FSLA 2015 | Individual Award: Francesca Phoebe Wah, BLESS
When Ms Francesca Phoebe Wah (Class of 2014) founded Bringing Love to Every Single Soul (BLESS) in 2014, her conviction was a simple one: every community is its own strongest resource. As such, to create sustainable changes in Singapore, the Non-Profit Organisation dedicates itself to community capacity building, or empowering communities to help themselves, which consequently enables members to co-create solutions to address problems; increases the sustainability of volunteerism; and establishes the social networks that underlie a caring society.
BLESS currently runs three programmes for the underprivileged, with each addressing a different social need. Francesca’s achievements best exemplify the Faculty’s commitment to cultivating all-rounded students, and she was awarded with a FASS Student Leadership Award in Academic Year 2014/2015. Find out more about Francesca’s motivations behind BLESS below, and apply for the FSLA now!
Could you tell us about your work on BLESS and your motivations for initiating it?
Bringing Love to Every Single Soul, BLESS, is a registered Non-Profit Organisation, incorporated on 21 June 2014. With an overarching framework of “A Community for Community”, BLESS recognises the bountiful potential of social capital and actively targets the community as a focal point of intervention. BLESS currently has three key programmes under our belt, with each one focusing on a different social need.
| Small Soul Blessings | An online platform that congregates and presents needs from different social service agencies, Small Soul Blessings coordinates community giving efforts to meet the physical and emotional needs of beneficiaries.
Much like online shopping, one can simply ‘click’ and purchase items on the online gifting portal on behalf of our beneficiaries. BLESS sources for supplies in bulk for cost savings, and distributes the gifts to the children to fulfil their wishes. |
| Shining Star Reads | A community-based reading programme held at the void decks of rental blocks to bring learning opportunities closer to homes, Shining Star reaches out to 4 to 9 year-olds.
Reading sessions are held on a weekly basis for children from lower-income families. For each reading session, there are five components: (a) reading for understanding, (b) reading for fluency, (c) word learning, (d) completion of learning sheets and (e) mobile library. |
| Values-in-Practice | Values-In-Practice (VIP), is a structured student engagement programme to intentionally inculcate values in pupils, encouraging them to put values into practice. It features 10 activity booklets and 8 storybooks, which are developmentally appropriate for each primary level. |
What was the impact of your project?
| Small Soul Blessings | In our recent cycle of Small Soul Blessings, we have expanded our beneficiaries to include the elderly. Of which, we blessed the seniors from Kampung Kapoor Family Service Centre with quad sticks and walking frames. As of today, a total of $34,106.75 has been collected through our online portal and we have blessed 5,030 children. We have also done cost savings of $41, 351.73 through bulk purchase. |
| Shining Star Reads | Shining Star Reads started with just four volunteers, a mat and borrowed books at Clementi Ave 2. And today, with the support from South West Community Development Council, we have grown from a humble 4 volunteers to 9 reading groups. |
| Values-in-Practice | With support from South West Community Development Council, we piloted VIP in three schools and the response has been positive. With more teachers coming on board, we have a refreshed VIP framework to inculcate values in our children. |