It has been six months since the formation of the Federation of Singapore Indian Organisations or FSIO was announced in October 2021 during the fireside chat held with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Since then, there has been much hyperactivity at the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its interactions and work with the 26 FSIO bodies which have come on board. And the SICCI-FSIO nexus is about to move on to its next milestone , its official logo launch, and a gala dinner to celebrate the formation of this major umbrella body which aims to be a voice of unity for the Indian community in Singapore.
The launching ceremony and gala dinner will be held on 12 May 2022 at 7pm with the evet being graced by the President of the Republic of Singapore.
The Logo
A key highlight at the gala dinner which will be attended by leaders from the FSIOs and the Indian community in general and business leaders from the various sister chambers of commerce is the launch of the special logo which binds SICCI and the FSIOs. The logo will also help create a distinct identity of the ties between SICCI and the FSIO bodies and emphasize the all-important truth that Unity is Strength and that is something which is much needed in the Indian community and amongst Indian organizations in Singapore which often have varied needs according to their size and programmes outreach to the community. This is where SICCI can come into play by helping to propagate special programmes of the various organizations to all the FSIO partners so that there is greater outreach benefitting many in the community.
Two areas come to mind where more outreach is needed these days as the population ages and the economy continues to mature and keeps up with times.
The first is in health and healthy lifestyle. Many members from the FSIO have on-going health awareness and mental awareness programmes for different age groups. Some have even tailored their programmes to address the specific needs of the ageing population. Here is where the close ties between the FSIO bodies can be beneficial. At the touch of a button, the availability of these programmes can be shared across all social media platforms of the various FSIO bodies, with the aim of attracting more people to benefit from talks, roadshows, on the spot health checks and free consultations and referrals particularly for low-income families.
The second and equally important area is skills upskilling, something constantly emphasized by our government leaders.
Here an important target group are the senior citizens who form a large pool of untapped talent source for fill the manpower shortages facing several sectors, particularly the services industry and restaurants. Our FSIOs can come together to identify keen individuals who are willing to return to the workforce and match them with job availabilities. This is where SICCI’s job search portal and SME Centre’s services can play a big role in working closely with the FSIOs to identify both job opportunities and training needs for the benefit of all those interested in taking up a job.
There is no doubt that the work has been cut out for the joint SICCI-FSIO management team and may this cooperation further enhance and strengthen the role and contributions of the Indian community towards this nation’s further progress.
Photo and Article Source: SICCI May month newsletter