A Day in the Life of a Mayor: Beyond Public Commitments, How CDC Works to Serve the Community

SINGAPORE: Between 8.30 a.m. M. And 2.30 p. M., Ms. Low Yen Ling had already made five stops, going through the southwest district.

The district mayor for the third term visited a school, an activity center for seniors, a community club, some floors of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and a community garden.

The busy schedule is not unusual for Ms. Low.

“It’s like running a middle office where you set crucial goals and plans to meet the needs on the front line, and also have to ensure that all the back-end processes are in place as well,” he said of his role as mayoress. She directs the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and is also chair of the Mayor’s Committee.

CDC was established in 1997 to build a “cohesive, compassionate and self-sufficient community” in Singapore, according to the People’s Association.

There are five CDCs. Its goal is to work with government agencies, grassroots organizations, voluntary welfare organizations, and public and private sector partners to support national policies and engage with residents.

READ: CDC Maintains a ‘Low Profile’ But Vital During Crises, Says Prime Minister Lee at Mayors Inauguration

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said during the mayors’ inauguration that while the CDC often keeps a “low profile,” its contributions are vital in times of crisis.

Residents who need it and don’t know where to get help can turn to the CDC, Lee said in September.

“The CDC can then help or redirect them, and take some of the burden off them from getting rid of the bureaucracy,” he added.

Apart from Ms. Low, the other mayors are Mr. Desmond Choo (CDC Northeast), Ms. Denise Phua (CDC Central), Mr. Alex Yam (CDC Northwest), and Mr. Fahmi Aliman (CDC Southeast) .

COMMITMENT DAY

The CNA followed Ms. Low for a day to find out what the role of a mayor entails.

We started the morning on a Thursday at Lianhua Elementary School in Bukit Batok. Ms. Low spoke with staff members and students and posed for photos as part of a handwashing event and shoe drive with longtime South West CDC partner.

He then went to a Boon Lay Senior Activity Center run by NTUC Health, where he observed seniors in an art class. This was followed by a visit to the Keat Hong Community Club, where he was given a tour of a job discovery fair for the sustainability sector.

I was given a short lunch break before being taken to two apartment blocks in Bukit Batok, where Ms. Low distributed care packages to residents in various HDB apartments.

The last stop was a community garden where we harvested vegetables, including cabbages and long beans, from various garden lots.

When asked about common misconceptions people might have about the role of a mayor, Ms. Low said that instead of misconceptions, there may be lesser-known aspects of the job, such as the need to build relationships, have “pulse checks” and an “intimate understanding.” ”From the needs of the community.

The duties of the CDC and, by extension, those of the mayor, underpin two sets of “ABCs.” Helping those in need, connecting people and connecting the community; and add resources, develop capacities and, again, connect the community, She explained.

While outreach schemes and outreach efforts can be highly visible, for example, through the distribution of care packages and the construction of community gardens by CDC, their efforts to add resources and build capacity often they happen behind the scenes, he said.

“Much of our work takes place behind the scenes, such as aggregating, convening and combining resources to meet needs, and while this is not very visible, it is important because it shapes the outcome and co-creation of solutions “. Low told CNA.

Earlier this year, Proctor & Gamble distributed 300,000 care packages to migrant workers and then another 10,000 care packages to residents in need in the Southwest district.

Ms. Low noted that behind this initiative is the work of the CDC, where it negotiates with partners like P&G, identifies families in need of help, and requests the correct amount of products.

The CDC also connects those interested in serving the community with the demographic they hope to serve.

“When a multinational (multinational) or local company says, I just want to work with children, we immediately know where to go … We know where to go because we know the demographics of our 770,000 residents, we know where the rent is the block that has a higher proportion of children going to school, ”he said.

A reading program for low-income children in the Southwest district, called Bringing Love to Every Single Soul (BLESS), is an organization that has benefited from CDC support.

“I meet some partners, I tell them, okay, come on, and immediately, we can help them pilot on the ground and give them the necessary resources to start on the ground,” said Ms. Low.

The hardest part of a mayor, he said, is when he sees a child’s progress lagging.

“As a working mother … what breaks my heart is that as we make good progress to improve the lives of some of these families and make sure (the children) stay in school, sometimes an incident in the family can push the child back. ” she said.

“And it is very heartbreaking to see it because I was able to witness the good progress the child has made due to the collective efforts of the community volunteers, the VWOs, the school, and due to an unfortunate incident, suddenly there is absenteeism.”

On the other hand, she is “very encouraged” to see that people who have benefited from CDC initiatives return to help.

“There was this young woman, when she first joined the (reading program), she was very young. But five years later, she became da jiejie (older sister) to read to the younger group. And this is what we hope to see, ”said Ms. Low.

“And in the Southwest, we’ve had cases where people who benefited from the system really give back, and I think it’s very encouraging to see that.”