New exec director says its work has grown to include outreach but its key motto remains
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
Walking through the Boys' Town home's dining hall, Dr Roland Yeow commands respect from the home's residents as the charity's new executive director.
But to Dr Yeow, it does not seem so long ago that he was getting into trouble in the same dining hall - as a resident.
"It was some time during lunchtime," said Dr Yeow, 41, who stayed at the home from 1992 to 1994. "There were about 80 of us in the dining hall and someone shouted out that there was going to be a fight, so we all rushed down, wanting to support the fighters."
The group ended up in detention for trying to fuel a brawl.
"Boys' Town was a mini world on its own," he laughed.
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
But to Dr Yeow, it does not seem so long ago that he was getting into trouble in the same dining hall - as a resident.
"It was some time during lunchtime," said Dr Yeow, 41, who stayed at the home from 1992 to 1994. "There were about 80 of us in the dining hall and someone shouted out that there was going to be a fight, so we all rushed down, wanting to support the fighters."
The group ended up in detention for trying to fuel a brawl.
"Boys' Town was a mini world on its own," he laughed.
Things have changed a lot since then, for both Dr Yeow and for Boys' Town, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary with an Open House today (Sept 15) at its premises in Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Dr Yeow entered the home as an aimless, unmotivated child after being placed there by his parents when he dropped out of school.
Through the home's structured environment and leadership programmes, and with the help of the home's staff, Dr Yeow said, Boys' Town turned his life around and helped him to find a purpose in life.
He now hopes to help the next generation of beneficiaries to transform their lives too.
"The key is realising you have the potential to do better," said Dr Yeow, who assumed his new position on Sept 1. "We can't undo their past - I can't even guarantee that what we're doing now will make a difference - but we're committed to help the children and youth of today become better adults and parents tomorrow."
The Boys' Town of today has also expanded beyond the residential service it was in Dr Yeow's day.
The charity has started offering more programmes for troubled young people and their families.
They include an outreach programme for youth at risk, fostering services and a programme to prepare families and children to be reunited.
These programmes have helped to redirect children and youths away from its residential services, said Dr Yeow.
Today, only about 40 to 50 boys reside in its premises at any given time, compared with about 100 when Dr Yeow was a resident.
He puts this down to the growth in other programmes available to young people in need of help, and to a smaller population of young people.
The charity has also widened its focus to help more children who suffer from trauma, abuse or neglect.
In the past, it focused more on teenagers who had dropped out of school, were delinquents or came from underprivileged backgrounds.
In the past, it focused more on teenagers who had dropped out of school, were delinquents or came from underprivileged backgrounds.
But even though the charity has expanded its purpose, its key motto remains very much relevant in its new work - it is still a place for the transformation of children and young people.
"Without Boys' Town as an institution for character transformation, where would I be?" said Dr Yeow. "I hope I can help the staff to continue to create this space for transformation."
"Without Boys' Town as an institution for character transformation, where would I be?" said Dr Yeow. "I hope I can help the staff to continue to create this space for transformation."
Teen years at Boys' Town taught him discipline, responsibility
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
At the age of 13, Mr David Lye and his brother were placed in the Boys' Town home by their mother - a single parent who was struggling to take care of them while juggling two cleaning jobs.
Every fortnight, after a visit back home, he would make the difficult journey back to the home.
"I was still young then, so we would have to book in... on Sundays before 6pm," said the 46-year-old, who stayed in the home from 1984 to 1987. "I would be so homesick that I'd silently cry on the bus on the way back to the hostel."
However, his time there turned out to be a good move.
To this day, Mr Lye - now an airline pilot - credits Boys' Town with teaching him how to live with others and with imparting life skills such as discipline and time management.
"It made me very much more mature," said Mr Lye, who also learnt the importance of responsibility.
Back then, residents were usually given certain tasks at the home, such as setting the alarm clock.
While the task seemed small and simple, it had an impact on everyone else as they all depended on the alarm to wake up.
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
Every fortnight, after a visit back home, he would make the difficult journey back to the home.
"I was still young then, so we would have to book in... on Sundays before 6pm," said the 46-year-old, who stayed in the home from 1984 to 1987. "I would be so homesick that I'd silently cry on the bus on the way back to the hostel."
However, his time there turned out to be a good move.
To this day, Mr Lye - now an airline pilot - credits Boys' Town with teaching him how to live with others and with imparting life skills such as discipline and time management.
"It made me very much more mature," said Mr Lye, who also learnt the importance of responsibility.
Back then, residents were usually given certain tasks at the home, such as setting the alarm clock.
While the task seemed small and simple, it had an impact on everyone else as they all depended on the alarm to wake up.
"From there, we learnt how to be responsible at such a young age, and it was a very good lesson," said Mr Lye. "These were lessons that we would carry on in our lives."
The home is often remembered for having strict rules, with those who broke them being punished by the religious brothers who ran the place. They were members of the Catholic order Brothers of St Gabriel, and they would punish the rule-breakers with detention or even caning.
However, Mr Lye said the brothers had their soft side too.
A brother from the home once took him and three to four other residents out to the nearby mall, and told them to buy anything they wanted.
He realised later that the brother had selected him and the others as they were among the home's poorer residents .
"It was something that I really appreciated, and it was a pleasant surprise that was quite memorable," said Mr Lye. "I am eternally grateful to my mother for insisting that I go to Boys' Town."
"It was something that I really appreciated, and it was a pleasant surprise that was quite memorable," said Mr Lye. "I am eternally grateful to my mother for insisting that I go to Boys' Town."
Defiant child found purpose in his studies
Change of environment provided by Boys' Town home helped him focus on schoolwork
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
He was once an angry and defiant child who did not like to study.
Mr Lee Pan Liang, 24, was a self-professed "naughty child" whose mother placed him in Boys' Town's home.
But as it turned out, that change in environment was what he needed to help him change his ways, said Mr Lee, who stayed in the home from 2007 to 2011.
"They had actual study tables and they set aside time every night... for our studies where you can only do schoolwork. Those sessions really gave me purpose," said Mr Lee, who now works for a multinational company doing testing and certification work.
The sessions were something that he did not have at home, where he was used to having his own way, he said.
He did well enough in school to be awarded a scholarship to study chemical and biomolecular engineering in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Another big change was his attitude. He said it was through Boys' Town that he understood the importance of keeping his emotions in check. He recalled an incident at the home where he was angry and broke a chair. A supervisor told him later that he was unwilling to report the incident as he could see that Mr Lee did it in anger. But the supervisor still had to report what happened as he had a duty to do so.
Mr Lee said: "I realised that because of what I did, someone else has to do something that he didn't want to... that's an example that I really reflected on.
"Living in a community like that... you can't always flare up and lose control of your emotions. Whatever you do, say and how you act really affects other people around you."
Today, he is thankful the home provided a good environment for him during his teenage years. "Looking back now, it helped me develop some form of maturity."
Change of environment provided by Boys' Town home helped him focus on schoolwork
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2018
Mr Lee Pan Liang, 24, was a self-professed "naughty child" whose mother placed him in Boys' Town's home.
But as it turned out, that change in environment was what he needed to help him change his ways, said Mr Lee, who stayed in the home from 2007 to 2011.
"They had actual study tables and they set aside time every night... for our studies where you can only do schoolwork. Those sessions really gave me purpose," said Mr Lee, who now works for a multinational company doing testing and certification work.
The sessions were something that he did not have at home, where he was used to having his own way, he said.
He did well enough in school to be awarded a scholarship to study chemical and biomolecular engineering in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Another big change was his attitude. He said it was through Boys' Town that he understood the importance of keeping his emotions in check. He recalled an incident at the home where he was angry and broke a chair. A supervisor told him later that he was unwilling to report the incident as he could see that Mr Lee did it in anger. But the supervisor still had to report what happened as he had a duty to do so.
Mr Lee said: "I realised that because of what I did, someone else has to do something that he didn't want to... that's an example that I really reflected on.
"Living in a community like that... you can't always flare up and lose control of your emotions. Whatever you do, say and how you act really affects other people around you."
Today, he is thankful the home provided a good environment for him during his teenage years. "Looking back now, it helped me develop some form of maturity."
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