We want
to say
Thank You
Hello You!
2017 has been a great year of growth for Project We Forgot and we want to celebrate the year by sharing some of our key milestones with you. This year, we were part of various programmes, ran talks in both corporates and schools, collaborated with different organisations locally and internationally, brought experts and caregivers together through our Step Up, Speak Out! forum events and led a half-day festival, We Remember!, to bring the topic of dementia to the younger community.
It’s been a busy good year and we are learning everyday. We want to thank you for the feedback and conversations which has taught us that we need a radically different approach in reaching out to caregivers like us, and supporting each other through our caregiving journeys.
I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our team who have come together to further the vision of Project We Forgot. We are looking forward to more conversations with you and building on the work we do in 2018.
This report is for you – our community of caregivers, mentors, volunteers, supporters, and cheerleaders – who feed our passion by believing in what we do. Thank you. Have a wonderful end to 2017 and an amazing 2018 ahead!
With thanks,
Melissa Chan / Project We Forgot
Our Team
Melissa Chan
CEO
Melissa combines her love for story-telling, digital marketing and branding to bring creative ideations and campaign experiences to life. Her work with Project We Forgot is inspired by her journey as a previous young caregiver to her dad with young-onset dementia. An active believer in the power of collaborations and partnerships, Melissa also serves as a member for the World Young Leaders in Dementia (WYLD).
Kai Yuan Neo
CTO
Kai is the Tech Guy. He is passionate about leveraging technology to fulfil basic needs in healthcare, education, food, and housing. Kai is particularly passionate about senior care because of the world’s aging and increasingly mobile population. Prior to Project We Forgot, Kai engineered software at Nuna, Facebook, and Stanford.
Clarence Oo
Community Manager
Clarence is the Community Guy. He previously managed community and public education programmes at various social service organisations in Singapore. Before joining Project We Forgot, he led community programmes at AWWA Caregiver Service, Singapore’s first established caregiver support centre, worked in dementia-focused eldercare, and piloted programmes for vulnerable children.
Key Highlights
Step Up, Speak Out!
April // October
A Forum for Information, Identification and Support
Step Up, Speak Out! is targeted to engage caregivers to persons with dementia. This is an open forum set to encourage conversations through the sharing of experiences and expert discussions. We would like to thank our speakers for taking time out to join us in 2017’s events:
Caregivers: Estee Teo, Galen Yeo and Ying Experts: Jason Foo, CEO, Alzheimer’s Disease Association (Singapore), Dr Philip Yap, Senior Consultant Geriatrician & Palliative Care Physician, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Manmohan Singh, Former Director, AWWA Centre for Caregivers.
ADI Conference 2017
Kyoto, Japan
// April
Sharing on Reaching The Younger Community Online
The Alzheimer’s Disease International conference is one of the world’s largest conferences on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, featuring a range of international keynote speakers and a high standard of scientific and non-scientific content. Project We Forgot addressed Awareness and Stigma during the conference and presented on reaching the younger community online, covering dementia awareness, outreach and supporting young caregivers.
Youth Corps Singapore
Senior Savvy Event
// May
Collaborating with Youth Corps Singapore Eldercare Cluster
The Youth Corps Singapore Eldercare Cluster organised its first ever engagement event to inspire, connect and empower youths who are passionate about seniors. Project We Forgot ran two sharing sessions on dementia awareness and caregiver experiences at the event.
PWF x AMKFSC
Pierce Secondary School
// July
Dementia Awareness in Schools
Project We Forgot and AMKFSC’s Community Resource Engagement and Support Team (CREST) at COMNET Senior Services conducted a talk to 325 students at Pierce Secondary School, to raise awareness on dementia. Students were provided with information on how to recognise signs and symptoms of dementia among their loved ones and friends, thus allowing them to take preventive measures by seeking appropriate help.
Singtel Future Makers
July – October
Support for Greater Social Impact
Singtel Future Makers is a 4-month social innovation programme in Singapore, comprising grants for each selected start-up, mentoring by cross-sector experts, competency workshops, networking and strategic partnership opportunities with the Singtel Group and its partners. Project We Forgot was one of the seven winners selected for the 2017 Singtel Future Makers Programme.
We want to say a big thank you to the Singtel Group Sustainability Team, UNFRAMED, and all the mentors who have supported us throughout the programme.
Modern Aging Programme
Access Health International x NUS Enterprise
August – October
Accelerating Accessible Healthcare
Modern Aging Singapore is an accelerator programme aimed at developing innovative solutions for the ageing population. The programme, which is now in its third run, is organised by ACCESS Health International and NUS Enterprise. Project We Forgot was one of the 7 finalist teams for the 2017 Modern Aging Singapore Programme.
The finale presentation was graced by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, as the Guest of Honour. Mr Claus Zieler, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Operations, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division Asia Pacific also gave a Keynote on Aging in Asia Pacific and the role of Health Innovation.
We Remember! Festival 2017
World Alzheimer’s Month
// September
Redefining Dementia in Singapore
A film screening, yoga session and photography exhibition may seem unrelated to dementia but Project We Forgot brought these elements together this World Alzheimer’s Month (September) at the We Remember! Festival, to create awareness of dementia among the younger audiences in Singapore. The half-day festival brought close to 250 people together on 30th September. It was held at Lepark, an alternative social space and restaurant.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
NEW CONNECTIONS WITH CAREGIVERS
WOMEN STRONG COMMUNITY
AUDIENCE AGED BETWEEN 25 - 34
TOP STORIES & COMMUNITY INSPIRATION
Sue Hsian Yau has been caring for her father for over 20 years. Her father was diagnosed in the early 90s, at a time where there was hardly any support or resources for persons with dementia in Singapore.
Rianna Patterson is bringing waves of change to her community through the Dominica Dementia Foundation. She is also a 2017 recipient of the Queen Young Leaders’ Award which recognises exceptional young people who are making lasting change in their communities.
Keir Gravil, from the UK, was 26 when his father was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s. He brings us through his journey from the point of diagnosis to realisation and shares how he and his family are currently facing the road ahead together.
Uzairah Azaman was 24 years-old when her father was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s. She shares how her dad’s condition has impacted her relationship with her siblings and how they cope with loving their father as he loved his.
MEDIA
Some of our features in 2017
