People with intellectual disabilities (PWID), people with special needs can do more than enjoy going through each day being in a protective environment where their needs are provided. They can go out there and have the best quality of life possible. By nurturing their strengths and innate talents to optimize the outcomes of their lives, we can build an inclusive society where PWIDs can have equal opportunities with the rest. Such vision is all good and as soon as it is backed up with programs that aim for positive development in all aspects, it will work. MINDS or the Movement of the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore is definitely at it!
In the Beginning
Like the others, MINDS is a humble organization with very ambitious goals. But it has become one of the biggest, most respectable welfare organizations in Singapore because its founders did not stop working until their targets are hit.
MINDS started in 1962, first tagged as Singapore Association for Retarded Children (SARC). It was an offshoot of Singapore Children’s Society’s efforts to provide educational and training programs for the intellectually disabled, launched in 1960. Two years later, medical social worker Daisy Vaithilingam, together with Ena Aeria, Warren Fox, and Freda Paul, built the group and applied for funding. When they received a $10,000 grant from the Rotary Club, they started a special education school in a classroom at Towner Road with just two teachers and around 26 students. And they never looked back since.
Currently, MINDS runs around 17 facilities, which include special education schools, training and development centers, employment development centers, specialized services, and a residential home. It also maintains a caregivers support center, home-based care services, a social enterprise department, and its own Allied Health Professionals. All those are maintained to ensure a holistic approach to caring for PWIDs and their families, making sure MINDS walk the complete journey with their beneficiaries across their lifespan.
MINDS has definitely grown big, run by 700 staff members plus hundreds more of volunteers. It currently has 2,400 plus beneficiaries under its care, generating an annual expense of 60 million Singapore dollars based on 2020 records.
The Purpose
Empowerment for people with intellectual disabilities and their families is the main reason a group of philanthropists built MINDS in the first place. And it remains to be the organization’s driving force to this day. Its facilities, programs, and services are committed to bringing out the best in its beneficiaries so they can pursue their dreams and live the best life that they deserve.
Looking ahead to celebrating their 60th year in 2022, the MINDS board, on the stewardship of its main man Mr. Augustin Lee, is working towards a movement that will “make Singapore truly inclusive, and a place where PWIDs are accepted as valued members of the community.”
Volunteer-driven to Succeed
At the heart of MINDS movement is the unwavering support of its volunteers, coming from all walks of life. They are more than just volunteers; they are considered friends, advocates, and catalysts of change for these differently gifted individuals. They help maximize the impact of MINDS programs and services by imparting their time, talents, and treasures.
It is amazing how, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, MINDS services continued to run safely, thanks to its generous corporate partners and individual volunteers. Virtual engagements like arts and crafts, Zumba, and yoga sessions helped bring joy to PWIDs and a much needed respite for their caregivers during these very challenging times. The beneficiaries did their part, too. They helped pack around 7,000 care packages and made a “Thank you” video for healthcare frontliners and dormitory workers. The MINDS bakers also helped raise funds by selling red velvet cookies, in support of President’s Challenge 2020.
How to Be of Help
With volunteers forming the heartbeat of MINDS, they are constantly wanted and needed to continue making a change to the lives of PWIDs and their families. To see how you can be of help, check out the volunteers page. You may also get in touch thru their social media pages: Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
Choose from among the available roles if you want to work onsite or online, depending on what is most convenient for you. There is a minimum commitment requirement for volunteers who want to go onboard. You will also be required to go through trainings to perform the roles best.
Soon enough, we will live in a world where people with intellectual disabilities are no longer perceived as crazy. Instead, they will be fully integrated into the community, living a life with a purpose. That’s what MINDS live for and continue to work for.
