SNM (Singapore) was amongst 25 other Indian organisations under the Federation of Singapore Indian Organisations (FSIO), formed under the auspices of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), that was invited to the SICCI-FSIO gala dinner which was held last evening at Shangri-La Singapore.

 

Through this partnership, we hope to collaborate with the Indian diaspora to play its part in achieving mutual socio-economic benefits for the larger community and participating institutions as well.

 

As SNM is expanding its programmes with an additional Nursing Home, we also look forward to providing volunteering and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities for member organisations.

 

Special thanks to Jamal Mohamed College Alumni Association – Singapore Chapter for the generous donation!

Mohiadeen Abdul Kader, the President of the Association, said that they have pledged to support and coordinate their efforts with social welfare and community development organisations to establish harmony and enhance socio-cultural development in the community.

He praised SNM for our quick responses and added that our CEO, Mr S. Devendran had patiently guided them through the donation process. Professionals in the social service sector touch the lives of the less fortunate among us, and Mr Kader hopes that other organisations would also step up and help ensure that no Singaporean is left behind.

Message of Resilience

Mr Pradeep started his career with Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) in 2007. In 2009, he returned home to get married. After his marriage, he asked SNM for the opportunity to rejoin the organization; they agreed as his work performance had been excellent.

He is currently a healthcare supervisor and a duty officer who oversees a multi-national healthcare team.

When COVID-19 landed on our shores, he realised that this situation would be tough for the staff who can’t be with their families. Many of his healthcare staff try to be on the phone as much as possible with their families in their free time. Many of them faced the grim prospect of having to choose either their work or their family, but in the end, all of them stayed on as they must support their own families who are far away. This was also in part due to Mr Pradeep’s counsel, informing them that staying safe in Singapore was the best thing they could do for their family.

When COVID-19 landed on our shores, he realised that this situation would be tough for the staff who can’t be with their families. Many of his healthcare staff try to be on the phone as much as possible with their families in their free time. Many of them faced the grim prospect of having to choose either their work or their family, but in the end, all of them stayed on as they must support their own families who are far away. This was also in part due to Mr Pradeep’s counsel, informing them that staying safe in Singapore was the best thing they could do for their family.

Mr Pradeep says that he tries his best to reassure and look out for them and does his best to keep morale up. He works closely with Mr Sajeev, Head of Meranti Home who shares his vision.

Both Mr Pradeep and Mr Sajeev co-operate very frequently, even when Mr Sajeev is working from home, and both aren’t afraid to work hand in hand with the healthcare teams. They do their best to allay the worries that staff have.

Mr Pradeep said that staff are impressed that the organization sticks to their values, and in this time of pandemic, it is where these values truly shine. Staff are well looked after, and SNM helps them to send items back to their home country by absorbing that transportation cost to allow staff to have peace of mind, following Guru’s teachings of compassion.

Mr Pradeep said that staff are impressed that the organization sticks to their values, and in this time of pandemic, it is where these values truly shine. Staff are well looked after, and SNM helps them to send items back to their home country by absorbing that transportation cost to allow staff to have peace of mind, following Guru’s teachings of compassion.

“Morale is high,” he says with a laugh. “We want to raise Meranti home to be the best home in Singapore. Our motto is: We do good, and karma will work out for us.”

Message of Love.

Mr Imesh has been with SNM since 2015. Back in 2017, he received a call informing him that his mother had been in a serious accident and admitted to an emergency ward. He consulted SNM management, who immediately allowed him to go back to Sri Lanka to be by her side, but he was only able to stay there for a month. He shared that he was lucky to be able to do so, as others like his brother, who was working with another organization in Singapore, were not able to go back.

In 2019, Mr Imesh and Ms Subasini had both planned to get married back in Sri Lanka, their home country. Preparations for their big day took longer than expected, and sadly, COVID-19 struck before they could get married, which threw all their plans into disarray.

Ms Subasini said that the mood back then was one of constant heightened tension. The staff in SNM lived in constant fear that they would receive a phone call from home to say something had happened to their families, and the strain that this worry generated wore them down. Knowing that they could not return home in the eventuality of such an event played havoc on their mental health.

“It is in times like this that being there for your family counts for so much” Mr Imesh said, “Sending money home for medical fees is one thing, but that is nothing compared to being able to be there for them.”

This was also of especial importance for Ms Subasini, as she is the youngest child in her family, and grew up in a tightly knit family.

SNMs staff were not allowed to leave the Nursing Home premises due to Phase 2 Restriction orders. His plans and preparations kept being delayed by the pandemic, all the way up to his planned wedding date.

This was when SNMs Sri Lankan staff stepped up together to help Mr Imesh and Ms Subasini. They helped with the preparations for the ceremony and celebration at Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home and went to great lengths to assist the couple with their needs. It was deeply touching to the couple, and they wanted to share these words: “Thank you SNM for being like a real family, everyone here is like our brothers and sisters.”

This show of solidarity among people is heart-warming to the couple, who, despite having anxiety about this once in a lifetime event, found out that the people around them would unconditionally love, care, and support them when they needed it most. The nobility of the human spirit shines brightest when adversity strikes. Another point of worry for the newly married couple, was that they had invested a large amount in securing a staycation honeymoon before the pandemic. SNM management did their best to allow the couple time to enjoy their staycation honeymoon once Phase 2 restrictions were lifted so they would not have to forfeit their investment.

Mr Imesh and Ms Subasini would like to thank Mr S Devendran, HODs, and HR, who have given their time and advice to accommodate the couple with all their varied needs and for receiving concessions that were aimed to ease their transition to married life. They would also like to thank all their friends in SNM for all the work they put in for their wedding, and for not letting them feel alone despite the pandemic hitting them hard as well. The couple is confident that they can face the challenges of tomorrow, with the support of today.