BEFORE the Deepavali festival this weekend, the atmosphere at Ms Komathy d/o Somasundaram’s house was livelier after being given a new look by some residents of the Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah). With the living room and rooms cleaned and repainted, Ms Komathy – who lives with her mother and her two daughters – is eager to invite their family and friends in conjunction with the celebration.
The effort is part of Project Happiness organised by Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah) to provide opportunities for former offenders to help renovate the homes of the needy ahead of the festive season.
On the week before Deepavali, residents of the Jamiyah Halfway House helped to decorate the home of an underprivileged Hindu family. Under the Project Happiness programme, former inmates were involved in an attempt to renovate a selected home. They were involved in tasks such as painting the house and installing new electrical fans. The efforts which amounted to more than $2000, lasted nearly a week and also provided the family with new beds and a refurbished living room.
The Deepavali celebrations for Ms Komathy d/o Somasundaram and her family is happier after she was given a new lease of life with the help of a group of residents from Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah). For the past six years, the walls of her three-room flat have been peeling off and household items were not in order. Ms Komathy, 44, lives with her two daughters aged 19 and 21 and her mother who is 74 years old.
“What is beside me? What do I see and feel? How do I understand bodily gestures?”
Through his work, Yale-NUS College’s visiting artist Sai Chen (aka Chen Sai Hua Kuan) seeks to engage his audience with these questions.
Sai is at Yale-NUS this semester as part of the College’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Programme. Launched in January 2020, the Programme positions contemporary art as living practice as well as creates art that increases the understanding of China and Chinese culture. A first-of-its-kind artist residency at a liberal arts and sciences college in Asia, the Programme is supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation through the Tan Chin Tuan Chinese Culture and Civilisation Programme.
Hari Raya Haji and National Day celebrations for the family of Ms Nur Erica Medinah Jaafar and her husband, Encik Husin was sweeter than previous years due to help received from ‘Project Happiness’ by Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah), sponsored by Tan Chin Tuan Foundation. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, help was still rendered to make the one-room rental flat for the family of five look more radiant
Three new members were inducted into the NUS Board of Trustees on 1 April – corporate veteren Ms Chew Gek Khim (Law ’84); experienced banker Ms Jeanette Wong (Business ’82); and renowned academic Professor Timothy L. Kileen. Ms Chew Gek Khim is Chairman of The Straits Trading Company Limited. She is also Executive Chairman of Tecity Group, and Chairman of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad and ARA Trust Management (Suntec) Limited.
