At Risk Kids

Currently, I am conducting the Tuning In programme at a primary school in Yishun. This is a programme tailored for at risk children. Such programmes are helping secondary school students, but the ideal of reaching out to the primary school children is very significant because it is crucial to intervene in the children’s life as early as we can.

At risk kids are mostly from broken homes. Some are from single-parent homes, orphaned or they have parents who are divorced or are currently in the midst of the divorce proceedings. Some of the children have been abused. Many come from dysfunctional families.

Very often, when the parents are in the battle of a bitter divorce, the kids blame themselves for their parent’s divorce. They are plagued with guilt, as they wrongly perceived that they are the cause of the fallout.

When I relate to these children, it is not hard to pick up signs despondency, sadness and helplessness. When they come to school, they may be happy for a brief moment but when they get home, things remain difficult and they are living with fear, anxiety and misery. As they are still young children, it can be daunting as they are forced to process complicated matters even though they may not be at fault to start. What the kids go through ultimately is translated to poor academic performance.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be involved with these precious children. The Lord certainly has His eyes on them. I trust that their lives will turn around. They will begin to gain self worth, confidence and someday they can use what they have gone through to help others who are in need.