Presenters:
Ms Siti Arifah Binte Shaik Abdul Kadir
Mr Indra Putra Kamsan
Ms Nina Alisa Binte Kamsan
Mr Daryl Tan Jinn Wen
Mr Chong Yen Kiat

Moderator:
Professor Chua Beng Huat

Time: 4:00pm to 5:30pm (Registration starts at 3.45pm)

Venue: FASS Dean’s Office Seminar Room B, AS7-01-16/17/18, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, National University of Singapore
Address: 5 Arts Link (S)117570

Abstract:
In our local context, education has often been considered a social leveller, while home ownership is supported through various schemes as a means of asset building. Educational outcomes and home ownership have hence been highlighted as ways to improve social mobility for low-income families; however, they often face challenges that require more than just motivation and resilience to overcome.

As part of our work in supporting families to break out of poverty, South Central Community Family Service Centre (SCC) embarked on research pieces in both education and home ownership to inform our initiatives in these areas. What are the ingredients that matter most in the educational journeys of students who have overcome the odds? How do families cope with the transition from rental to purchased flats, and what lessons have they learnt? Finally, how can such research make a difference to the communities we work with?

At this presentation, we will share our findings on journeys of education and home ownership, how research was made applicable for the community, and evidence-based recommendations for social service practitioners. In line with SCC’s belief of empowering communities, there will also be community members present as part of a panel to share experiences from the ground.

Presenters' profile:

Siti Arifah - A capable mother of four who recently purchased her own flat. She currently works as a Social Work Assistant and has a memory that could rival a computer’s, making her a valuable asset.

Indra and Alisa - A brother-sister pair who both made their way to the ‘A’ levels against all odds. Indra will be pursuing Chemistry in NUS after completing his National Service, while Alisa aspires to be a Mathematics teacher in future.

Daryl and Yen Kiat - form a group of researchers from SCC who treasure the power of evidence to inform and support the work. Between themselves, their research interests include attitudes towards poverty, the role of the community in poverty transformation, and evaluation of initiatives targeted at improving outcomes for low-income families such as education, housing, employment, healthcare and their contribution to the community.