Singapore — During hard times such as these, it is always welcome news to hear of communities stepping up to help.
President Halimah Yacob recently commended the Assyakirin Mosque at Yung An Road in Jurong for helping those in need, especially the homeless.
A 2019 study found that there were about 1,000 people living on the street, and it is possible that there are more now, given the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the initiatives to help those who sleep rough are Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network launched in July 2019 by the Ministry of Family and Social Development (MSF).
The Assyakirin Mosque, which Madam Halimah visited on Wednesday (Jan 19), is part of the PEERS network. The mosque has been offerin a Safe, Sound Sleeping Place (S3P). These are safe environments found in public, community or religion-based facilities, which are designated for the homeless and rough sleepers to get some rest at night.
The program also makes “it easier for befrienders and social service agencies to keep in touch with rough sleepers and homeless individuals so they can provide social support in a timely manner,” says MSF.
Before the pandemic, only seven organisations operated S3Ps. As of 2021, there are now 40 groups providing transitional shelter for the homeless.
Madam Halimah wrote in a Jan 20 Facebook post that the Assyakirin Mosque is also part of the Dementia-Friendly Community network which provides support to caregivers of people with dementia.
“I commend Assyakirin Mosque for its good work. I hope it will continue to be part of these networks that bring benefit to the larger community,” she wrote.
She also praised the mosque for having a community pantry to aid the needy. “People may be in between jobs, or during the pandemic they may have taken pay cuts, and there are shortages of certain things that you need to cook at home or to eat,” she said during her visit.
The President also noted in her Facebook post that she is encouraged by the diversity of organisations helping the homeless and rough sleepers.
Bartley Christian Church in How Sun Drive set up a S3P during the pandemic , to protect the vulnerable, including young, low-income women, who have “become vulnerable to sexual exploitation and injustice”.
Homeless Hearts of Singapore is also part of the PEERS network. This group aims to “Make Singapore a City of Refuge where the community, infrastructure, and policies provide adequate support for those who are displaced/isolated”.
Other groups involved inm providing shelter include Masjid Hang Jebat, Charis Methodist Church, Hope Initiative Alliance, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Catholic Welfare Services, Good News Community Services, Kassim Mosque and New Hope Community Services.
/TISG