When he was 12, Dickson Ang had a lot to worry about. He was worried that his poor results in Mathematics would hinder his admission to secondary school. On top of that, his mother fell ill and was hospitalised, while his father’s earnings were impacted by the pandemic. These pressures were far too significant for a child of his age to deal with.

Thankfully, our CDAC Caseworker and volunteers stepped up to give the Ang family the necessary support to overcome these obstacles.

Ms Goh Ruoyi, a volunteer tutor at CDAC’s Supervised Homework Group, offered Dickson dedicated, personal tuition.

Dickson’s mother, Mdm Xie Yutao, felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the care Ruoyi has shown for Dickson. Dickson is easily distracted and finds it hard to build a close rapport with tutors, despite him trying out several tuition centres.  However, under Ruoyi’s skilful guidance, Dickson’s attitude changed completely, and this resulted in a significant t in his academic performance.

A primary school teacher by profession, Ruoyi finds Dickson a pleasant and kind child. “Compared to many other children whose families are better-off financially, he has a deep appreciation for kindness, and he often shows his gratitude through caring gestures.”

When Dickson’s mother had to be hospitalised last year, he was deeply affected.   But when his mother was discharged, Dickson became his old cheerful self again.

During the pandemic, the CDAC offered the family $200 worth of grocery vouchers monthly to help with their living expenses. Mdm Xie is also grateful to the CDAC for arranging various family activities, providing a chance for meaningful bonding to take place.

Today, Dickson is in secondary school. He has graduated from the Supervised Homework Group, and is now in Project YOUth Can Shine.