Stephanie, who has Retinal Dystrophy, can only perceive light and some objects. She developed an interest in music and fell in love with the violin. When her family brought her to look for music schools, she was rejected multiple times due to her medical condition. Thankfully, she eventually found a teacher who was willing to take on the challenge. With support from Guide Dogs Singapore’s holistic programmes, such as mobility training, Stephanie is now able to travel independently and confidently to rehearsals and performances, where her hard work and passion for music shine through.
Guide Dogs Singapore (GDS) is a Social Service Agency dedicated to uplifting the lives of the visually impaired community. They provide the essential service of training and providing guide dogs. They also run a range of holistic programmes to build their clients’ confidence and independence, such as through mobility training.
The Change Agency has had the pleasure of working with GDS for three campaigns over the past year. It has been an extremely rewarding learning experience - we learned so much not just about the work that they do, but about the visually impaired community in Singapore. Since Oct 2021, we have embarked on numerous projects with them, assisting with content generation, social media campaigns, and event-based support. The campaigns, which include White Cane Day 2021, have raised over $150,000 to sustain GDS’ programmes.
For us at the Change Agency, what we found most memorable was getting to interact with the clients of GDS first-hand. They have so openly and generously shared their stories and experiences with us, educating us and allowing us a glimpse into their diverse lives.
Another client we had the pleasure of meeting was Alvin, who lost his vision due to a rare auto-immune disease. He shared his journey with us, and described how his guide dog, Seretta, led him not just around physical spaces, but out of depression. Watching the bond between Alvin and Seretta was truly moving, reminding us of the meaningful work we were supporting.
Guide Dogs Singapore is currently raising funds in their “Give the Gift of Independence” campaign. You can make a donation at http://giving.sg/gds/goi2022 which will help GDS in reaching out and providing services to more vision-impaired individuals. Beyond the campaign, Guide Dogs Singapore is greatly supported by public donations to sustain their programmes. Your contribution could make a difference and uplift the lives of their clients. Visit https://guidedogs.org.sg/ to find out more.
The Change Agency provides Creative Services to our clients. We also provide services at subsidised rates to Social Service Agencies and charities in support of their causes.
Drop Karen an email at karen@makethechange.sg to explore opportunities. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram to view our past works!