In a recent episode of Get Real on Channel Newsasia, City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA) was featured as one of the non-profit organizations which provides financial assistance to needy students.
The episode entitled “Making Do” showed how circumstances can either make or break the future of students from low income families. In the program, Darryl Loh, general manager of CHCSA, highlighted the eligibility criteria for students seeking financial assistance and bursaries.
Among those featured was a top PSLE student currently studying at Raffles Girls School. Despite coming from a low income family and being unable to afford tuition, she still maintained an air of positivity. Motivated by a desire to make her parents proud, she worked hard to achieve good results in her studies.
While a top student managed to rise above her disadvantaged background, there were others living in the shadow of their circumstances.
Haikal Firdaus, a secondary school student from a low income family, could not afford tuition despite his below average grades. Having parents who were not highly educated, Haikal did not have resources at hand. When asked about his future education, he said that he has never dreamed of going to university because of his poor results and his family’s financial situation. Instead, he wanted to work as soon as he could to share his parents’ burden of supporting the education of his younger siblings.
Along with government organizations such as Social Development Council and Mendaki, CHCSA provides a helping hand to under-privileged students by giving them equal opportunities to pursue their dreams.
