Best Buddies Singapore is a new chapter of Best Buddies International. The inaugural program in Singapore will see friendships formed between NUS student volunteers (College Buddies) and their peers with intellectually disablities (Buddies) from APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs). Now in the process of recruitment and matching, we aim to launch the programme by the end of this year.
The Buddies have mild intellectual disabilities that do not hamper that mobility or speech, hence allowing them to be more independent in their lives. For a large part of their lives, their friends are limited to their school mates in APSN. When the Buddies are sent for job attachments or training in society, they lack the competency in managing expectations of them as well as challenges faced at work.
College Buddies provide emotional support to their Buddies as friends. Parents are often protective of their child and this limits the Buddies' social circle and social skills. Hence, the Buddies need their College Buddies to allow them to engage in the social experiences and relationships that all of us enjoy.
A College Buddy is required to commit to this friendship for a period of one year. After the official period is over, the Buddy may choose to stay in the program and will be partnered to another College Buddy and the same goes for the College Buddy.
College Buddies will need to keep in touch with their buddy at least once a week through phone, and at least once every two weeks in person (such as going for an outing). The one-to-one meeting every fortnightly can be any activity that both of you wish to do, be it going to the library, a sporting activity or even simply over a meal. This is facilitated during the matching process which will take into account of hobbies and activities that both parties like to do; age and gender are considered during the matching as well.
With all the preparation work done and support along the way, we hope that both you and your buddy enjoy the journey in building up this friendship. We believe that both of you will gain from this friendship. Each and everyone of us will be there to provide support for each other in the course of the one year. Briefings and trainings will be conducted, so do not feel afraid if you have no prior experience with people with intellectual disabilities.
If you want to be somebody's Best Buddy, or if you have any queries, do contact Lin Jiakai at linjiakai@gmail.com or at 9777 5273.
For more information, you can also visit
http://www.bestbuddies.org/ - Best Buddies U.S. Headquarters