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VOL 48 • MARCH 2012 – AUGUST 2012 • MICA(P) 185/02/2012

President Tony Tan at SANA Nite 2012 3Charity Golf & Donation Draw 2012 3 Youth Volunteer in Bhutan 5

Celebrating Volunteerism 6SANA in the Spotlight11Paving the Way for the Future12

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Editorial Board

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Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) is a Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) with IPC status, established in 1972 to assist in the rehabilitation of drug addicts and provide support wherever necessary. SANA conducts anti-drug programmes in three key areas - Preventive Drug Education, Aftercare Counselling and Post-Aftercare Rehabilitation.

Our Mission: To mobilise our community against drug abuse and strive towards a drug-free Singapore.

SANA News is published by SANA. Please direct your feedback, queries or suggestions to corporate@sana.org.sg

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Editorial Committee Mr Raja Segaran ArumugamMr Lim Poh QueeMs Patricia Monkman

Contributors: Aftercare CounsellingPost Aftercare RehabilitationPreventive Drug EducationCorporate / Volunteer Management

Concept: SANA Design/Layout: Jen Design

SANA HELPLINEProvides information to the public on drug abuse and offers support to recovering addicts and their families by request. Call us on 1800-733-4444 (toll-free) between 8.30 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday. Telephone recording will be activated outside these hours daily.

Singapore Police Force – SPF Charity Drive 2011We are grateful to the Community Chest for its fund-raising efforts and to the Singapore Police Force for their donation of $56,215.00 for SANA’s Aftercare Case Management programmes. This donation constitutes part of the NCSS funding for the operating budget of the programme for FY 2011.

Mr Peter Lim We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr Peter Lim for his generous donation towards SANA’s Post Aftercare (PAC) Rehabilitation programmes and a Bursary Award scheme for vulnerable young students.

Last September the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) reported that the number drug abusers arrested in Singapore had increased significantly every year since

2008. Another disturbing piece of news was that the number of new youth abusers below the age of 20 had increased from 155 in 2010 to 255 in 2011, even as the total number of new drug offenders arrested had dropped by about 17%. When asked recently about this situation by the Straits Times, our Executive Director Mr Lim Poh Quee observed that stronger peer influence among youths and lack of communication with their parents were some of the causes for the spike in drug abuse among youths. CNB had previously noted that the drug situation in the region as a whole had grown worse and that the amount of drugs seized in Singapore had grown sharply in 2011.

The new scenarios in drug usage and the increased media reporting have drawn more public attention to the country’s struggle against drugs, including addiction prevention and rehabilitation of abusers. SANA is once again in the spotlight and questions will be asked whether we are ready as an organisation to cope with the new demands of the drug problem.

It will not be blowing our own trumpet to say that we are in some ways better prepared now to cope with the new challenges. For one thing, we are better focused, thanks to some of the structural changes SANA has embarked on since early 2011, for instance, re-structuring the DAPCs (Drug Abuse Prevention Committees) in the heartlands - by regrouping them to make them more effective in serving their constituencies. SANA has also made changes in its working relationship with the former ‘Religious Affiliate’ groups to give added focus to their activities relating to drug prevention and rehabilitation.

The centre-piece of our innovative measures is the SANA “Gotong Royong” project. It is a different and fresh approach to rehabilitation, where the aim is to assist our clients in redeveloping or building-up their bonds to their families and their communities, to make the rehabilitation process more effective. As we are reporting in this issue, the Gotong Royong project has already made great strides. It started just a year ago and now already targets some 30 families.

The new drug scenarios demand a national effort against the menace. SANA is actively involved in two sub-committees of the national Task Force on Drugs that was established last September and which will chart out new strategies to deal with the threat of drugs in Singapore. As our volunteers know, we have already taken steps in SANA with the resources available to us to ensure that the country will regain the upper hand in our struggle against drug abuse.

Editorial

Last year, SANA received on-line donations from a handful of kind individuals through SG Gives, Singapore’s largest on-line donation portal.

SANA is grateful for these donations, many made anonymously. Donors can give any amount, from as little as $10 to as high as $10,000 or more per transaction.

SG Gives is convenient and user- friendly. Just log on to www.sana.org.sg and click on ‘donation’ to proceed with the donation process; alternatively, you can log on directly to www.sggives.org and select SANA to make your donation.

THANK YOU for your kind donation.

SANA Annual General MeetingSANA will be holding its 40th Annual General Meeting on Saturday 23 June at 2.30 pm at the SANA Training Wing. Notice and the Agenda of the AGM, Minutes of the previous meeting and the Annual Report will be mailed out to all Life and Ordinary members in June.

Please note that only registered Life and Ordinary members can attend this meeting.

Donate ON-LINE

Taking Up the Challenge

THANK YOU

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When : 28 August 2012Where : Tanah Merah Country Club (Garden Course)Time : 1 pm (Shotgun)Guest of Honour : Mr S Iswaran (Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for

Home Affairs and Trade & Industry)

The SANA Charity Golf Committee is looking for sponsors / donors for prizes and gifts, corporate flight sponsorships, advertisements in the souvenir magazine or just an outright donation.

Funds raised will support the running of our various anti-drug programmes in preventive drug education, aftercare counselling and post after-care rehabilitation. So do come forward and support our efforts to rebuild the lives of our clients and their families who have been damaged by the effects of drug and inhalant abuse. Contact us at corporate@sana.org.sg if you are able to help us in any way.

We Need Your Help SANA wants more organisations to come forward to support the SANA All-Cash Donation Draw through ticket sales. SANA hopes to raise at least $200,000, which will be channelled towards our anti-drug programmes that create awareness of the dangers of drug abuse to vulnerable youths and to help recovering addicts in their rehabilitation and integration into society.

There’s something in this for you too. Purchasing a $2.00 SANA Donation Draw ticket, may just bag you the top cash prize of $18,000.00 or any of the other 49 cash prizes. Total value of prizes is $40,000.00.

Tickets will be distributed to schools and organisations in March. The draw date for the SANA All-Cash Donation Draw is 29 September 2012.

Call us on 6732-1122 for more information on how you can help. And win!

President Tony Tan to Grace SANA NiteSANA celebrates 40 years in the fight against drug abuse

SANA is honoured to have His Excellency President of Singapore Tony Tan Keng Yam as Guest of Honour at our 40th anniversary celebrations at the SANA Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Nite to be held on 12 October 2012.

The occasion takes on a special significance this year as the President who is also Patron of SANA will meet with our supporters, volunteers and clients and their families.

The event will be held at Amara Hotel and will feature a sumptuous dinner, MUIS-certified halal and vegetarian food, with an exciting programme and lots of lucky draw prizes.

There will be a special issue of the SANA Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Nite Souvenir magazine, commemorating our 40th anniversary. SANA would like to invite sponsors and donors to participate in this publication. For details please ring the Corporate Department at 6732-1122.

SANA Nite is held annually in recognition of the contributions of donors, volunteers and sponsors, for it is through their active participation in our programmes, their time and resources over the years that SANA has been able to continue and expand our anti-drug efforts and to increase outreach.

All-Cash Donation Draw 2012

WHAT’S ON

FUNDRAISING FOR SANATo most of our clients a second chance is an offer of a lifeline. Please give them and their families this second chance. When you support our fund-raising, you are helping to ensure continuity of our anti-drug programmes on a level that does not compromise on content or reach.

SANA Charity Golf 2012

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President Tony Tan

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OVERSEAS ALLIANCES

VOLUNTEERS / OUTREACH

A team from SANA, led by Executive Director Mr Lim Poh Quee, visited the Johor National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA) on 24 November 2011, on the invitation of Mr Kalki Karl, Chairman of the Rehabilitation and Treatment Committee for NADA.

The two agencies shared ideas and experiences on rehabilitation programmes and community integration of recovering drug addicts. The Director of Pusat Pemulihan Penagihan Narkotik (PUSPEN) Mr V.M. Asok Kumar gave a presentation on the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes conducted under the auspices of the Malaysian government.

The SANA team was also taken on a field visit to the Desa Damai Community Care Service Centre where recovering addicts are housed and given the necessary life-skills to empower them in their journey towards self-dependency. We also toured the spacious compound where the residents live and learn various arable skills during their recovery process.

Last, but not least, we visited the Taman Sri Stulang Community Care House, where recovering addicts and their families are relocated from various areas in Johor and brought together as residents of

SANA and our Johor hosts pose in front of the Taman Sri Stulang Community Care House.

a built-up public housing community. We learnt about the various community-building programmes and activities available to them.

It was an informative and successful visit and we look forward to a visit by Mr Karl and his team and reciprocate the warm hospitality extended to us in Johor.

Working Towards Common GoalsDelegates from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Thailand visited SANA on 8 September.

Representatives from the two organisations exchanged ideas and practices on anti-drug programmes and rehabilitation services.

SANA shared details of our preventive programmes, namely Aspire Camp and Badge Scheme and our work with grassroots volunteers from the Drug Abuse Prevention Committees (DAPCs).

Our Thai visitors also spoke about their preventive and rehabilitation work and noted the similar challenges both

organisations faced in counselling and post-aftercare rehabilitation, in particular, keeping down the rate of recidivism and preventing further contamination. ONCB was pleased to learn about our Post After-care services, in particular the Family Engagement Programmes that offers a support net for clients and their families to keep down the reoffending rate and prevent inter-generational offending.

The ONCB is a national coordinating body for prevention and suppression of drugs and a secretariat to the Narcotics Control Board under the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand.

Across the Causeway

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Youth Volunteer in BhutanOne stark observation that impacted on Vincent Chan during his 4-day stint in Bhutan is the need to get out in the community and actively reach out to the youths in the streets to spread the anti-drug message.

“While SANA has on-going anti-drug programmes for schools to sign up to, I feel that, as volunteers we can do more to get the message across to young people. We need to get out and do things, like organising camping or conferencing,” he said.

The 22-year old SANA volunteer (in Aspire Camp and Badge Scheme projects) was SANA’s representative at the 8th Asian Youth Congress (AYC) held in Bhutan in September last year.

The AYC agenda was on the current drug situation in Asia and the strategies different countries undertake in the fight against drug and inhalant abuse.

More than 120 youths from Asia participated in the AYC in a fresh exchange of ideas and suggestions on different approaches in preventive drug education.

Vincent did a presentation of SANA’s preventive drug education programmes, which fellow participants in Bhutan found impressive enough to vote him in 3rd place for the presentation segment.

Youthful Encounters: Vincent (in sunglasses) with a fellow delegate from Pakistan.

Two stalwarts in the fight against addictions, NAMS and SANA, met up on 10 January to learn more about each other’s programmes and services, exchange ideas and tap into the other’s resources with the aim of building up their own competencies.

The NAMS (National Addictions Management Service) team led by its senior manager, Mr Suresh Anantha, met with SANA’s Executive Director Mr Lim Poh Quee and the SANA team of managers and heads of programmes, at the SANA office.

NAMS expressed interest in SANA’s work in the areas of prevention, aftercare counselling and post aftercare rehabilitation and has invited us to give a talk to their staff comprising psychiatrists / doctors, nurses, psychologists, counsellors and social workers. SANA is also looking forward to strengthening our working relationship with NAMS.

Collaborating in Fighting Addiction

VOLUNTEERS / OUTREACH

REACHING OUT!

SANA and NAMS teams at the West Wing of SANA office.

SANA IN TASK FORCE ON DRUGS

SANA sits in two of the three sub-groups in the Steering Committee on Taskforce on Drugs - Preventive Drug Education (PDE) and Rehabilitation & Integration of Drug Abusers and Community Partnerships.

The Taskforce, set up in September last year, is chaired by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of State (Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs) and comprises representatives from ministries, government agencies and voluntary welfare organisations.

It is relooking the whole drug scene from a fresh perspective and will recommend new strategies to arrest the rising drug menace. More specifically, it will:

(a) Review the current drug abuse situation;

(b) Study the drug abuse trends and challenges in reducing drug abuse;

(c) Evaluate current preventive and rehabilitative programmes; and

(d) Recommend strategies to be adopted to deal with the problem of drug abuse.

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More than 30 organisations and donors received appreciation plaques at the SANA Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Nite on 18 November 2011 for their generous contributions to SANA’s fundraising efforts in the year. They included donors and sponsors for the Charity Golf and All-Cash Donation Draw.

In addition, 19 volunteers (comprising individuals and

committees) received Medals of Honour (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Certificates of Honour for their significant contributions to SANA’s anti-drug efforts.

Study Awards were handed out to nine students from primary schools who participated in the Aspire Camp and who had shown academic and personal improvements. The Study Awards were sponsored by Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.

The plaques and awards were handed out by Guest of Honour, Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry.

In his address, Mr Iswaran recognised the important role of volunteers. “We have with us this evening the donors and sponsors whose contribution and participation have helped SANA sustain its programmes that engage youths and drug abusers.

CELEBRATING VOLUNTEERISM

Ms Chan Lay Hoon receives the plaque of appreciation on behalf of Mr Peter Lim from Guest of Honour Mr S Iswaran.

SANA President Mr Poh Geok Ek presents the Study Award to Siti Nur Roslan from Fengshan Primary School.

Members of Radin Mas DAPC.

Members of Geylang Serai DAPC.

VOLUNTEERS / OUTREACH

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Our treasured volunteers and Awards recipients.

From left: Mr Chan Kwok Mun (Ministry of Home Affairs), Mr Kenneth Kee (Vice-President,

SANA), Mr Ho Linfo (Jit Poh Investments) and Mr Teo Tze Fang (SCORE).

VOLUNTEERS / OUTREACH

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Corporate VolunteerismMore and more organisations today are conscious of the need to care for the community and are extending their services pro-bono to VWOs.

SANA has been most fortunate to have benefited from at least two such organisations – Nanyang Polytechnic and Buzz Communications.

In June 2011, SANA secured the assistance of a team from Nanyang Polytechnic to design and develop an Aftercare Management Information System (MIS) on a pro-bono basis. The project was completed in February 2012. SANA is now able to generate detailed and

“Every individual has a role in helping to heal societal wounds, and making a difference to the lives of many people they encounter, be they youth-at-risk, addicts who are battling the detrimental effects of drug and inhalant abuse, or even their families who struggle to be whole again.”

He spoke on the success of the Gotong-Royong project, how it had started out with nine families or 28 participants in March 2011 and by November, Gotong-Royong had attracted 30 families with a total of 70 participants.

SANA Nite was held at The Chevrons and attended by approximately 500 volunteers and supporters. The event was reported in the press, in particular the Gotong-Royong project that was highlighted as one of SANA’s successful rehabilitation programmes.

accurate reports and information, allowing us to analyse and respond to our clients’ needs more efficiently.

In November last year, Buzz Communications, a full-service Public Relations and Media Communications company assisted SANA in organising the Media Briefing for SANA’s Gotong Royong project.

In giving something back to the community, these organisations have gained a better understanding of issues and challenges faced by SANA.

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Supporters from the People’s Association Youth Movement.

SANA thanks all the donors, supporters and volunteers who made the night such a success.

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Raising Funds for HopeDespite the heavy downpour that delayed the start of the SANA Charity Golf 2011 last September, spirits remained high and the 144 golfers putted enthusiastically well into the dusk to complete their 18-hole round at the Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli, who is Minister of State for Home Affairs and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, joined in the round of golf and afterwards attended the dinner and prize presentation.

The Hole-in-One Prize of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class E200 CGI sponsored by Daimler South East Asia Pte Ltd remained elusive.

The charity event raised just over $105,000.00 which will go towards funding SANA’s anti-drug programmes.

SANA would like to thank Mr Masagos for gracing the event and the donors, sponsors and volunteers who

contributed to the success of SANA Charity Golf 2011. In addition, big thanks to the Organising Committee headed by Mr Kenneth Kee and to Dr Abraham Kochitty as the incomparable Master of Ceremony.

Winner gives Back! The winner of a $500.00 cash prize in the SANA All-Cash Donation Draw 2011 donated his winnings back to SANA.

The gentleman who opted for anonymity, gave the entire cash prize to SANA. We are touched this generous gesture. The donation will go towards our anti-drug programmes.

The Donation Draw took place at SANA Auditorium on Saturday 24 September 2011. We are grateful to have Board Member Mr Raja Segaran Arumugam witness the Draw. We would like to thank our volunteers who sacrificed their Saturday afternoon to assist in the Draw. They are Linda Situ, Lizawati Talib, Raihani Abdul Aziz, Rosmini Mohd Maksudis, Sarjit Kaur, Corina Seah, Wiwiek Hajihah, Anita Yong and Ms Yun Jin.

Our thanks also to schools, government departments, civic institutions and private organisations that supported this fund-raiser through the purchase of tickets, as well as for their outright donations.

Cash prizes amounting to $50,000.00 were won by 50 lucky winners. The results of the Draw were published in the Straits Times and on the SANA website.

The VIP team, from left: Commissioner of Police Mr Ng Joo Hee, SANA Executive Director Mr Lim Poh Quee, Guest of Honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli and SANA President Mr Poh Geok Ek.

EVENTS / OUTREACH

SANA CHARITY GOLF

All-Cash Donation Draw

Winners in the following categories were:

• NearestthePin(Hole17) : DanielOr

• NearesttheLine(Hole18) : TerenceNg

• DoublePeoria : 1stplace:AlfredChang 2nd place: Rick Low 3rd place : Lim Siow Meng

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Lucky Lady Dr Goh Swee Heng receives the top lucky draw prize from SANA President Mr Poh Geok Ek.

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EVENTS / OUTREACH

The year-end saw a flurry of activities organised by the SANA Recreation Club (SRC) and SANA’s affiliates for volunteers who help out in our various programmes. A great deal of time and effort goes into planning and executing these little parties, such as buying and wrapping the prizes, organising games, quizzes and the music, decorating the halls, planning the programmes and the food, and most importantly, getting volunteers to make time to chill out.

On the evening of 16 September 2011 approximately 40 volunteers and their families, turned up for the Hari Raya Puasa gathering at SANA Volunteer Lounge. Traditional festive food was served. SRC Vice-Chairman Jalaluddin Peer Mohammed and Secretary Siti Raihani shared with us the meaning and symbolism behind the Hari Raya celebrations. Games and prizes added a fitting finale to the successful event.

A Deepavali party was held on 5 November 2011 at SANA Training Wing, organised by the SRC and the Hindu Aftercare Counselling Service. More than 70 volunteers and their families turned up and enjoyed the aromatic, spicy Indian food, pulsating Indian music, dance and games. We were entertained to an Indian classical dance performance by talented A Parviathra and a hip-hop dance item by SANA Hindu Youth Group.

Guest of Honour, SANA President Poh Geok Ek joined in the fun and presented prizes to winners of the lucky draw.

The year at SANA doesn’t end without the customary Christmas / Year End Gathering and so on 16 December about 40 people put aside their Christmas shopping errands and headed to SANA Volunteer Lounge for the annual party. In keeping with the festive spirit, a Christmas Carol sing-along session was soon underway and having ‘sung for their supper,’ the party went into full swing with a delicious dinner, exciting games and prizes. For those with birthdays in November and December, the evening presented a double celebration when a huge birthday cake was presented to them, amid the usual birthday fanfare.

Chilling Out at SRC

SANA joined 40 other Voluntary Welfare Organisations in ‘Walk with Me,’ an exhibition cum recruitment drive held on 26 November 2011 at *Scape, to commemorate International Volunteer Day.

SANA used this platform to publicise our services and programmes and also to recruit volunteers for our youth programmes. This is the first time SANA has used hand-held devices such as the iPad in reaching out to the public and we managed to sign up several new volunteers.

The event was organized by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre.

‘Walk With Me’

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OUTREACH

SANA joined eight other agencies on 22 October 2011 in an anti-drug and inhalant abuse networking session organised by Beyond Social Services (BSS) at their St Helena Road training centre.

The session was led by Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and there were about 60 participants from the following agencies - Institute of Mental Health, SCORE, Singapore Prison Services, Narcotics Anonymous, Clubilya and Pertapis, including three guests from Brunei

The testimonies by NA members were honest, emotional and unreserved.

Recovering addicts described their wretched lives with drugs, the living hell and the desperate fight against the horrible spectre of addiction that seems disturbingly real and close. And in their pain and agony, they inflicted the same pain on those who love them most.

“I felt so abandoned but I must be crazy because I still loved him!” confessed a mother of four children who learnt about her husband’s drug addiction soon after they got married.

Mr Gerard Ee, Executive Director of BSS, penned his thoughts.

“To be fair, nothing quite prepares us to deal with the complex issue that substance

dependency is and perhaps, only an addict can fully appreciate what another addict is going through. Hence, I would like to thank members of Narcotics Anonymous for baring their soul so that we may be helping professionals who have a better sense of their predicament.”

NA Singapore is a non-profit, non-professional, volunteer fellowship of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. They are recovering addicts (ex-addicts), who meet regularly to help each other stay clean (self-help). NA Singapore has held support meetings for over 20 years.

NA Singapore holds a session for NA members at SANA premises every Wednesday night.

Narcotics Anonymous: Baring One’s Soul

The 18 Drug Abuse Prevention Committees (DAPCs) have been grouped into six clusters paving the way for increased efficiency through shared resources and manpower and giving more bite to their preventive drug outreach efforts on the ground.

Under the restructure which took effect last December, each cluster now comprises two to four DAPCs that are in close proximity or

belong to the same GRC, thus allowing them to pool and leverage on their collective resources when organising their public outreach activities.

This gives the DAPC a greater role in our preventive work, namely preventive drug education outreach at the community / grassroots level.

The Grouping of DAPCs

In late February 2012, the practice of referring to the various religious groups of volunteers as Religious Affiliates or RAs was discontinued. In its place, the religious volunteers who have opted to remain as SANA volunteers will now come under the Religious Group of Volunteers (RGVs), one of the sub-groups in the SANA Support Group platform. This revamped set-up meets the requirements of the Charities Regulations 2007 (Institutions of Public Character), which explicitly states that an organisation may be approved as an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) if it satisfies the conditions that “its activities are exclusively beneficial to the community in Singapore as a whole and not confined to sectional interests or groups of persons based on race, belief or religion.”

SANA would like to place on record our appreciation for the invaluable contributions and good work of all the volunteers from the religious groups who have opted to leave SANA. SANA looks forward to continue working and collaborating with them in the new organisation which they have chosen to join.

SANA’s RGVs

BACKGROUND

In 1977, in response to the government’s call to fight against the spread of drug abuse in Singapore, volunteers from different religious groups joined SANA to carry out anti-drug related activities including in-care religious counselling. They organised themselves into separate Religious Affiliates (RA), namely SANA Muslim Aftercare and Counselling Service (SANA MCS), SANA Christian Aftercare and Counselling Service (SANA CCS), SANA Sikh Aftercare and Counselling Service (SANA SCS), SANA Hindu Aftercare and Counselling Service (SANA HACS) and SANA Catholic Aftercare Counselling Service (SANA CACS). The RAs were not registered entities and operated under the umbrella of SANA.

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Channel News Asia Taskforce on Drugs Following press reports on 22 September 2011 on CNB’s under-reporting on the number of drug addicts arrested, and the subsequent setting up the Taskforce on Drugs, Channel News Asia approached SANA for our views on whether our current anti-drug measures were effective enough.SANA’s executive director Mr Lim Poh Quee stressed the importance of strong family relationships and the need for a proactive and holistic approach to counselling and post-aftercare rehabilitation when working with recovering addicts. The interview was aired on Mediacorp News on 23 September 2011. Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of State (Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs) opened the segment with his comments on the Taskforce on Drugs.

TODAY Newspaper Following CNB’s annual release of the drug situation showing a 155% increase in

the number of new abusers below the age of 20, for the year 2011 from the previous year, Today Newspaper ran a report on 4 February quoting SANA Executive Director on how we can best curb the problem. Mr Lim felt “a concerted effort involving relevant government agencies, schools and the community is needed.” Mr Lim also suggested that preventive drug education outreach programmes should also be extended to parents. The report was published in print and on-line.

Mediacorp Webisodes Daisy Irani Interviews SANA

Celebrity Daisy Irani - actress, director and producer - interviewed Senior Manager Steven Tham on substance abuse for Mediacorp’s webisodes which are short edutainment segments. Daisy, Mediacorp’s VP of Content for Channel 5 and Okto, is a SANA supporter. SANA was one of the beneficiaries of the play the Prisoner of Mumbai Mansion, a fundraising event and volunteering effort by the Rotary Club of Marina City of which Daisy is a member. Daisy was also the lead actress in the play staged last April.

The New Paper Rise of Ice AbuseSANA counsellor John Chong’s interview with The New Paper (7 December 2011) on the increase of ‘Ice’ abusers, attested to growing evidence that the profile of new drug abusers show

them to be better educated professionals and from better socio-economic background. (Ice is a methamphetamine and is also known as crystal meth, speed, yaba.) “The danger of Ice abuse is that many who use it do not fully understand that it is a very addictive stimulant,” said John.

SANA IN THE SPOTLIGHTMedia coverage on SANA in the past few months has helped heighten public awareness of SANA’s programmes in preventive drug education, counselling and post aftercare rehabilitation.

Newspaper reports, TV news, docu-dramas, radio talk shows, TV magazine programmes and online reports – featured the work and focus of SANA, the challenges faced by our counselors and the harm of addiction on vulnerable youths, and above it all the stories of pain and eventual triumph of our recovering addicts.

Here is a collage of the coverage:

MEDIA MEETS AT SANA SANA conducted a background media briefing on 17 November, the day before SANA Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Nite 2011 and invited journalists from the newspaper and broadcast networks. The media turned up in full force to cover the Gotong-Royong Project. Mr Lim Poh Quee (Executive Director) presided at the briefing. As a result of the media briefing, SANA was featured by all the major media in all the four languages .

Mediacorp, Channel 5SANA was featured on Channel 5’s successful docu-drama series ‘Confessions of a Crime’ that was aired in January this year. This was a first for SANA.

The series, which features real life stories of people who by circumstances find themselves in a life of crime that they had never bargained for, focused on our client from the Post After-care department. Our client’s frank and unrestricted recollections struck an empathic cord with many viewers. It was powerful sharing of his past misdeeds, which also serve as a cautionary tale.

Talkback 938Live, Radio Executive Director Mr Lim Poh Quee spent the morning of 26 September 2011 participating in a live radio talk-show on Talkback 938LIVE, a current affairs programme. Following newspaper reports on the under-reporting of the drug situation by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Mr Lim was invited to share his views on the reasons behind the increase in the number of drug abusers and on the possible strategies that can help bring down the numbers.

PUBLICITY

The Gotong-Royong Community Event or GRCE project started out with nine families or 28 participants in March 2011. To date, the project has attracted 30 families with a total of 70 participants.

It has taken a new approach expanding from client centric to family and peer support, thus allowing opportunities for recovering addicts and their families to interact with one another.

A Gotong-Royong event is a two-day-one-night session held at the Family Learning Centre (FLC), which used to be an army school and recently converted in a cheerful chalet-styled centre, tucked in a rustic getaway in Sembawang. Activities which are fun and easy are designed to promote

co-cooperation, bonding and empowerment.

SANA has organised four Gotong-Royong sessions last year, all of them held at the FLC, courtesy of Beyond Social Services. Ashram, a Hindu Halfway House, also contributed servings of delicious curried potato spring rolls for the welcoming tea.

The last Gotong-Royong session of 2011 took place on 17-18 December. Here’s what our clients had to say…

2 Sengkang Square, Sengkang Community Hub #05-01 Singapore 545025 • Tel: (65) 6732 1122 Fax: (65) 6732 4564 www.sana.org.sg

Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association

There’s a saying that the new year brings new beginnings and that’s certainly true for 23-year-old Maggie who welcomed her delightful bundle of joy on the first day of Spring (following the Lunar calendar).

Cheryl wriggled into the world and into the loving arms of her mum on 23 January 2012, at a healthy 3.6 kg, becoming one of the 88 babies born in Singapore on the first day of Chinese New Year, which marks the start of the Spring Festival.

“Yes, she is so special and I will do anything for her,” cooed Maggie who works as an office admin and has two other children, Xavier 5 and Cherry 3.

Maggie is also a recovering addict undergoing counselling and rehabilitation at SANA. She started experimenting with drugs at age 13, with Ecstasy and later Methamphetamines. She is now fighting to stay clean. “I hope my children will not go down the same road as I had done in the past, because that’s always the losing end; and so I will work double hard to prevent them from going bad.”

Welcome Spring Princess; it’s a beautiful world!

SANA Welcomes Little Spring Princess

Gotong-Royong: Paving the Way for the Future

PROGRAMMES

CATCH US ONLINE AND ON FACEBOOK For the latest news and events, visit ‘SANA EVENTS’ on our website www.sana.org.sg or go to sanaevents.org. You can also join our official Facebook page – Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association.

Little Cheryl with SANA Post After-care staff Norhatijah Esa and Moses Ooi, their presence and support underlining SANA’s focus on bonding families and rebuilding lives.

“My journey to be the best, no matter what lies ahead. I want to stay free from drugs. This vow will start now and to the last of my breath. To my tree of success, I’ll start from the root.”

“I’m so happy today. Thanks SANA for organising such events. It has really been so long since I’m in prison. I really miss my family so much; how I wish this love and the new bond between me and family will last forever.”