Jie Chia

Beyond Social Services

We believe that youth offending is the product of young people's environment and not inherent in them. As such, all our work moves towards the development of "villages" with the capacity to raise children. With the support of such a "village," young people from disadvantaged and troubled backgrounds can escape the cycle of poverty and crime and be responsible citizens. We do not define citizenship by one's passport but by one's willingness and commitment to be part of a "village" that looks out for its vulnerable members. "It takes a village to raise a child" and so we bring together people in the children's family support network, their neighbourhood and those from the larger Singapore community to be that "village" and to show young people the meaning and value of responsible citizenship. In this light, our programmes are simply the "doors" by which people come to us but our work as a whole, follows a similar flow. We deescalate a crisis or problem to a point where the families can take charge; provide an environment for these families to utilise their strengths in problem-solving and finally, we find avenues for people into a community. This way, people remain in control of their difficulties, learn to become inter-dependent on family and friends and move beyond the need for professional support. Do you want to contribute as a volunteer or otherwise, please have a look at our website www.beyond.org.sg. You can also find us on Facebook! Like our page today! www.facebook.com/beyondsocialservices