Singapore, 22 December 2017 – This morning, ISCOS awarded close to $40,000 worth of bursaries to 133 deserving students at the annual ISCOS Bursary Award Ceremony, in recognition of their hard work and perseverance in 2017.

Held at the MDIS Auditorium at Stirling Road, the ceremony was graced by the presence of Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health as the Guest of Honour. Amidst the rounds of applause and cheers from their families, the recipients were beaming with pride as they received the awards from the Guest of Honour on stage.

“As you pursue academic excellence, do not forget that life skills and values are equally important for success in the future. Remember the opportunities that you have been given today, and consider how you can give back to society, to help those who are in need and less fortunate than yourselves,” said Mr Amrin Amin in his address.

The ISCOS Bursary Award is a major initiative under the Yellow Ribbon Fund-ISCOS Fairy Godparent Programme (FGP) which supports children of current and ex-offenders from low-income families by way of education. For those with commendable results during this year’s school term, they were rewarded with bursaries ranging from $200 to $500 each, according to their education levels. Book grants were also given to students who have shown good progress in their studies. The awards are solely sponsored by Lee Foundation.

During the ceremony, ISCOS also recognised the maiden batch of recipients of the Tan Ean Kiam-Yellow Ribbon Fund-ISCOS Bursary Award (“TEK Award”), a newly launched initiative in 2017. Fully sponsored by Tan Ean Kiam Foundation, eligible beneficiaries who have received offers by local polytechnics and ITE in Singapore but lack the financial resources to further their studies may apply for the TEK Award. After receiving their certificates, the recipients also took the opportunity to share inspiring accounts about their academic pursuits despite challenging circumstances and hardships.

Since 2011, the Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd (ISCOS) has collaborated with various foundations and corporate partners to disburse bursaries to over 1,000 FGP beneficiaries who have made laudable progress in their studies. The bursary award became a great source of motivation for many beneficiaries to continue to do well in school.

– End –

About Industrial & Services Co-operative Society Ltd (ISCOS)

Since 1989, ISCOS has been extending friendship and support to ex-offenders and their families so that they can lead meaningful and productive lives. Together with the CARE Network/Yellow Ribbon Project partners, ISCOS takes an active role in engaging the community to help ex-offenders and their families gain a foothold in the society.

As a social Co-operative for ex-offenders under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, our programmes and services are geared towards enhancing the skills level of our beneficiaries, connecting them with supportive employers, providing social support through positive peer groups and mentors, building stronger family units, as well as extending academic assistance to their children in order to prevent intergenerational offending.

For more information, please visit www.iscos.org.sg.

About Yellow Ribbon Fund-ISCOS Fairy Godparent Programme (FGP)

FGP is anchored on three major components: Student Development, Family Support and Home Environment. Under the Programme, ISCOS provides academic assistance through bursary awards, sponsored tuition and mentoring to the children of ex-offenders. We place emphasis on the importance of building strong family units through family bonding activities and parenting workshops.

Backed by the support from volunteers, we also help create conducive study corners for the children at their own homes through home reorganisation and/or painting projects. With the fundamental goal of preventing intergenerational offending, hundreds of children from low-income families have benefited from our FGP initiatives. Our vision is to empower and enable the children to excel in education and become contributing members of the community.

Media Contact: