Mr Sivanandam,

Vice Chairman, Down Syndrome Association and

Chairman of Buddy Walk Organising Committee

Members,

Board of Management, Down Syndrome Association

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Boys and Girls

I am happy to join all of you this afternoon for the Great Singapore Buddy Walk. I hope you have enjoyed the walk and ready for more fun in the other activities that will follow soon.

To-day’s Buddy Walk is the third organized by the Down Syndrome Association (Singapore). The aims of this Buddy Walk are very meaningful. It provides an opportunity for our children with Down syndrome, their families, friends and volunteers to come together to exercise, have fun and to socialize. It is also an occasion for DSA to create public awareness of Down syndrome and their work with this group of children and their families.

I understand that besides this significant event, DSA has put in place support structures and services for children with Down syndrome and their families. Two major services of the Association to the public are its New Parent Support Programme for new parents of children with Down syndrome and a `Parents Supporting Parents Programme’ where member parents are trained to be new parent support volunteers. It is worthwhile to note that the volunteers, who are themselves parents of children with Down syndrome, not only work with the new parents of children with Down syndrome, but also the children’s siblings, grandparents and caregivers. In addition, DSA has set up a Youth Wing that looks after the social and recreational needs of Down syndrome youths aged 10 and older. It has also started a toy and a resource library. The association also organizes regular talks for parents and distributes its handbook on Down syndrome for new parents.

The range and success of DSA’s programmes and support services augur well for Singapore. It is an excellent example of Active Citizenship, one of the key ideas in Singapore 21 where Singaporeans actively contribute their ideas, time and energy to those in need. I commend the Association and its volunteers for their untiring efforts in their community service to children with Down Syndrome and their families.

I am told that representatives from other voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs), such as Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), Singapore Sports Council for the Disabled (SSCD) and Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) are participating in to-day’s event. The coming together of VWOs to lend support to one another and working together for the benefit of all people with disabilities are efforts we would want to encourage.

The Down Syndrome Association is also fortunate to have the support of their various sponsors and donors, who have generously contributed to making this a successful event. Their strong sense of commitment is certainly laudable.

The involvement of many students from Temasek Polytechnic as well as students from many schools, both special and mainstream is a healthy sign of the spirit of caring and volunteerism in our schools and tertiary institutes. This is a very important step in strengthening the Singapore heartbeat among our young to help them understand that every Singaporean has a role in enhancing the well-being of the community and the country. In coming together to do something so meaningful, our young people will learn and understand their obligations and responsibilities to the community and our nation. Thus, we can all do our part, together with DSA, in appreciating our special Buddies here today, for their contribution to enriching the lives of many children with special needs.

I wish you success in the wonderful work you are doing.

Thank you.