On Sunday 9th July 2017, at Aidha’s Sunday campus in United World College Dover, we celebrated our 11th Anniversary with a series of festivities including a variety of fun and free workshops including the Money Management Game, a film screening on poetry by migrant workers (including a panel discussion with the film-maker and others), a poetry workshop, scrumptious food prepared by Aidha students and, of course, birthday cake!
Written by: Sophie Lee
Up and early! Our summer interns (pictured Ms. Amma Prempeh) and student volunteers decorate the tent plaza for the BIG celebration!
Ms. Joy Mompal, an Aidha trainee “hanging out” with the Aidha message balloons
The event was kicked off with everyone working their excitement out into an energetic Zumba session led by Ms. Sobia Nusrat. After we had all worked up an appetite, we enjoyed a delicious potluck lunch contributed by Aidha students and volunteers.
Ms. Sobia Nusrat getting everyone up and moving with an energetic zumba session.
Bon Apetit! Look at that scrumptious spread prepared by Aidha student volunteers
Smile! Happy faces after feasting…
Amidst the celebrations, Aidha’s CEO, Ms. Jacqueline Loh and Ms. Claudine Lim, Co-founder and Chair of Aidha, took the time to reflect over the past 11 years of growth in their speeches.
Ms. Claudine Lim, Co-founder and Chair of Aidha smiled as she shares how the community has shaped Aidha to what it is today!
We also enjoyed a wonderful screening of the local documentary ‘Poets on Permits” produced and directed by Ms. Upneet Kaur-Nagpal, Uptake Media. It features five migrant workers in Singapore and their poetry. Moreover, the three featured migrant workers in the film are Aidha Alumni, Ms. Glory Ann, Ms. Sandeep Kaur and Ms. Sharasyamsi! Ms. Kaur-Nagpal, along with featured poet and Aidha alum, Ms. Glory Ann, and joint third place winner of 2016 Migrant Worker Poetry Competition, Ms. Rolinda O. Espanola, participated in a panel discussion after, led by Aidha volunteer, Yina Song, who did a fantastic job moderating the engaged audience as the discussion led to many compelling questions on the film, migrant worker policies and how poetry has impacted their lives.
From L-R: Ms. Upneet Kaur-Nagpal, Ms. Glory Ann, Ms. Rolinda O. Espanola and Ms. Yina Song. The poets shared how they use poetry as a form of self-expression
Right after that, following the theme of poetry and self-expression, we held a poetry workshop facilitated by award-winning poet, Mr. Theophilus Kwek from Sing Lit Station was also a hit! The attendees had to incorporate their creative ideas to produce a poem based on the theme, “What Do We Remember?’ and how we all use things in our lives to process people, places, and feelings.
Mr. Theophilus Kwek, a volunteer from Sing Lit Station (centre) shared poetry from acclaimed poets, Zeina Hashem Beck and Alfian Sa’at
Aidha has experienced exponential growth in the last 11 years, leaving a positive impact on students, volunteers and mentors along the way. Aidha is grateful for the contribution and support you have given us and we hope that this will only continue on for many more years to come! Lastly, thank you to our summer interns, Emily Skovran, Taslim Tavarez, Pearl Keane, Cristina Nearing, Amma Prempeh and Sophie Lee who helped to organise this event.
NEWSLETTER 