Living with mild intellectual disability, 25-year-old Kelly has faced many challenges with unwavering determination. She joined APSN Centre for Adults in February 2023, after completing her Workforce Skills Qualifications programme – Horticulture, at APSN Delta Senior School. Here, Kelly explored her vocational interests through training in bakery, kitchen, food and beverages, horticulture and retail operations. Her curriculum also included essential workplace skills, health and fitness, and life skills. Kelly is also talented in arts and crafts such as drawing, painting and crochet. She actively participated in our events and booth sales, helping to sell her customised art pieces to raise funds.

Kelly’s home life is modest. Living in a 2-room flat, her father, the sole breadwinner, has raised Kelly and her elder brother, who also has special needs, alone since his divorce. Being a parent to children with special needs, her father’s main concern is that they would not be able to take good care of themselves when he is no longer around and thus, he hopes that they can secure employment and lead independent and meaningful lives.

To help improve her family’s financial situation, Kelly worked with our social workers to apply for financial assistance. Through financial aid, we were able to lessen her family’s financial burdens with waived training fees, monthly cash allowances for meals and transport, and insurance coverage.

With the knowledge and experience from her vocational training and support from our Employability Services team, Kelly is now gainfully employed in a community garden where she is avidly pursuing her passion for nurturing plants. Despite her modest salary, her employment helps alleviate her family’s financial burdens. No longer under the financial assistance scheme, Kelly’s contributions are vital. Her father has also noticed that Kelly has become more hardworking and responsible at home.

Your donation can empower individuals with special needs like Kelly, providing vocational training, realistic on-the-job training and employment support services. Help Kelly and others like her to achieve their full potential by making a donation today.

* To protect the identity of our beneficiary, her name has been changed and a volunteer model was used in the photographs.