Kavitha and Clara
Glowing as we Grow
Kavitha:
Hi! I am Marapan Palanisamy Kavitha, a proud immigrant from India to Singapore. My journey starts in 1998 when I first stepped into Singapore with a heart filled with hope and courage. My family grew to love this small yet charming hinterland that fulfilled our dreams and visions for the future. Our first dream achieved was at the 2008 Citizenship ceremony, where my young family and I proudly became citizens of Singapore.
Yearning to give back to the community that provided happiness and security for my family, I became a proud member of the Indian Activity Executive Council (IAEC).
This was my chance of showing and displaying my gratitude for my second home. I was determined to put in my best effort.
For 3 consecutive years, from 2012 to 2014, I organised 3 Mother’s Day cum Tamil New Year events. In these events, we would engage in cake cutting with all the elderly mothers and also delightful competitions such as drawing rangoli.
In 2017, me and my committee came together for Deepavali to pack care packs for the needy elderly in Bukit Merah. We packed murukkus, cookies, nuts, rice, ghee; all the essentials needed to celebrate the festival of lights. We have been doing this act of service since 2017 to this date and it has been an extremely fulfilling activity for me personally.
In 2018, we formed a cooking interest group where elderly people would come together with us to cook healthy food such as ladoos and murukkus. This has allowed me to have the opportunity to be part of improving the diet of elderly people as well.
From 2018 to 2021, I organised thought-provoking Tamil Debate shows. The topics were both relevant to our society and also eye-opening to engage the citizens in our community. For example, the topic for the 2019 show was, ‘Are social media platforms a bane or boon to our society?’, and the 2018 topic was, ‘Is the growth of a family on the shoulders of men or women?’.
These shows were a huge success and came on Tamil Murasu, a leading Tamil newspaper in Singapore. It was indeed a proud moment for me as the Chairperson of the Bukit Merah IAEC.
Every year for the past 7 years, since 2014, my committee has organised the National Chess Festive for National Day with the Singapore Chess Federation. As the organising Chairperson, I worked together with my members and also the federation to make the festivals a success for participants.
It has been an honour and has held such paramount importance in my life to be able to serve Singapore and I am extremely grateful for it. I sincerely hope that through my passionate and zealous acts for the community, I can make a difference and leave a legacy for aspiring Singaporeans to serve the community.
Clara:
Hi! I am Clara :)
Born and bred in the sunny island of Singapore.
Am here to share with you my story and I hope you will enjoy it…
She has always been a nervous wreck
Lara’s first day at kindergarten saw her vomiting all over the squeaky clean hardwood floor when mummy waved goodbye. In school, when she couldn’t quite understand a question, she would become a huge bundle of nerves and start doubting herself. She gets anxious about the tiniest things; she’s always overthinking, and her mind is forever formulating backup plans. Whenever whatever she’s planned fails to work out, her emotions will spiral out of control, making her feel extremely helpless and scared.
No one knows that her chest feels frequently knotted up
Lara knows she has to do something. She can’t possibly stress and mull over every single thing, right? She needs to learn how to calm herself down and not let her anxiety spiral out of hand. In fact, whenever she sits for examinations, speaks in front of large crowds, or receives examination results, Lara can’t help but tense up. She feels like there’s always a giant stone in her chest, growing bigger and bigger each time she starts to panic.
She decides to seek help
Lara is thankful that Singapore provides a safe space in which individuals suffering from mental health illnesses are able to seek help easily without feeling ashamed and voice their concerns freely.
With the help of professionals, Lara learns how to regulate her emotions better through various coping mechanisms. To calm her mind and release negative emotions, Lara plays the piano, crochets, and sometimes paints.
She overcomes, thanks to…
Lara’s family has always been her pillar of strength during those trying times. They’ve been through so much together, and she’d like to thank them for being her greatest cheerleaders of all time and for always loving her for who she is.
She hopes…
Lara hopes to lend a listening ear and a helping hand to other Singaporeans who have been suffering panic attacks or are just feeling anxious all the time in general. Lara wishes to say this: “Whatever you’re going through, remember, you are not alone. It’s okay to not be okay. Instead of dwelling on the past and getting all frazzled, focus on what you can do in the present. You can try speaking to someone, journaling your thoughts and feelings (never bottle up your feelings), or doing a guided meditation. Always tell yourself that you are bold, brave, and beautiful”.
