StarHub and Central Singapore CDC team up to help children from low-income families

SINGAPORE - StarHub and Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC) have teamed up to help underprivileged children within the community.

In a joint statement to the press, StarHub and Central Singapore CDC will help 600 children from low-income families in the Central Singapore Disctrict through the Nurture Programme, a weekly reading programme organised by volunteers.

The programme, which is sponsored by StarHub's Sparks Fund, aims to provide learning opportunities to children from underprivileged homes so as to improve their English language skills.

StarHub is in its fourth year of sponsoring the Nurture programme and has recently added five new modules as a further enhancement, known as Nurture 2.0, on the children's learning experience.

To commemorate the collaboration, 33 staff volunteers from StarHub took 188 Nurture beneficiaries on an excursion to the Jurong Bird Park today.

StarHub CEO Mr Tan Tong Hai presented a sponsorship cheque  of $250,000 to Guest-of-Honour and Mayor of Central Singapore CDC Ms Denise Phua at the event.

Ms Phua said: "StarHub has been a steadfast partner to Central Singapore's aspiration to ensure that no child, regardless of their background, is left behind.

"I am especially pleased that our partnership will be strengthened as we embark on an enhancement of the Nurture programme, with new booster learning modules that will value-add to the learning of the future generation."

One child who has benefitted from the Nurture programme is 12-year-old Abroysius Ng, who has been living with his grandmother and siblings after his parents' divorce.

Since attending the Nurture programme, Abroysius is now able to read and write better.

"I now enjoy reading storybooks in my free time, something in which I previously did not have interest," he said.

The new modules for Nurture will be rolled out to all 12 Nurture centres in the Central Singapore District this year.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg