Teachers honoured for guiding girls through challenges
Wanting to empower girls at Spectra Secondary School, teacher Nurul Huda Mohamed Hud, 32, set up Spectra 1st Company, a Girl Guides company.
She says being a Girl Guide helped her overcome challenges in life.
She became a guider at 22.
Said Miss Nurul Huda: "Initially, I was overwhelmed by the challenges I faced teaching at Spectra. But the leadership skills I learnt from guiding saw me through. Since joining the company, the students have become confident and learnt to stand up for themselves."
Mrs Santhi Chandrasegaran, 58, has been in the guiding movement since 1985.
The mother tongue teacher at Innova Primary School is an active member of the Brownie Branch Committee and also assists in training Brownies and Brownie Leaders.
Said Mrs Chandra: "Some of the girls come from difficult backgrounds and were hard to reach out to. But Brownie activities such as camping and community service have moulded them to speak out more, be confident and take up leadership roles. Guiding has also taught them to be independent."
The teachers' efforts were rewarded at last month's Girl Guides Singapore (GGS) Guiders' Conference at Guide House. Mrs Chandra received the Palm Leaf Gold Award, conferred on uniformed members who have rendered exemplary service to the organisation.
Miss Nurul Huda received a 10-Year Long Service Award.
The theme for this year's conference was Her Story Begins With You, highlighting the roles guiders play in impacting the lives of their charges.
EMPATHY
The guest speaker, Mrs Lee Gek Kim, a retired teacher and former Girl Guide, spoke of how the skills she learnt from her guiding days prepared her for her teaching career.
Mrs Lee, who became president of the Trefoil Guild, an adult branch of GGS in the 1980s, said: "Guiding taught me qualities such as empathy, respect for authority and service to the community."
She wrote a book about her experiences, A Reward Beyond Description, which is available at Popular and Books Kinokuniya at $29.90 (including GST).
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