Exploring the island hand in hand
#60Stories
From terminal hopping at Changi Airport, posing with dinosaur skeleton exhibits, rock climbing, to boating around the Singapore River, our clients with intellectual disability have been on some exciting excursions with MINDS Me Too! Club.
MINDS Me Too! Club aims to enhance social inclusion, strengthen social skills, and improve the quality of life of Persons with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs) through leisure and recreational programmes.
Journeying alongside with them are volunteer befrienders like Adrienne Tan, 61.
Back in 2015, the former civil servant began looking for volunteering opportunities to meaningfully spend her time. While she was interested in children-related causes, MINDS popped up in her mind. Despite it being Adrienne’s first time working with PWIDs, she quickly adapted to their communication styles and needs.
Today, Adrienne spends three days a week with the clients of Me Too! Club, where she accompanies them on their various activities — be it art and crafts sessions, exercise routines and outings to places of interest.
The clients have come a long way since the early days of the programme.
Adrienne remembers the initial few times Me Too! Club went out for walks around Geylang Serai. “During the first few outings, (the clients) were very scared and lacked confidence. They would constantly stick to their caregiver and were at risk of meltdowns,” she recalls.
Over time, the clients warmed up to the volunteers and became more comfortable going for outings with them. Today, they eagerly look forward to such outings.
Together, they have ventured to all four corners of Singapore, visiting parks and attractions such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Labrador Park, Pasir Ris Park and more. With clients more accustomed to the outdoors and longer durations of physical activity, walking 5 kilometres for a round trip is no longer an issue as it was before. They also complete fun challenges along the way, such as spotting iconic landmarks or collecting unique leaves.
“Whenever there is something new and it’s free, we will go. That’s our motto,” says Adrienne with a laugh.
Prep work is essential to making sure each outing runs smoothly.
Me Too! Club staff and volunteers do a recce of the location before the event to understand the area better, looking out for obstacles and rest facilities for the clients to refresh themselves during the outing.
The key thing is to being prepared for anything, says Adrienne. For instance, the weather could be much hotter than usual, and volunteers may decide to shorten the route or allocate more time at rest stops. They must also be sensitive to each client’s needs and changes in behaviour, which may indicate possible meltdowns.
Some clients might complain about the long walk and refuse to budge, express anger and frustration, or simply wander off. In such situations, volunteers step in to calm them down or encourage them to keep going. For some clients, that means highlighting small rewards to look forward to, like being able to see their favourite bird at the next part of the outing.
“You learn to expect the unexpected, and go with the flow… Take things as they come along and deal with it,” Adrienne reflects.
Seeing the (Me Too! Club) members blossom in confidence brings great fulfilment and encouragement to do what we do. Seeing them enjoy life and have an improved quality of life is how we contribute to society.
Seeing things from their shoes
Part of volunteering with PWIDs is learning to tailor activities to the clients’ needs.
During a previous trip to a museum, Adrienne recalled how the museum guides got carried away as they shared about an exhibition. While their enthusiasm was appreciated, she found that her clients were not able to grasp the complex thoughts and explanations being shared.
Noticing how the clients experienced the exhibits primarily with their senses, she focused on facilitating simple discussions about what they saw, heard and smelled. One such instance was during a trip to the Singapore Art Museum where they viewed an art installation – ‘Growing’ by Hemali Bhuta. The work was made of an extremely large number of incense sticks suspended from the ceiling. Seeing and smelling the artwork, some clients drew parallels between the work and their visits to temples. For other clients, it conjured memories of things that were familiar to them, such as roti prata.
“The clients are very much attuned to their senses in how they perceive the world, and we engage them better in that way,” she explains.
Going far and growing close
Such outings create opportunities for the public to gain a little more understanding and empathy towards PWIDs, Adrienne adds. Clients too, benefit from the exposure to a wider range of experiences and learn to be more independent.
Take Melissa, a young client who Adrienne affectionately refers to as her “surrogate daughter”. Though Melissa was extremely shy in the beginning, she warmed up to Adrienne and the other volunteers over their outings and activities together.
“Even when I’m far away, Melissa will shout my name, quickly walk over, and hold my hand for reassurance. We have become familiar faces to her. That’s the joy of it, and we’re happy to be journeying along with her,” she says.
Over the years, Adrienne and her fellow volunteers have grown very close to the clients of Me Too! Club. Naturally, this bond allows them to quickly notice shifts in a client’s behaviour or mood. When they notice a sudden change, such as when a typically bubbly and talkative client suddenly becoming withdrawn and down, they raise it up to Me Too! Club staff, who then check-in with the client’s family to make sure that things are okay at home. Volunteers also take up the role of an older sibling to the clients, gently chiding and reminding the clients to avoid using inappropriate language.
A meaningful journey
Adrienne has amassed a wealth of experience from volunteering with Me Too! Club since its inception. She freely shares her advice with new volunteers and guides them on how to engage with the clients, and is heartened by the number of people coming on board to volunteer.
As Me Too! Club also serves as a respite service for caregivers, Adrienne shares that she finds meaning in being able to alleviate caregivers’ worries for their loved ones with special needs. “(When their children are with us,) the caregiver is able to learn to let go…(as they) see their children happily walking together with their volunteer buddies,” she elaborates.
Most importantly, her biggest accomplishment is seeing her clients light up when they go for outings, and that they can be involved and engaged.
“Seeing the (Me Too! Club) members blossom in confidence brings great fulfilment and encouragement to do what we do. Seeing them enjoy life and have an improved quality of life is how we contribute to society,” Adrienne concludes.
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