Star Bears and Dining Under the Stars
At Star Shelter, women and children who are survivors of domestic violence are not only provided safe accommodation, it is also a place where they are empowered to rebuild their lives free from violence. In line with this mission, Star Shelter organizes activities and holds initiatives to help them do just that.
The Star Bear initiative was recently adopted by Star Shelter to serve as a source of supplemental income for the residents, where 100% of bear sales go to the residents. The residents have enjoyed making these towel bears in their free time, even amidst their busy schedules of work and minding their children. One of the shelter’s residents made 12 bears over a period of 2 weeks, and her artistic talents were obvious to everyone. The Star Bear initiative is even more meaningful because this supplemental income was so helpful for the residents!
The Star Bears were sold for the first time at Cargill TSF Asia International Women’s Day (IWD) Carnival held on 8 March, and it was a big hit! 45 bears were sold, and a total of $730 was raised. Star Shelter was also invited to give a presentation to their staff and all proceeds from the carnival were donated to Star Shelter. The Cargill staff was supportive and generous with their donations when they found out that the bears were handmade by survivors of domestic violence. Many bought a few bears each! It was heartwarming to witness so many people support our survivors and their roads to rebuilding their lives free from violence. The residents were grateful for the opportunity to earn some money, and also delighted that their Star Bears were received so well!
In line with commemorating International Women’s Day, the Star Shelter held its own celebration on 11 March at East Coast Park. Residents and ex-residents gathered for a day of activities, food and fun. The highlight of the day was their BBQ dinner when the sun set. The Shelter was buzzing with excitement for days prior to the event as a BBQ night was a first for many of our residents, which made the celebrations especially memorable.
This special celebration was co-organised with representatives from YWLC (Young Women Leadership Committee) as a part of their Health and Wellness programme. The event started with a bang – participants engaged in exciting high energy activities such as Wushu with karate dancing, as well as a more relaxing activity such as yoga. As the night approached, the activities slowly began to wind down, and the residents started preparing for their much anticipated BBQ dinner.
The day came to an end as YWLC volunteers and Star Shelter residents continued to grill their food over the fire, while children played joyfully in the background by the beach. What a wonderful way to end our International Women’s’ Day celebrations!
