str.sg/iqXR">https://str.sg/iqXR</a>
Pt 3: End of profit-flipping BTO mentality - <a href="https://str.sg/ixLf">https://str.sg/ixLf</a>
Produced by: Ernest Luis (<a href="mailto:ernest@sph.com.sg">ernest@sph.com.sg</a>), Hadyu Rahim &amp; Amirul Karim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wukb">https://str.sg/wukb</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/w7sV">https://str.sg/w7sV</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=hangouts&amp;ust=1648188366398000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1WcEBRZOS93Dj9bLJzYou0" data-display="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-sanitized="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=hangouts&amp;ust=1648188366398000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1WcEBRZOS93Dj9bLJzYou0">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1604121592032000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF423GUSRs-f8wdi3ldSNpY72885g">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read ST's Opinion section: <a href="https://str.sg/w7sH">https://str.sg/w7sH</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
ST Sports Talk: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
Discover ST Podcasts: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#inyouropinion

Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Podcaster: Lynda Hong and ST journalists

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Podcaster: Lynda Hong and ST journalists
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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