yeah....Things will only get better

No not going to preach here. But the true meaning of festive season, in my opinion is definitely sharing.

I'm glad that Singaporeans do actually have a heart of compassion. No gimmicks and stuff, no 1900 numbers and shit, no Condo and Cars , no death defying stunts. What we have , a real desire to help. This is the gracious society that we aim to achieve.

I'm not against the idea of us,the more afluent countries helping out third world societies. But I'm sure we can always begin at home. There are still quite a fair bit of needy people around us. I live just some 10-15mins drive away from Serangoon, but I don't know that some of my fellow Singaporeans are actually living in such conditions.

LINA beats me hands down for she truly understands the meaning of being poor. I'm not sure how can one survive on $2 for 4 days.

Yes, God has just reminded me how fortunate I am. Praise the Lord.

As we anticipate Christmas, let us not forget the less fortunate.

TODAY THURSDAY DECEMBER 24 2004
Wong Fei Wan
feiwan@newstoday.com.sg
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AS THE year-end festive spending spree reaches a fever pitch, this newspaper's report yesterday about a 13-year-old girl's quiet determination to lift her family out of the poverty trap led scores of readers to call or write in with offers of help.

One man walked into the Today newsroom with a cash gift in an envelope on which he had written "Lina & family". A lady turned up with several bags of groceries and gifts, along with a card and some cash, that she and her colleagues had got for the family.

About 80 other readers were moved similarly by the report, in Today's Face in the Crowd column, about how 13-year-old Lina (not her real name), her brother Awang and six-year-old sister Sofia help their parents sweep two HDB blocks in central Singapore during the school holidays.
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Their parents' lack of education, coupled with their mother's ill-health, limit their job and income-earning prospects. As daily-rated cleaners, the parents earn ? in a good month ? $600; it is a constant struggle for the family to find money for utilities and medical bill, bus fares and even food.

Several readers want to offer the parents work ? as a part-time domestic cleaners or a home-cleaning service job. Many want to make "small contributions" and give "small tokens" of cash.

One man said: "I think I can chip in with some spare cash on an ad-hoc basis. I will try to slot in some notes from time to time into the letterbox of the family. It may be a small amount, but at least it should be able to feed the family. Tell them it is from a simple taxi driver. Strictly no gimmicks involved."

There are also offers of books, toys and second-hand television sets, and one reader would like to arrange a quarterly supply of groceries, as well as next year's school textbooks.

Several readers want to pay off the $19 that Lina owes the National Library in fines and the $3,000 the family owes in utility bills, or to top up the parents' CPF accounts so they qualify for the next distribution of Economic Restructuring Shares.

Said one reader: "I am very moved by the story of the family. I am sure there are many others in Singapore who share the same plight, if not worse, whom we might never know about in developed Singapore. Having gone through hardship before, this is something very close to my heart."

Another said he was moved particularly by "the way the children have been taught to love one another and their appreciation towards the little things which they get and the love shown toward their parents".

Another reader simply wrote: "We need to do something. How can we offer help?"