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The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) is a self-help group that was set up to uplift the Singapore Indian Community. SINDA’s key thrusts are in Education, Family Services and Active Collaboration.
SINDA was formed in August 1991 to address pressing educational and socio-economic needs. It was brought out that Indian students were under-performing in the academic arena and wide-ranging remedial measures were recommended. In this light, SINDA was set up to improve the academic performance of Indian students. Also, SINDA also reaches out to help families who require approach for various forms of assistance. Youths too benefit from programmes that are aimed at mentoring and equipping them.
The core thrust of SINDA is ‘Maximising Educational Opportunities for ALL’.
The challenges for SINDA were to foster a sense of community amongst the diverse Indian groups, coordinate efforts by various voluntary welfare organisations, and raise funds.
Regular fundraising was proposed as an opt-out scheme for Indian workers, to be deducted from the worker’s Central Provident Fund (CPF), at a minimum S$2 per month. Indian Muslims who supported MENDAKI had the option to support one or the other, or both, depending on their needs and preferences. In addition to monthly donations, an endowment fund was set up, with the aim to raise S$30 million within three years. These had enabled SINDA to raise funds at an estimated S$2.5 million annually.
By late 1991, SINDA’s endowment fund had reached S$2 million. In early 1992, SINDA launched a nation-wide tuition programme targeted at students with borderline scores preparing for major examinations at Primary and Secondary levels. In conjunction with this, SINDA also wished to address underlying family and social issues affecting students. To accomplish this, SINDA set up both an educational wing and a welfare wing, the latter of which would organise talks for parents, and educational and career counselling for students. In 1996, another wing was set up to address issues affecting at-risk youths.
S. Dhanabalan suggested in 1999 that it could be good for members of other ethnic groups to sit on the SINDA Board, so that the communities could understand each other’s challenges. In terms of services, SINDA already worked with other partners. For example, in 1993 it partnered with the Eurasian Association for its joint tuition programme. Later, under the umbrella organisation, the Joint Social Service Centre (JSSC) (which was formed in late 1997), SINDA and MENDAKI came together in 1999 to set up a mini family service centre, which offered counselling, information and referral services. Nevertheless, debate continues about the appropriateness of dividing services along ethnic lines, on the one hand is the need to understand the community to address the issues it faces, and on the other is the potential to isolate the groups further.
SINDA’s task to raise the educational levels of Indian students within 20 years has expanded as its role in the community has become more prominent. It now encompasses not only education but social services, training and community bonding. It has become the “brand” image of Singapore’s Indian community, and has offered many programmes in partnership with other Indian and non-Indian organisations, as well as developing a strong volunteer pool. The JSSC, now renamed OnePeople.sg (set up in 2007), continues to coordinate efforts of SINDA and the three other ethnic self-help groups in promoting racial harmony.
On 28th August 2010, the SINDA Youth Club (SYC) was officially launched by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. SYC is independently managed by a team of young members who excel in various professions and gains the support of the SYC Secretariat. The chairman to the committee is Mr Aaron Maniam who sits on national youth bodies and brings a vast amount of information on grooming leaders.
A primary focus of SYC is to engage Indian youths and to provide them with developmental and enrichment activities/programmes with a strong educational agenda; and to inspire Indian youths to have positive aspirations.
SYC’s programs and events promote and enhance the development of youths between the ages of 13 to 35 by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.
SYC also has a Youth Hub based at SINDA headquarters for youths, Hub@SINDA, which was inaugurated by Mr S Dhanabalan on 5th August 2011. Youths can discuss community issues, relax and chill out over movies and games there. They can also get information pertaining to their career and academic paths.
SYC collaborates with other Indian youth organizations and we host annual networking sessions with several committees to have mutual understandings of the individual purposes we serves as youth organizations. Our purpose is not to replicate the type of programmes but rather work hand in hand for the betterment of Indian youths.
23rd November 2011 was a momentous day in SINDA’s history as its 2020 Review Committee unveiled key findings and recommendations for the Indian community in Singapore.
The SINDA 2020 Review Committee, headed by Dr N Varaprasad, engaged in a year long review on the Indian community. The research revealed that Indian students are underachieving in their Mathematics subjects and performing below the national average, in landmark national examinations. In 2009, close to a quarter of Indian students failed Mathematics in their PSLE and GCE ‘O’ Level examinations. Repercussions of this include students having limited academic options and pathways in junior colleges, polytechnics, ITEs and universities.
Moving forward, SINDA will address these issues by undertaking several initiatives. They include encouraging parents to send their children to preschool, focusing more on Mathematics through innovative teaching methods and expanding its tuition reach through Project Teach to secondary schools.
Besides having to boost academic standards of Indian pupils, SINDA will also work closely with youths and families to enhance their motivation and to strengthen family resilience at home respectively.
click here to go back to SINDA's navigation page.
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The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) is a self-help group that was set up to uplift the Singapore Indian Community. SINDA’s key thrusts are in Education, Family Services and Active Collaboration.
SINDA was formed in August 1991 to address pressing educational and socio-economic needs. It was brought out that Indian students were under-performing in the academic arena and wide-ranging remedial measures were recommended. In this light, SINDA was set up to improve the academic performance of Indian students. Also, SINDA also reaches out to help families who require approach for various forms of assistance. Youths too benefit from programmes that are aimed at mentoring and equipping them.
The core thrust of SINDA is ‘Maximising Educational Opportunities for ALL’.
The challenges for SINDA were to foster a sense of community amongst the diverse Indian groups, coordinate efforts by various voluntary welfare organisations, and raise funds.
Regular fundraising was proposed as an opt-out scheme for Indian workers, to be deducted from the worker’s Central Provident Fund (CPF), at a minimum S$2 per month. Indian Muslims who supported MENDAKI had the option to support one or the other, or both, depending on their needs and preferences. In addition to monthly donations, an endowment fund was set up, with the aim to raise S$30 million within three years. These had enabled SINDA to raise funds at an estimated S$2.5 million annually.
By late 1991, SINDA’s endowment fund had reached S$2 million. In early 1992, SINDA launched a nation-wide tuition programme targeted at students with borderline scores preparing for major examinations at Primary and Secondary levels. In conjunction with this, SINDA also wished to address underlying family and social issues affecting students. To accomplish this, SINDA set up both an educational wing and a welfare wing, the latter of which would organise talks for parents, and educational and career counselling for students. In 1996, another wing was set up to address issues affecting at-risk youths.
S. Dhanabalan suggested in 1999 that it could be good for members of other ethnic groups to sit on the SINDA Board, so that the communities could understand each other’s challenges. In terms of services, SINDA already worked with other partners. For example, in 1993 it partnered with the Eurasian Association for its joint tuition programme. Later, under the umbrella organisation, the Joint Social Service Centre (JSSC) (which was formed in late 1997), SINDA and MENDAKI came together in 1999 to set up a mini family service centre, which offered counselling, information and referral services. Nevertheless, debate continues about the appropriateness of dividing services along ethnic lines, on the one hand is the need to understand the community to address the issues it faces, and on the other is the potential to isolate the groups further.
SINDA’s task to raise the educational levels of Indian students within 20 years has expanded as its role in the community has become more prominent. It now encompasses not only education but social services, training and community bonding. It has become the “brand” image of Singapore’s Indian community, and has offered many programmes in partnership with other Indian and non-Indian organisations, as well as developing a strong volunteer pool. The JSSC, now renamed OnePeople.sg (set up in 2007), continues to coordinate efforts of SINDA and the three other ethnic self-help groups in promoting racial harmony.
On 28th August 2010, the SINDA Youth Club (SYC) was officially launched by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. SYC is independently managed by a team of young members who excel in various professions and gains the support of the SYC Secretariat. The chairman to the committee is Mr Aaron Maniam who sits on national youth bodies and brings a vast amount of information on grooming leaders.
A primary focus of SYC is to engage Indian youths and to provide them with developmental and enrichment activities/programmes with a strong educational agenda; and to inspire Indian youths to have positive aspirations.
SYC’s programs and events promote and enhance the development of youths between the ages of 13 to 35 by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.
SYC also has a Youth Hub based at SINDA headquarters for youths, Hub@SINDA, which was inaugurated by Mr S Dhanabalan on 5th August 2011. Youths can discuss community issues, relax and chill out over movies and games there. They can also get information pertaining to their career and academic paths.
SYC collaborates with other Indian youth organizations and we host annual networking sessions with several committees to have mutual understandings of the individual purposes we serves as youth organizations. Our purpose is not to replicate the type of programmes but rather work hand in hand for the betterment of Indian youths.
23rd November 2011 was a momentous day in SINDA’s history as its 2020 Review Committee unveiled key findings and recommendations for the Indian community in Singapore.
The SINDA 2020 Review Committee, headed by Dr N Varaprasad, engaged in a year long review on the Indian community. The research revealed that Indian students are underachieving in their Mathematics subjects and performing below the national average, in landmark national examinations. In 2009, close to a quarter of Indian students failed Mathematics in their PSLE and GCE ‘O’ Level examinations. Repercussions of this include students having limited academic options and pathways in junior colleges, polytechnics, ITEs and universities.
Moving forward, SINDA will address these issues by undertaking several initiatives. They include encouraging parents to send their children to preschool, focusing more on Mathematics through innovative teaching methods and expanding its tuition reach through Project Teach to secondary schools.
Besides having to boost academic standards of Indian pupils, SINDA will also work closely with youths and families to enhance their motivation and to strengthen family resilience at home respectively.
click here to go back to SINDA's navigation page.
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