SINGAPORE – A new initiative by Hougang grassroots organisations has been launched to help young people living in the estate better cope with stress and develop leadership and life skills.
Called Hougang Ho! – Hopes for our Future, Opportunities for their Growth, the initiative – aimed at residents aged seven to 16 – focuses on five areas: mental wellness, leadership and interpersonal skills, arts and media, adventure and sports, and academic enrichment.
“Ho” in Hokkien means good.
The initiative was created after Hougang grassroots organisations received feedback from residents and youth during house visits and residents’ engagement activities.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, who launched the initiative at Hougang Community Club (CC) on April 20, said while it is easy to add new facilities and infrastructure, ensuring the CC does well will depend on the “spirit of the people”.
“Today, coming to Hougang once again, I can see the spirit of Hougang, where everybody chips in to make this CC a success,” he added.
Over the coming year, the CC and the Hougang grassroots organisations will work with community partners such as Happy Children, Happy Future, Touch Young Arrows and Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) to organise various courses and workshops for participants.
Each of the five categories will be explored in different ways.
For example, Hougang Ho! will tackle mental health through counselling, stress management and support groups. To promote keeping active, there will be sports training, outdoor activities and team-building exercises to improve physical health.
The initiative will also encourage creative expression through various art forms like painting, music, and digital media, and enhance academic skills through tutoring and workshops. Participants will receive a certificate of achievement when they complete at least one course or workshop from each of the five categories.
Ms Yanisa Koh, 34, volunteer secretary for the Hougang Zone 1 Residents’ Network, said the Hougang Ho! initiative was created to allow young people to try a little bit of everything.
“Some of them felt like they don’t have enough opportunities to explore different areas beyond their studies,” said Ms Koh, who works as an assistant marketing manager. “They also told us that they want to try out different things because they do not know what they want to do in future.”
There was a concerted effort to include mental health workshops as part of the initiative’s line-up.
“Some of them face different kinds of stress in their lives, and mental wellness seems like an area that they need help with. We decided to come up with a framework to better support the youth around Hougang,” added Ms Koh.
The first batch of 50 participants have joined the programme, and the first run of the mental health workshop conducted by SAMH was held on April 13 at the CC. Participants were presented with Hougang Ho! badges by Mr Chan to signify their enrolment into the programme.
One young person who went through the two-hour-long workshop called Emotions was Secondary 3 student Natasha Said. She learnt how to distinguish between different types of emotions, and the best way to express and manage them.
The 15-year-old is looking forward to attending the adventure and sports workshop next, where she hopes to pick up football or basketball skills – sports that she rarely gets to play.
“It benefits me because sometimes we (will) learn things that (we) can’t learn in school. It’s an opportunity – you get a chance, just go for it,” she said.
Housewife Norhafizah Suhaili signed her daughter up for Hougang Ho! as a way to keep her engaged and try out courses, such as the arts and media option. The Primary 6 pupil, Nurardie Nazihah Jumadi, 12, has an interest in arts and craft.
“I rather she (attend the workshops here) than waste time watching television or playing games,” said the 43-year-old, who has four children.
