After I read TIWILL last year, I felt I had to do something, no matter how small. Something that would make a concrete difference towards narrowing this gap. Something beyond giving money. Something more tangible.
My friend Mel pointed me to the “New Life Stories” site, and I was sold. It was such a meaningful initiative, and reaches those that are truly in need, directly. And reading! My personal passion.
New Life Stories is a non profit that supports children of incarcerated mothers.
We help provide children with essential educational skills namely reading and pro‐social skills. This ensures they aren’t left behind in the crucial early years of their development.
Our holistic approach extends to their incarcerated mothers too. We continue to work with mothers and their children after incarceration. Thus ensuring each child receives vital educational assistance while their mother is supported during her frequently‐stressful reintegration into society.
Our Learning Friends are a team of motivated volunteers, carefully screened for their empathy and coaching ability. Our team of volunteer Befrienders provide crucial support to the mothers while our team of Counsellors facilitate customised self awareness and resilient building in-prison workshops.
Together, mother and child are able to rewrite the stories of their lives and chart a more positive future.
I got in touch with the personnel and attended the next orientation they had.
What they shared at the orientation touched my heart deeply, and I was constantly wiping tears away during that 2-3 hour session. One of the staff (not pictured) had been an incarcerated mother herself, and shared how this program had made such a difference to her children, especially one of her sons, who had experienced severe neglect whilst she was inside.
The session brought to bear how much difference a regular weekly hour-long visit from someone who cared, could make to a child. It’s not so much the reading or the words they learn per se, but the presence of an adult who Shows Up, that is of immeasurable worth at that stage in their lives.
Volunteering for this would be a hefty commitment in some ways, but after discussing this with my supportive hubby, we decided to give it a go. It would cost time. But we would make time for me to do this.
So I signed the non-disclosure form, submitted my details, and waited to be linked up with a family.
The process took a longer time than expected, as it depended on which families were identified for matching as time passed, and whether the location and timing suited both parties.
However, in the end, and it was truly providential, and nothing short of astounding, on how things panned out. Do ask me if I meet you; I’d be happy to share more about how God really ordained every detail.
At my first session, I was paired with another volunteer (we are called Learning Friends) to read to three kids, aged 6, 5 and 4. They were lively and happy to see us. New Life Stories has a good variety of new donated books that we can pick up from their HQ to read with the kids, and Learning Friends usually bring along more books from our national libraries too.
When I found out that one of the kids really liked spider monkeys (he had seen them on a trip to the Zoo, also organised by New Life Stories if I recall correctly, and mentioned them at least 5 times in the hour I was there), I went to sleuth out books on monkeys in the library.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to locate one SPECIFICALLY on spider monkeys then, but found these instead!
The little boy was thrilled when I showed him these books from the library. We had a nice time reading them together. As his interest on monkeys showed no signs of waning on the subsequent visit, I ordered two different Nat Geo Kids book on monkeys for him!
Ministering to mothers
I think that it’s fantastic that New Life Stories came up with the idea of having incarcerated mums write, illustrate, read and record stories for their children. Watch the video to find out more.
So there you have it, one of the most meaningful ways to really help as you can.
Contact “hello@newlifestories.org.sg” to find out more. Or if you’d like, click here to donate to this Institute of Public Character (IPC).
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