New programme will pair disadvantaged kids with trained youth mentors
To ensure disadvantaged children from low-income families are supported emotionally and have a role model they can look up to, a programme to recruit and train youth volunteers to befriend such children is set to be piloted.
The South East Community Development Council (CDC), which is behind the programme called "Lift me, Ah Kor/Ah Jie", said it is still looking for youth volunteers and other partners.
The Straits Times understands no start date has been fixed.
At the annual South East District Conference on Wednesday, Dr Maliki Osman, mayor of the district, said this was in support of Uplift, an initiative by the Ministry of Education.
Short for Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce and headed by Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah, Uplift is an inter-agency task force that aims to help children from disadvantaged homes level up.
South East CDC is planning to work with educational institutions within the South East District, as well as tap on its existing pool of youth volunteers.
The volunteers will be given training in areas such as communication. They will be supported with resources.
They will then be paired with students and meet them once a week - to read or go through homework together, for instance - with permission from the students' parents or guardians.
South East CDC aims to reach out to students from 50 low income families in the first year. - JOLENE ANG
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