The recent “Strengthening Families Carnival” by AWWA Family Service Centre (FSC) located at Towner Road, held on 20 Aug 2017, drew in 490 participants! Aimed at creating awareness on family violence, the roadshow, a collaboration together with Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Central Family Violence Working Group, provided education for the public on domestic violence and prevention methods.

The event was graced by Mr Heng Chee How, Grassroot Advisor, Senior Minister of State (Prime Minister’s Office) and Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC (Whampoa).

The key highlights included game stations such as “Spin the Wheel” where children and their families learnt of the community resources and essential emergency numbers available to them in times of crisis.

In line with the theme “Strengthening Families”, participants of the family art competition were tasked to draw what they felt best represented that. The competition received an overwhelming response with 13 families participating and the winner received S$50 worth of vouchers.

To keep the public engaged, a special skit titled “No More Tears” was performed by Drama Arts Ltd. Actors re-enacted different scenarios of abuse and family violence to show how one can be more sensitive to the issues or conflicts that may arise within families.

There were also an art exhibition and community information panel hosted by MSF and the Central Family Violence Working Group.

Of course, no carnival is complete without free popcorn, candy floss and ice-cream. The bouncy castle sure kept the children on their feet! It was indeed a great day of community bonding and learning for everyone.