She created a refuge for abused teenage girls that feels like a real home: 'They have gone through so much'

When you mention a girls’ home, many people immediately think of problem kids or offenders.

“Some have received death threats from family members such as frazzled mums picking up knives and saying ‘I’m going to kill you’. Picked up by their school or the police, they have been placed at the home for their own safety by the Child Protective Service under the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

“There is a reason why our girls are behaving this way. And it’s really up to us who have not experienced what they have experienced to try to understand them, and journey alongside them,” said director of Gladiolus Place, Michelle Tan. Tan works with a team of care staff and social workers, as well as fundraising, administrative, communication, event and housekeeping staff to support the girls at Gladiolus Place.

Knowing she could not take all the girls home, she decided then and there to transplant her own home into Gladiolus Place.It was the little things. Dinner at 6pm. Everybody – the staff and girls – would sit down at a big table and bond over a simple meal of steamed rice, braised chicken, omelette, stir-fried chye sim and watermelon. Everyone would talk at the same time. It was noisy and lively.

Within a month, Tan confiscated the girls’ phones and instant noodles. Instead, they were given an hour of handphone time, which they had to earn with good behaviour. She also made instant noodles an incentive. By and large, it worked. Most of the girls started to eat nutritious meals, regulate their bedtime and wake up on time for school.You might think that for girls who have gone through so much, a home like this would be a welcome oasis. But the truth is a lot more complicated.

“When they perceive any form of threat, they usually have a fight-flight-fright response – they may fight it out, escape or withdraw in fright. The abuse also affects their personhood, self-image and confidence. “She was eventually able to better manage her emotions and returned to her family. She also got herself into a polytechnic to study,” said Tan proudly.

Source: Real Estate Daily Report (realestatedailyreport.net)

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'It helped me work through my emotions': Woman shares how she went through the 5 stages of grief after a breakupBreakups are tough, even if they are amicable. The road to healing is different for everyone. For one woman, she decided to share her personal journey on how she healed her broken heart. In a Lemon8 post, Caitlin mentioned how she went through the five stages of grief during her breakup. She first came across the idea in university when...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »

‘I know what it’s like to be homeless and helpless’: After her mum left the family when she was 15, she took overAfter her mother abandoned them, Zulayqha Zulkifli became the mother figure to her three siblings, juggling her studies and working to put meals on the table. She tells her story to CNA Women in this instalment of our Mother’s Day series on unconventional motherhood.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Woman's order MIA after Foodpanda deliveryman insists she come downstairs to collect foodA woman felt cheated after her food delivery order went missing after the deliveryman insisted on her coming down to collect her order in person. Read more at stomp.straitstimes.com
Source: stompsingapore - 🏆 11. / 53 Read more »

Housewife gets 16 weeks’ jail after she punched domestic helper and threw vomitus at her faceShe punched the helper’s face three times. Her husband tried to stop the assault and apologised for his wife’s behaviour. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: straits_times - 🏆 5. / 69 Read more »

Hong Kong singer Vivian Chow still replies to every fan letter she receivesHONG KONG – Her biggest hits, such as A Long And Lasting Love and If You Knew My Difficulties, might have been released in the 1990s, but veteran Hong Kong singer Vivian Chow still receives plenty of fan mail. Not only that, she replies to every single...
Source: thenewpaper - 🏆 7. / 63 Read more »

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu reveals she had two miscarriagesTAIPEI – Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu had two miscarriages, in 2011 and 2018. Following a report in Taiwan’s Mirror Media on Wednesday, the 46-year-old confirmed the news in a statement issued through her lawyer Lai Fangyu. Hsu was married to Chinese...
Source: thenewpaper - 🏆 7. / 63 Read more »