SINGAPORE – When their eldest son was four and exhibiting signs of speech delay, Mr Muhammad Hafiz Sapeh, who is in his 30s, and his wife were worried if he would be able to keep up with his peers in school.

To help him, a social worker recommended that the couple send the boy for reading classes at SunCare SG every Saturday.

Muhammad Adam Qayyum Muhammad Hafiz, 7, is one of the 200 children receiving support from SunCare SG, a charity which helps children and young people.

On weekdays, he attends You Shine, an after-school programme which includes games, arts, sports and literacy classes. Adam is also a mentee under You Power, a mentoring programme which takes place on Saturdays.

The programmes are free and open to all children who require help.

Since attending SunCare SG’s programmes three years ago, Adam is now more confident in his speech, and has made vast improvements in his school work.

He has also become more outgoing and bubbly, said his mother, Madam Nur Adilah Zuraime, who is in her 20s.

During a SunCare SG Children’s Day event on Oct 4, Adam proudly expressed to reporters his aspiration to become a police officer one day.

Besides helping Adam with literacy, SunCare SG has also helped the family of six by providing necessities such as milk powder and diapers. They have also improved their living conditions with home upgrades such as a bunk bed and an air-conditioning unit.

“Three of our children have eczema, which flares up whenever the weather gets very hot,” said Madam Adilah.

“We tried using several fans to (alleviate their condition), but that doesn’t really work.”

With the provision of these items to help the family, Mr Hafiz hopes that it will improve their quality of life.

The bunk bed will allow Mr Hafiz, who was previously sleeping in the living r...