Xinyi, Club President:

Apologies for not posting this earlier, I didn’t know you guys wanted to read my take on the session too. I thought Rui En, Jean and Jiamin already did a pretty good job to describe the experience and I was more concerned with other issues, hence I did not post here.

But I did write, not for RBKD though; I sent my letter to Straits Times Forum instead.

Here’s to share before you guys niam at me for not sharing.

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Improve living conditions in interim housing

I WAS fortunate to have had the chance to join the social workers of Beyond Social Services during their door-to-door work at Block 29 Taman Ho Swee recently (‘Homing in on interim housing’; last Thursday).

The concept of interim housing being transitional and temporary is sound and reasonable. But when one talks face-to-face with the residents and hear their despair and feelings of being abandoned by society, one wonders if the scheme can factor in empathy, apart from being efficient.

It is true, sometimes, facilities can never be good enough for some. But I am sure more can be done to improve the present living conditions.

Bedbugs, mosquitoes, cockroaches, urine-stained corridors and, sometimes, common walkways sullied by faeces – one cannot help but feel for the residents when they describe such basic hygiene problems so matter-of-factly and wonder why they cannot be helped.

Peh Xin Yi (Miss)

Published on Oct 31, 2011

Source: Straits Times Forum Online

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