ISCOS-FGP

The Fairy Godparent Programme (FGP) is one of the many programmes under the Industrial and Services Co-operative Society Limited (ISCOS), with the primary objective of providing support to offenders and ex-offenders’ families, especially their children (usually the secondary victims of crime).

The FGP functions through structured activities whereby volunteers work with children of ex-offenders in providing home-based tuition services, after-school and enrichment activities and befriending of charges at the child’s home. The children under FGP also receives a yearly book grant in the form of vouchers to help them in buying school books for each new term.

The programme requires us to work closely with individual volunteers and agencies that are willing to participate and contribute to the befriending / mentoring and tutoring needs of the child. ISCOS will be the coordinating and matching agency between these volunteers and agencies. They will also actively reach out to incarcerated fathers and their families, with the help of Singapore Prison Service in promoting FGP.

In recent times, with companies like M1 coming onboard with corporate sponsorship and support, FGP is able to provide more for these children - in the form of assessment books and other academic necessities like educational outings and enrichment programmes. Apart from financial sponsorships, ISCOS also seeks volunteers to step forward and dedicate 1 to 2 hours of their time a week for a minimum period of 6 months, to help these children.

FGP does not publicize its services actively, so the members and especially their children are not exposed to the public. This is integral for the growing child as it would not affect his/her mental state of being in a programme catered for this disadvantage group.

The cost of running programs and providing assistance to our members’ children can be relatively high. As a self-funded cooperative, any donation will allow us to extend further our mission to reach out to the children.

This year, ISCOS will help more than 200 children in providing them such services mentioned. ISCOS strongly believes that these children deserve no less than the others in the similar mainstream education system.

FGP is the beneficiary of the yearly M1 Asia Challenge which is a 3 day 2 night event that focuses of team building through uncompromising physical and mental challenges. M1 also sponsors an ISCOS team consisting of staff and members to participate in the M1 Asia Challenge.