In Your Neighbourhood #2 - BizClean Follow-up 07/12/01
What happens when the precious a precious bundle of joy is diagnosed as intellectually disabled?
Generally, parents can swing to two extremes -- either they become over-protective other child is regarded somewhat unfairly as a huge liability.
Either ways, there's a lack of knowledge of what the intellectually disabled child can aspire to.
Hi welcome to In Your Neighbourhood with me Chong Ching Liang as look at this special group of Singaporeans struggle to find a niche for themselves.
In Singapore while this group of special children is growing up, the parents could at least turn to schools that have been set up to educate them.
But what will become of these children when they leave schools?
This is where Bizlink Come in.
It's an organisation that's constantly working very hard to match disabled Singaporeans to jobs.
In conjunction with Movement for the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore and Marine Parade Community Development Council, Bizlink has launched a remarkable service named BizClean.
Under this scheme, intellectually disabled Singaporeans have been finding a new lease of life as a domestic cleaner.
Bizlink's Placement and Marketing Officer, Joseph Chan on the impact on his clients.
"Having a job definitely gives them a sense of purpose and a feeling of self-worth. For this few months when they are working they are generally happier. Working as opposed to doing nothing and staying at home. What is most heartening is they are being recognised for their work by the house owners. Sometimes the house owners would give them some token of encouragement, things like a basket of fruits or clothing etc. Generally its encouraging to see the workers socialising and interacting relatively well with the house owners. We see them becoming more interactive with society and also able to play a part in the contribution to their family."
Sales professional Johnson Lee has employed BizClean's cleaners since June.
He started when he received a publicity pamphlet.
Did he have any reservations at the beginning?
"I, I had a little reservation but I did also got a lot of reassurance from Bizlink. They assured me that they would take all precaution to make sure that nothing was broken and the job would be done properly. My arrangement was that I would give them my house keys as well so they give me assurance on security as well. "
Up till then, Johnson had depended on part-time local and foreign cleaners.
How does Bizclean cleaners compare with the so-called normal workers?
"Oh, I would say that they're pretty good. Quite thorough. And they do my house pretty much cleaner! And they've been responsible. Of course the other thing is that they've been pretty flexible. Sometimes I asked them to do other things which they gladly help out with. I would say that first of all the charges are the same as the people that I've been engaging but its an opportunity for me to be able to help out this group of people and I would say that it is good value because I feel they do a good job and I just let them get on with it, don't have to worry about anything else."
But BizClean’s workers do not just work for household but also companies.
Jeremy Ho is the Regional Director for Alcatel Singapore and he too had initial reservations.
But he feels this group of Singaporeans should be given a chance and being an employer of five months, he has seen his Bizclean worker steadily improved.
So does Jeremy sees himself as providing some form of corporate social service?
"Well I don't think that we are viewing her as social service. I think that she should be treated as an equal. Id she can do another job as another individual, let her be. Okay, fair enough, it may not be as fast as we would like her to be, but if she gets the job done, then why not? There should be more employers to be open for allowing people of some disability to contribute and to view them with the same dignity as another individual."
The BizClean scheme is not just providing a cleaning service.
It's also tearing down stereotypes.
Johnson Lee on how being a Bizclean employer affected his views.
"Well for one thing, now I know that they are pretty capable of complex jobs. The domestic service may seem like its a pretty simple tasks but its not. Some of the equipment that they have to use, some of the chemicals that they have to apply... and of course just generally taking care of things, you know like curtain and things like that. It involves people who are willing to learn, you know, to be able to pick up things like this. It's been an eye-opener for me to be able to also see such tasks which may seem simple but when you really look at the way they do it. Its really not that easy."
For the families of Bizclean workers, they can now see their children in a brand new like.
No longer are they helpless because Bizclean has proven that they can be contributing members to the family income.
Bizlink's Joseph Chan on how even over-protective families have came round.
"Yes they did. In fact initially they were a bit apprehensive about them going down to the houses but as times go by, generally the family members feel that workers themselves feel settled in."
A civil society is one where all segments of the Singaporean society is respected and not shut out.
If Bizclean continued to attract employers and other such schemes take off, then perhaps Singapore is taking yet another minute but sure step towards the civil society.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
Related websites:
BizLink
http://www.bizlink.org.sg/
Southwest Community Development Council
http://www.southwestcdc.org/
Movement for the INtellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
http://www.minds.org.sg/
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
Generally, parents can swing to two extremes -- either they become over-protective other child is regarded somewhat unfairly as a huge liability.
Either ways, there's a lack of knowledge of what the intellectually disabled child can aspire to.
Hi welcome to In Your Neighbourhood with me Chong Ching Liang as look at this special group of Singaporeans struggle to find a niche for themselves.
In Singapore while this group of special children is growing up, the parents could at least turn to schools that have been set up to educate them.
But what will become of these children when they leave schools?
This is where Bizlink Come in.
It's an organisation that's constantly working very hard to match disabled Singaporeans to jobs.
In conjunction with Movement for the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore and Marine Parade Community Development Council, Bizlink has launched a remarkable service named BizClean.
Under this scheme, intellectually disabled Singaporeans have been finding a new lease of life as a domestic cleaner.
Bizlink's Placement and Marketing Officer, Joseph Chan on the impact on his clients.
"Having a job definitely gives them a sense of purpose and a feeling of self-worth. For this few months when they are working they are generally happier. Working as opposed to doing nothing and staying at home. What is most heartening is they are being recognised for their work by the house owners. Sometimes the house owners would give them some token of encouragement, things like a basket of fruits or clothing etc. Generally its encouraging to see the workers socialising and interacting relatively well with the house owners. We see them becoming more interactive with society and also able to play a part in the contribution to their family."
Sales professional Johnson Lee has employed BizClean's cleaners since June.
He started when he received a publicity pamphlet.
Did he have any reservations at the beginning?
"I, I had a little reservation but I did also got a lot of reassurance from Bizlink. They assured me that they would take all precaution to make sure that nothing was broken and the job would be done properly. My arrangement was that I would give them my house keys as well so they give me assurance on security as well. "
Up till then, Johnson had depended on part-time local and foreign cleaners.
How does Bizclean cleaners compare with the so-called normal workers?
"Oh, I would say that they're pretty good. Quite thorough. And they do my house pretty much cleaner! And they've been responsible. Of course the other thing is that they've been pretty flexible. Sometimes I asked them to do other things which they gladly help out with. I would say that first of all the charges are the same as the people that I've been engaging but its an opportunity for me to be able to help out this group of people and I would say that it is good value because I feel they do a good job and I just let them get on with it, don't have to worry about anything else."
But BizClean’s workers do not just work for household but also companies.
Jeremy Ho is the Regional Director for Alcatel Singapore and he too had initial reservations.
But he feels this group of Singaporeans should be given a chance and being an employer of five months, he has seen his Bizclean worker steadily improved.
So does Jeremy sees himself as providing some form of corporate social service?
"Well I don't think that we are viewing her as social service. I think that she should be treated as an equal. Id she can do another job as another individual, let her be. Okay, fair enough, it may not be as fast as we would like her to be, but if she gets the job done, then why not? There should be more employers to be open for allowing people of some disability to contribute and to view them with the same dignity as another individual."
The BizClean scheme is not just providing a cleaning service.
It's also tearing down stereotypes.
Johnson Lee on how being a Bizclean employer affected his views.
"Well for one thing, now I know that they are pretty capable of complex jobs. The domestic service may seem like its a pretty simple tasks but its not. Some of the equipment that they have to use, some of the chemicals that they have to apply... and of course just generally taking care of things, you know like curtain and things like that. It involves people who are willing to learn, you know, to be able to pick up things like this. It's been an eye-opener for me to be able to also see such tasks which may seem simple but when you really look at the way they do it. Its really not that easy."
For the families of Bizclean workers, they can now see their children in a brand new like.
No longer are they helpless because Bizclean has proven that they can be contributing members to the family income.
Bizlink's Joseph Chan on how even over-protective families have came round.
"Yes they did. In fact initially they were a bit apprehensive about them going down to the houses but as times go by, generally the family members feel that workers themselves feel settled in."
A civil society is one where all segments of the Singaporean society is respected and not shut out.
If Bizclean continued to attract employers and other such schemes take off, then perhaps Singapore is taking yet another minute but sure step towards the civil society.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
Related websites:
BizLink
http://www.bizlink.org.sg/
Southwest Community Development Council
http://www.southwestcdc.org/
Movement for the INtellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
http://www.minds.org.sg/
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
posted by CHONG Ching-liang | 5:37 PM
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