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Could you be a blood hero?

6/21/2017

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Donate now. 60 minutes of your time can save three lives.
Last week, millions of people across the world took an hour out of their day, overcame their fears, and let a stranger stick a needle into their vein. In doing so, these people were helping to save a life. Potentially three lives. These people were donating their blood.

Wednesday 14 June was World Blood Donor Day 2017. You may have seen Singapore Red Cross’ campaign posters in the MRT station on your way to work. You may have seen the large format image of a bag filled with deep red blood, shuddered, and thought “not for me”. You may have simply walked straight past it, your head down as you checked your inbox. You wouldn’t have been alone. Many people are turned off by giving blood for a number of reasons: they’re scared of needles; are too busy; don’t want to feel weak afterwards; don’t think they have any blood to spare; don’t think their blood is needed; don’t want to catch AIDS.
​
The actual donation of a pint of whole blood unit takes no more than ten minutes

​I hate needles
Trypanophobia, a phobia of needles and injections, is a very real thing experienced by 10 percent of the population. But actually, most donors will tell you that you feel only an initial pinch as the needle goes in, and then seven to 10 minutes later you’re done. Including registration, the whole process takes an hour. One hour. This could mean a lifetime to a premature baby, a cancer sufferer having to go through chemotherapy, or someone who has been severely injured in an accident. Suddenly your fear of needles doesn’t compare with the fear of losing a child, a parent, or a spouse, because you can’t get a blood transfusion for them.
​
Your body will replace the donated blood within 24 hours

​I don’t have enough blood
The average adult body has 10-12 pints of blood. You will donate less than one pint, and your body, which constantly makes new blood, will replace the donated volume within 24 hours. Most people continue their usual activities after donating. You just might need a biscuit and a drink to give you a boost and help you on your way. You can give blood every 56 days. Many donors give five times a year.
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They don’t need my blood
If you think that you’re blood isn’t needed, because it’s a common blood group, then think again. Every type of blood is needed daily to meet patient needs. If you have a common blood type, there are many patients who need it, so it is in high demand. If you have a less common blood type, there are fewer donors available to give it, so it is in short supply.
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I don’t want to catch anything
There is a stigma associated with giving blood that has been hanging around since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic was at its peak and when researchers knew very little about how HIV was contracted or transmitted. These days, blood donations are fully screened and the risk of catching a virus or any blood-borne infection from a blood transfusion is very low; the odds of getting HIV through donated blood are about one in 2 million. It is not possible to get HIV or any other virus when giving blood since a new sterile needle is used and discarded afterwards.
​
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“I totally hate needles poking my skin and I don’t like to look at blood flowing out of anyone’s body. But, I know that one of the greatest things that I can share is my own blood. I wanted to battle my fear head on. After comparing the veins in both arms, the nurse decided to draw blood from my right arm. She applied alcohol and anaesthesia, then waited for a minute before inserting the needle into my vein. Instead of looking away as I usually do, I stared right at the needle. Now, I am officially a blood hero. Blood represents life. It is not only great, but noble to give a part of you - a part of your body to someone in need.” - Wilma Lapuz
Why should I donate blood?
Every hour of the day, 15 units of blood are used in Singapore. That’s more than 400 units of blood a day, and 120,000 units of blood every year. With an ageing population, more advanced life-saving medical procedures, and new hospitals being established, more blood will be needed every year.
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Currently, only about 1.8 per cent of Singapore's residential population are blood donors​ ​

​What happens to the blood I donate?
Your donation goes a long way. After blood is collected, it goes through stringent testing at the laboratories of the Health Sciences Authority to check for various diseases and blood typing.
It also gets separated into the three components — red blood cells, platelets, and plasma — for storage and distribution to hospitals.
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But World Blood Donor Day was last week
It doesn’t matter. Singapore Red Cross collects blood donations throughout the year to be able to meet the transfusion needs of patients. You can make a blood donation at any blood bank across Singapore or at a community blood donation drive near you.
​
How do I find out more?
Check out Singapore Red Cross to become a blood hero.

Have a watch of the video below too to see the journey that your blood will take from your vein to another's.
​


​Author

Emma Nobes

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Volunteering: a gig for the whole family

5/25/2017

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As parents, we want to raise responsible and empathic adults who will think of the environment around them and the people in it, who will overcome struggles and strive to be the best they can be, and who will, ultimately, be emotionally and physically happy and healthy. I am sure that I’m not wrong in suggesting that most of us who aren’t parents want the same of other people’s kids, since they are the generation that will, one day, be our politicians, economists, bankers, law enforcers, medical workers, scientists, teachers, and artists. I would even go so far as to say that nobody wants a generation of power-hungry money-grabbing narcissists helping to run or ruin the world in forty years time; we are all decent people here. I hope.

So how do we help our offspring to develop into thoughtful and caring individuals who will protect the environment and the animals and plants within it, who will understand their own privileges and care about the rights of all people, particularly when we live such busy and stressful lives?

Learning by example
There is one way to spend time with our children, strengthen that bond, and build social awareness and responsibility for the world around us: volunteering as a family. By volunteering with our children, we can help them to widen their perspective from the immediate bubble of their daily lives and to understand the bigger picture. We can provide them with an opportunity to develop relationships with different people from different cultures. Teach commitment. Help them to feel good about themselves. And, raise adults who are kind, respectful and empathic. ​

​Once children are exposed to helping other people, it starts to become a habit.
Ellen Sabin, author of "The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving"

​So where do I start?
Expatgiving can help. We can put you in touch with Boys’ Town, a registered charity that supports children and young adults who come from disadvantaged families, who may have faced hardships due to financial struggles, emotional trauma and abuse.
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The money that you and your family raise could help vulnerable children to learn strategies and skills to cope with their traumas and lives.
Boys’ Town needs people like you to help raise much-needed funds by selling flags for their national event, Flag Day 2017, on 31st May. The minimum age to get involved is 15 years. It’s a one-off island-wide event, so you can sell flags across Singapore. All that we ask is that you return your donation tin to your chosen volunteer centre. The money that you raise can help fund family-based care, counselling, and residential care to boys to help them to discover and develop their strengths and talents.

Let’s help our children to help others to fulfil their rights. Let’s show them how their actions can help make other people’s lives better. After all, they are the ones who will be running the show in a few years time.

For more information, click here.  

To find out how you and your family can help Boys’ Town make a difference, watch the video below. 


​Author

Emma Nobes

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Are you bilingual? Do you believe in family?

5/11/2017

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In this day and age, there are many different types of families. Some consist of two parents and children. Some are extended and have aunties, uncles and grandparents living under one roof. Some families have only one parent looking after children. Others merge together to create a new family unit. There is no right or wrong family structure; as long as the members of that family love and support each other to thrive and to be successful then that should be all that matters. ​

​Building blocks of the community
Care Corner Singapore is a registered charity that believes that strong and stable families are the foundation upon which a community is built, and that a vibrant family life is fundamental to personal growth. They support more than 50,000 people across the country through a network of services, including children and youth, elderly, special needs, counselling and family intervention.

The charity is working with the The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to reach out to transnational couples and spouses, that is to say a relationship or marriage between two people from different countries. The number of transnational marriages between a Singapore citizen and a person from another country (excluding permanent residents) has been growing steadily, from 23 percent of all marriages in 2003 to 30 percent in 2013. 
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Eight in 10 transnational marriages are between Singaporean grooms and
​non-resident brides. ​

​Overcoming cultural barriers
When people from different countries or cultures come together to form a family unit the actual practicalities of daily life can often be somewhat challenging. They may indeed speak the language of love, but face linguistic and cultural hurdles, and see and understand the world in different ways. Once the couple chooses to settle in Singapore then they must face the additional issues of immigration, unemployment and the stress of adapting to a new environment. According to counsellors and divorce lawyers, these cross-country unions are likely to collapse if they do not have a stable foundation.
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“What we hope to do is have the people start out on a proper footing to have
​as great a chance for success in their marriages, as much as possible.”  
Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing

​This is where Care Corner comes in. The charity helps new couples to open the lines of communication, to manage their expectations of each other and to strengthen their bond through a series of marriage preparation programmes and marriage support programmes. The programmes also help couples to focus on preparing to settle down in Singapore, changing citizenship, negotiating the laws and language of a new country, and on managing finances. Transnational couples are encouraged to attend these programmes, which consist of workshops, activities, group sharing and mini lectures, on a voluntary basis. The programmes are open to all couples, regardless of their financial situation.

​Share your language skills 
If you are proficient in Tamil, Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai or Tagalog, have empathy towards other cultures and can commit one day a week or when needed, then Care Corner needs you. They are looking for volunteers to translate these marriage programmes. Your translation skills could support spouses who have recently arrived in Singapore and help transnational couples to learn about each other, learn how to live with each other and learn how to live and get involved in Singapore life. Your support could help build families, build communities and build the Singapore of tomorrow.

​For more information, click here. 

​Not a translator but still want to help? 
No problem. Care Corner Singapore is also looking for volunteers with other skills. Take a look at the links below for more information.
  • Want to help Care Corner centres to reach out and help the community? Volunteer as Community Liaisons Office/Receptionist
  • Love children and know the current primary school syllabus? Volunteer as Evergreen Bees Mentors - Care Corner Singapore
  • Have video production experience and want to inspire others to take action in social good? Volunteer with​ Filmmakers 4 Good - Care Corner Singapore​


​Author

Emma Nobes

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Do you have an old laptop that you don’t use anymore?

4/17/2017

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A Singapore-based non profit organisation is looking for pre-loved and new laptops to help blind children in Laos learn valuable computer skills to help them not only in school, but also university, and to even increase their work opportunities later in life. 
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Etch Empathy, an organisation that believes in social inclusion for everyone, will be giving the laptops to Home of Light, a school in the capital Vientiane that supports children between seven and 16 years who have varying degrees of sight loss. 

Currently, 50 pupils are sharing just two computers. Etch Empathy wants to build a computer lab of a further 11 laptops for the school. The impact of this would be huge for the children. Not only would they not have to wait so long to use a laptop, but the teacher would be able to teach 13 pupils at any one time, instead of only two.
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Your laptop donation will help children who are blind to empower themselves at school, university and in their careers. Image credit: Etch Empathy
People with disabilities, such as blindness, face challenges of all types everyday. These laptops will help the children to empower themselves to live a more independent and fulfilling life. They will be able to communicate with others through email and social media, use multimedia like sound or video, use the Internet, and read and write documents. This means that children with total blindness will not be left behind and will be able to improve their literacy skills by accessing audio storybooks. Pupils who continue into higher education will be able to keep up in lectures by writing notes on a laptop, research essays online and submit work via email. School-leavers will fare better in the job market as employers prefer employees who can perform computer-aided tasks in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology. With your help, these children could learn skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.   
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The Home of Light school for blind children in Vientiane, Laos currently has just two computers between 50 pupils. Your donation could change lives for the better. Image credit: Etch Empathy
If you have an old laptop lying around at home, because you’ve upgraded to the latest model, or indeed you want to donate a new one, please contact Aaron Yeoh, Co-founder and CEO of Etch Empathy, at
+65 9737 7837 or aaron@etch.sg 

Your preloved laptops must be functioning, have speakers in good working condition, come with a battery and power adaptor, and have OS Windows 7 or above. Please donate your laptop by 7 May.  

Look in your storage cupboards, search your bomb shelters, hunt around your old drawers, because that piece of (fully-functioning) junk that you haven’t used since 2011 might be someone else’s treasure and could change a child’s life for the better.

Find out more about Etch Empathy at www.etch.sg
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If you have a laptop to donate or any queries, call Aaron Yeoh, Co-founder and CEO of Etch Empathy, on +65 9737 7837 or email him at aaron@etch.sg  

​

Author

Emma Nobes

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Women: the ongoing struggle for equal rights

3/30/2017

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Members of the suffrage movement in the UK carry arrows to honour the suffragists who served time in Holloway prison, London. Image credit: Julie Jordan Scott

​As a borderline Generation Xer with a university education, who wasn’t forced into marriage, chose when to become a mother, is in good health and was encouraged to do any job I wanted, I could be forgiven (and I am sure that I am not alone) in somewhat naively thinking that women’s equality had more or less been achieved, give or take certain non-Western practices in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The suffragettes got us the vote. The feminists of the 60s and 70s challenged perceptions about women and work, domestic violence, and reproductive rights. And, the latter-day movement of the 90s widened the focus to include the LGBT community and women of colour. I would be wrong of course.
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Poster showing the main focus of the latter-day feminist movement: uniting women of all race. Image credit: Chelsea Valentin Brown at soirart.tumblr
It is true that Europe and North America have made much progress in social and legal equality. But, given that the United Nations didn’t officially give women the status of human beings with rights until 24 years ago - 45 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - one could argue that this progress has been rather slow; the mere concept that women should not be seen as human beings, ridiculous.

Tragically, however, this is still the case with many countries merely pay lip service to their commitment to gender equality. Our journey to achieve true equality is not over in the West - women continue to work in lower-paid, lower-skilled jobs with greater insecurity, and are under-represented in leadership roles and fields - but it is our responsibility to help women in other cultures and societies, those women whose voices aren’t as loud as ours, to rise up and to feel empowered. Women and girls everywhere are facing barriers that deny their right to personal liberty and to life.

​Access to education

An estimated 31 million girls of primary age were out school in 2013 - 4 million more than boys.

Girls are prevented from going to school for a number of reasons: poor families prioritise their son’s education; household obligations; abusive or violent classroom environments; inadequate water and sanitation facilities to go to the toilet with dignity and privacy - particularly when menstruating; child marriage; and female genital mutilation.  
Educated girls are less likely to marry early and against their will, less likely to die in childbirth, more likely to have healthy babies, more likely to send their children to school, and more likely to find work. Girls with at least six years of school education are more likely to be able to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
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Pupils in their classroom in Cambodia. Educating girls benefits society as a whole. © Savann Oeurm/ActionAid
Two-thirds of the world's 774 million illiterate people are female.

UNESCO, Education for All Global Monitoring Report

​Sexual and reproductive health

Worldwide, one woman dies every 90 seconds in pregnancy or childbirth.

All women have the right to accessible, affordable and adequate health care that takes into consideration their cultural needs, including the ability to choose whether and when to get pregnant, and yet 225 million women worldwide women want, but lack access to, contraception. All women have the right to accurate information and services for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract illnesses, such as cervical cancer. But, only 3 in every 10 adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years have comprehensive and accurate knowledge about HIV.
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Zainab holds her baby boy few hours after giving birth to him. In her home country of Sierra Leone, one in 17 mothers has a lifetime risk of death associated to childbirth. She credits her successful birth with antenatal care during her pregnancy. Image credit: © UNICEF Sierra Leone/2016/Mason
Women are not dying of diseases we can't treat... They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.

​Mahmoud Fathalla, past president of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 

​Violence against women

Violence against women is a global issue and takes many forms, including: rape; domestic abuse; sexual harassment; reproductive coercion; female infanticide; and obstetric violence. Female genital mutilation, honour killings, dowry violence, marriage by abduction, forced marriage and other harmful customary or traditional practices are considered gender-based violence.

The effects of climate change, such as drought, threaten the safety of women and girls, leaving them vulnerable to assault, rape and abduction. In Kenya, for example, 90% of reported rapes occurred while women were collecting natural resources. Whereas trafficking of women increases by 20-30% following natural disasters.
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Sexual harassment is rampant on Sri Lanka's public transport system, with far-reaching effects on their jobs, educations and lives. © UNFPA Sri Lanka
Gender-based violence kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer.

​UNFPA, The Human Rights of Women

​Where does this leave us?

Empowering women around the world to have rights equal to men is a benefit to us all, socially, politically and economically. Improving girls’ access to education positively influences the lives of generations to come. Women’s considerable knowledge on the management and use of natural resources within the community are integral to the battle against climate change. Investing in access to sexual and reproductive information and services for women has a ripple effect on other areas of her life: she knows when she is safe from sexual violence, that she can complete her education and get a job, or stand in a political election.
$12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality
Perhaps then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, when speaking to the Fourth Women's Conference in Beijing, China in 1995, said it best: 

"As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace everywhere in the world, as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled, subjected to violence in and outside their homes - the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realised."


​Author

Emma Nobes
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International Women's Day: Women in the changing world of work

3/7/2017

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Thailand, 2015. Photo: UN Women/Pornvit Visitoran. | Lebanon, 2015. Photo: UN Women/Joe Saad | Kenya, 2016. Photo: CIAT/Georgina Smith
This week, on 8 March, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. Now, I’m going to confess something: I have never really paid much attention to this annual event. Friends have in the past posted, what I perceived, as vague and fairly vapid dedicatory remarks on Facebook and so I generally thought of it as being a rather wishy-washy excuse to give other women a gender-based pat on the back, in the form of “aren’t we great” and “we are so much stronger than men, yeah!”. I was wrong. In fact, until I started researching this article I didn’t think much of the importance of International Women’s Day, didn’t see this an an occasion to celebrate the progress that we have made, didn’t understand the opportunity to rally together and to campaign for our equality, our empowerment and our human rights. Pretty shameful really, especially given that I’ve worked in international development for a number of years. I knew the stats. I just hadn’t put two and two together.

​A vehicle for change

International Women’s Day has actually been observed, in some guise or another, for more than 100 years. Its roots are firmly embedded in working-classism and socialism, starting with 15,000 women garment workers, including many immigrants, taking to the streets of New York City in 1908 to demand better working conditions and better pay.

In 1910, at the International Socialist Congress in Copenhagen, German socialists Clara Zetkin and Luise Zietz proposed an International Women’s Day. Inspired by the fervour and campaign of women socialists in America, their aim was to promote equal rights, including suffrage. Over 100 women in 17 countries unanimously agreed and the following year, over 1 million people across Europe rallied for the right to vote and to hold public office, as well as to protest against employment sex discrimination.

In 1917, in response to the deaths of more than 2 million soldiers, women in Russia went on strike to demand an end to the war and to Russian food shortages. Their demand for “bread and peace” led to the abdication of the Czar and the provisional government granted women the right to vote.  ​​​
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“Give Us Women’s Suffrage. Women’s Day, March 8, 1914. Until now, prejudice and reactionary attitudes have denied full civic rights to women, who as workers, mothers, and citizens wholly fulfil their duty, who must pay their taxes to the state as well as the municipality. Fighting for this natural human right must be the firm, unwavering intention of every woman, every female worker. In this, no pause for rest, no respite is allowed." Five years later, women in the Weimar Republic gained the right to vote.

​Flash forward to 2017

The United Nations celebrated International Women’s Day for the first time in 1975 and in 1996 began the adoption of an annual theme. This year, the theme focuses on “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”. Its aim is to consider how we can accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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​The facts

We are becoming more globalised, more technological and more digital. And yet, women continue to be concentrated in lower-paid, lower-skill work with greater job insecurity, and are under-represented in leadership roles and fields, such as science and technology. 

  • Women make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men for work of equal value. The wage gap is even larger for women with children. 
  • ​​Only 4 per cent of CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies are held by women.
  • Worldwide, more than two-thirds of people above retirement age without any regular pension are women.
  • ​Husbands can legally prevent their wives from working in 18 countries.
  • Nearly 60 per cent of domestic workers worldwide have no limitations on their working hours
  • Laws against gender discrimination in hiring practices are only in place in 67 countries. 

Achieving gender equality in the world of work is absolutely essential for sustainable development. If women played an identical role in labour markets to that of men, as much as US$28 trillion, or 26
​per cent, could be added to the global annual GDP by 2025. ​
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Any job is a woman's job. Ending occupational segregation must be part of the shift. Timor-Leste, 2013. Photo: UN Women/Betsy Davis.

​Think globally. Act locally.

You don’t have to protest in the streets to make a difference. You could volunteer at the New2U Thrift Shop to help survivors of domestic violence. Donate your time or money to Babes, a crisis intervention program to support pregnant teenagers. Help underprivileged women to build confidence, develop skills and gain employment by offering your time to Daughters of Tomorrow. Or, find out about UN Women Singapore Committee and how you can get involved.

Great progress has been made, yes, but there is still so much more to achieve, and the struggle for true equality can only be overcome if we all fight together.  

​Next week on the Expatgiving blog, read about the issues that women and girls face around the world today.
​We want to hear from you
​Tell us which ordinary women you think have done extraordinary things. Whether it be your mum, your favourite author, artist or politician, we want to hear about it in the comments below.

​

Author

Emma Nobes

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Don’t throw away that food: Food wastage and playing our part

3/3/2017

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Help needy people in our communities and help our natural environment by reducing your food waste, and donating your time to Food Bank Singapore.
I cleaned out my fridge this week. Four grey rashers of bacon, an expired and unopened jar of tom yum paste, a bowl of cooked penne pasta, a half-drunk carton of orange juice, one mushy cucumber and a sorry-looking piece of yellow broccoli all went into the rubbish bin. I wish I could say that this was unusual. That we wasted this food just this one time, because we had been away for the long weekend and simply hadn’t been here to eat it, but I would be lying. Whether it be uneaten leftovers, expired goods or the result of changed plans, throwing away food is a common theme in our household. And, we aren’t the only ones. ​
One third of the food that the world produces ends up in the rubbish bin. 
Every year, we are throwing away enough food to cover the land mass of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Not only is this costing US$ 750 billion, but it’s having a devastating impact on our environment. Our greenhouse gases are rising, climate is changing, forests are being cleared and land eroded, surface and ground water is being used, and bees and other biodiversities are dying. It doesn’t stop there, as we use the world’s natural resources to grow, process, package and transport all this wasted food, we are contributing to the loss of livelihoods and to rising conflicts, as well as harming human health through the use of pesticides. ​
Nine out of ten Singaporeans are concerned about food waste
More than 790,000 tonnes of food waste were generated in Singapore last year. That’s around 140 kilos of food per person. Or, the equivalent of throwing away two bowls of rice every day. If we carry on throwing food away at the rate that we are then Singapore will need a new incineration plant every seven to ten years, and a new landfill every 30 to 35 years. If we could reduce how much food we waste by just 15%, it would be like taking 86,000 cars off the road. ​
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Volunteers wanted to help the Food Bank Singapore!
As we waste food, one in eight people worldwide go hungry every day
We don’t hear about it very often, but there are people going hungry in Singapore too. The Food Bank Singapore is a charity that aims to make food that would otherwise be wasted available to those who need it, low-income or single-parent families, the elderly or people with disabilities, for example. They collect donated and excess food from farms, manufacturers, distributors, retail stores, consumers, and other sources, which they then store in the centralised warehouse. From here, the Food Bank distributes the unwanted food to a network of 130 community agencies.
Food Bank Singapore helps to “make life better for those who are having it rough” 
Gerard Ee, Executive Director, Beyond Social Services
Beyond Social Services helps children and youths from less privileged backgrounds to break away from the poverty cycle. Thanks to Food Bank, Beyond Social Services is able to provide monthly food donations to needy families. Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home receives raw and uncooked food items, like rice, from the Food Bank, helping not only to reduce otherwise wasted food, but redirecting precious funds towards the boys’ education, health or clothing.
​
​How can we help?
We all have our part to play, individual consumers, farmers, fishers, food processors, supermarkets, local and national governments alike. As consumers, we can be smarter when we do our grocery shopping, avoid serving too much, save and eat leftovers, and and keep an eye on expiry dates. If we can’t reduce wasted food then we can donate it to Food Bank.

And, we can also donate our time. Food Bank Singapore needs your help to store and pack food in the warehouse in Tanjong Pagar. This is your opportunity to help play a key role in reducing food wastage in Singapore.

So next time you go to throw that half-eaten burger that your kid left in Macdonalds, toss that bruised tomato for a more attractive one, or can’t be bothered to reheat last night’s dinner, consider the bigger picture, think about what impact your actions are having, and then become a Food Banker.

For more information about volunteering with Food Bank Singapore, click here.  

Author

Emma Nobes 

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Helping mums to get back into the work place

2/4/2017

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Volunteering can help you change your life and those around you

​Raising a family can be our biggest joy and our biggest challenge. For women, the role of being a parent often involves choosing whether to go straight back to work after maternity leave or to stay at home full time. There is, of course, no right or wrong way; only the way that works for you and your family.

For those women who do decide to be a stay-at-home mum, two years can pass or ten, and then you find that you have to go back to work out of financial necessity, or you want to fulfil other needs outside of your role at home. But what do you do if it’s been so long that the thought of walking into an office, a classroom or a boardroom makes you feel nervous and insecure? Well, there’s a middle ground: volunteering.
Improve your job prospects
Volunteering when you have to go back to work for the money can seem counter intuitive, but actually it can be a very sensible way to play the long game when it comes to your career. When you go on an extended break, industries often move on. Technology and social media, for example, are having huge impacts on certain sectors, including hospitality, retail, secretarial, finance, charity, education and medical. By volunteering with a local community project or a nation-wide charity, you are showing that you are proactive, developing new skills, and you are keeping your experience relevant. It is also an opportunity to make contacts that can provide references and networking opportunities. You may find a paid job at the organisation, use the skills that you have gained to find a job elsewhere, or even start your own business.
Feel good about yourself
And then there is the small matter of confidence. You’re proud of the achievements that you made in your career before you started a family, but you’re not sure you know how to be in a work environment anymore. Offering your time and your services can help by giving you a renewed sense of purpose and a taster of being back at work without throwing you in the deep end.
Find what engages you
You may not even want to go back to the high-powered high-stress job that you had before and have other interests that you want to explore. Getting involved gives you the opportunity to find out what you are passionate about: vulnerable children, education, women’s health, disabilities, mental health, supporting the elderly, foreign domestic workers’ rights. Your priorities may have changed, but your enthusiasm and passion surely have not and perhaps you will even discover a new career path.

Whatever your reasons for volunteering, whether it be to bolster your cv, feel better about yourself, or figure out what else interests you, you will have certainly have had some fun and made a few new friends.

Author

Emma Nobes

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Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! 新年快乐! (Happy New Year!)

1/27/2017

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The Year of the Rooster is nearly upon us and unless you live the life of a recluse, or indeed you haven’t left the office for the last two weeks, then you will certainly have noticed the red paper cutouts and lanterns adorning shop doorways, the miniature mandarin trees lining your neighbours’ driveways, or heard the din of a lion dance as it chases away the evil spirits. The Lunar New Year, so-called because it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar, is nigh.

Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, traditionally, is the time for the Chinese to mark the end of the coldest part of the year and to look forward to the beginning of spring. It is symbolic of letting go of the past and welcoming new beginnings. It is a time for honouring one’s elders, reconciling and making amends, avoiding offence and establishing old ties. It’s also the time when China lights more fireworks than any other country of the world at any given point during the year. 
More than 70 per cent of Singapore's population is ethnic Chinese 
Singapore is one of 12 countries to have public holidays this weekend alongside Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines and South Korea. In fact, one fifth of the world’s population will be celebrating the Chinese New Year, from London’s Trafalgar Square to San Francisco’s Chinatown. In Singapore’s Chinatown, residents and tourists alike can enjoy the hubbub of the lively markets, or see hand-crafted lanterns and eat Chinese delicacies at River Hongbao at Marina Bay. Or, you can experience the largest street performance and float parade in Asia, the Chingay Parade at the Formula one Pit Building, to celebrate the many cultures of our local communities: Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian. 

If you aren’t going to be celebrating Chinese New Year this year (and will be avoiding the crowds), but still want to honour our host nation and support your local community, then check out the latest volunteer postings on Expatgiving. You can give as little or as much time as suits you, but your help will most certainly bring you, and the people that you are helping, a new beginning.
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​Author

Emma Nobes 

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How can we can help you start and stick to your goals for 2017?

1/20/2017

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Riding Association for the Disabled (RDA Singapore) are always delighted to hear from potential volunteers, especially those who may be interested in sidewalking with the riders. No horse experience is required!
It’s over. Christmas is over. Party season is over. Eating until we burst. Drinking too much wine. Spending too much money. It’s all over. Let us breathe a collective sigh of relief for it is the New Year. We have left the old and started the new. This is a time of rebirth and starting afresh.

Four thousand years ago, in honour of the new year, the ancient Babylonians made promises to the gods during a raucous 12-day festival to pay their debts and to return borrowed items. In return, the gods would bestow favour on them for the coming year.

The Romans, 1,500 years later, offered the sacrifice of a ram and made promises to Janus, the god of beginnings, time, doorways and transitions. Janus had two faces: one to look to the past and one to the future.

​Early Christians were slightly less wild and meditated on the year past and the year to come by singing hymns and reading scriptures to help avoid temptation and to treat others with Christian charity.

These days, particularly in the Western world, our resolve to do better for the year to come is less set in a biblical context and is far more to do with self improvement. Our New Year resolutions often involve exercise, eating healthily, losing weight, giving up smoking, drinking less alcohol, and other undesirable behaviours and habits. Sadly, our lack of fear of the wrath of the gods and our eventual and lazy acceptance that we’ll never squeeze into that dress, has probably got rather a lot to do with why many of us have abandoned our New Years resolutions by round about now.

However, Expatgiving is here to support you. We can help you to expand your interests, practise your life skills, meet new friends, improve your mental well-being, advance your career, and be happier. We can put you in contact with local non-profit organisations that need your skills, your energy and your desire to help.
Care about dogs, cats and other small animals?
SPCA Singapore is looking for helpers to clean cages and feed the animals, sell merchandise at events, talk to potential owners about the SPCA and adoption, and help with adoption procedures. Whereas, Action for Singapore Dogs is looking for people to raise awareness about their work, about adoption and responsible pet ownership, as well as help clean the dormitories.
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Like horses and and want to help people with disabilities? ​
Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore (RDA Singapore) needs ‘big brothers and sisters’ to support riders during therapeutic and rehabilitative horse-riding sessions. Help children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities to gain self confidence, independence, improved circulation, balance motor coordination and mobility, and a sense of freedom.
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Care about the local community?
Bizlink needs your help to reach out to people with disabilities in Singapore and to assist them in achieving independence, dignity and integration into mainstream society through open and sheltered employment.
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Want to help elsewhere?
Delivering food to low-income families. Empowering disadvantaged children. Fighting for the rights of migrant workers. Non profit organisations across Singapore are currently looking for skilled people like you to help in these areas too. If you are not interested in current volunteer opportunities or don’t have the time to help now, that’s okay. We update volunteer posts on Expatgiving regularly and so you can volunteer your time and skills at your pace and convenience.
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​Whatever you decide to do to volunteer, you are giving your time and skills to help others, so give yourself a pat on the back. And, if you still manage to get up at 6am for those weekend workouts, then give yourself two.


​Author

Emma Nobes

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