Giving Week in Singapore at Marina One

From the 1st to 7th December, the national giving movement Giving Week was held. It was based on the vision for Singapore to be a City Of Good, whereby both individuals and organisations came together to give back to the community.

One of the events held under Giving Week was the Giving Marketplace @ Marina One, which lasted from Monday till Friday. Market booths were set up by social enterprises and non-profits, allowing them to display and sell their unique products and to raise awareness about their causes. 

There was also a caroling session by the Disability People’s Association (DPA), where their beneficiaries sang Christmas songs. They added to the festive atmosphere of the Giving Marketplace, giving the visitors a memorable and enjoyable experience this Giving Week. 

Cycling Without Age (CWA) Singapore was one of the many organisations featured at the marketplace. CWA aims to enable the elderly to get back on their bicycles despite their limited mobility. They offer trishaw rides steered by their volunteer trishaw pilots, bringing the elderly out of their homes to enjoy the fresh air and the community around them. At the CWA Singapore booth, visitors can have a hands-on experience of riding the trishaws outdoors, where they can relax and take in Singapore’s beautiful cityscape. 

TOUCH Community Services also sold original pottery and paintings crafted by persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) at their booth. Under their SpecialCrafts programme, PWIDS are taught to express themselves through art, and sell their works through TOUCH or find employment at sheltered workshops. Their artworks often featured icons of Singapore such as our national flower. As such, this booth also encouraged greater support for the intellectually-disabled in the Singaporean art scene. 

Additionally, Personalised Love (Plove) sold premium leather products to the public. The catch is, these products are wholly made by special needs artisans who have mild intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, or hearing impairments. These artisans had attended Plove’s professional leather training program. Plove, in turn, featured their products at the marketplace to sell. With profits from such sales, Plove turns it into funding for their services such as their employment and apprenticeship programmes.

There was also a carolling session by t sold premium leather products to the public. The catch is, these products are wholly made by special needs artisans who have mild intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, or hearing impairments. These artisans had attended Plove’s professional leather training program. Plove, in turn, featured their products at the marketplace to sell. With profits from such sales, Plove turns it into funding for its services such as their employment and apprenticeship programmes.

The Giving Marketplace certainly shone the spotlight on many social enterprises and non-profit organisations, prompting the public to give back to our community while being made aware of social programmes that empower the underprivileged in Singapore. 

Make The Change is supporting Giving Week by running a workshop on Friday 6 December on how corporates can start a giving culture, places are still available! Can Register HERE