New non-profit to help men from disadvantaged backgrounds ‘open up’, improve emotional health

SINGAPORE: Mr Ng Yue Meng was at a loss when he misplaced his job at a big tech agency in March final yr as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. The 50-year-old’s household had been residing overseas and he was alone in Singapore, with nobody for assist. 

“I went into depression … I don’t have a career, I don’t have anything and I’m all alone,” he mentioned.

“I saw a very bad place - darkness, demons; I took to alcohol, I took to drugs to cope with all this pain.”

He shared this with reporters on Saturday (Mar 20) because the co-founder of a brand new non-profit organisation – RISE Neighborhood – which goals to assist males from deprived backgrounds open up and search assist by means of tough instances.

The 2-year pilot programme will "focus on improving men’s socio-emotional, physical and financial health by creating a peer support community and employment opportunities", mentioned a press launch.

On the official launch on the Folks’s Motion Celebration Nee Quickly South Department on Saturday, Mr Ng known as himself “the first beneficiary of RISE”.

He mentioned that Nee Quickly GRC MP Carrie Tan, who's the non-profit’s steering adviser, inspired him to use his abilities from Silicon Valley to begin up the social service. The method helped to heal him and he now hopes to use his personal expertise to assist others, he mentioned.

“Every time I talk to (the beneficiaries), they can see that I also handled pain, that’s something they seem to relate to,” he mentioned, including that the mission will intention to tailor options to every particular person as “everyone is unique”.

“It’s not a topical solution where I apply, but three weeks later (they come back with) the same pain. I want to dig deeper.”

The programme is being “incubated” in Nee Quickly South division, for which Ms Tan is the Member of Parliament. For the primary yr, RISE will give attention to constructing relationships with the lads and figuring out their wants, she mentioned.

“Some of the approaches that we pilot might be quite experimental. So we're using Nee Soon South as an incubation ground, and once we formulate programmes that work, we’ll start expanding it to other parts of the GRC and then also further to Singapore,” she mentioned.

It's going to attain out to a pool of 500 males from Nee Quickly South residing in rental housing, who've misplaced their jobs, or have all the time been in low-wage, unstable employment. For the time being, a gaggle of about 50 members are within the programme.

Mr Amir Nazir, 44, who was launched from jail final yr, is certainly one of them. He suffered from melancholy and had spent a few years in jail, however mentioned that he was steadily choosing up the items with assist from a member of RISE Neighborhood. He’s now discovered a job as a cleaner with the Nee Quickly City Council.  

“At least I have a job, I can have proper food, and can do and learn the things that I really wish to do in life … not be just stagnant,” he mentioned. “I mean, half my life is already gone, but how about the other half?”

Minister for Legislation and Residence Affairs Okay Shanmugam, the patron of the organisation, mentioned that final yr, he had initiated a complete evaluate of points affecting girls in Singapore, nevertheless it was additionally well timed to give attention to the truth that males face obstacles when speaking about their feelings and points.

"When you put up a wall like that, it shows up in higher suicide rates, higher crime rates, higher rates of dysfunctionality," he mentioned.

"It is a welcome initiative to get men to be comfortable to open up and be open to receiving support."

RISE may also work with group companions together with SportSG and Yishun Well being, and company companion AlfaTech.