PROJECT TOUCH FROM WITHIN Empowering the Visually Handicapped from SAVH
This community project was conceived in partnership with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) in June 2009 to help equip the Visually Handicapped (VH) with Meridian 101 self-healing and livelihood skills. We designed a special Meridian 101 mentoring program and through August/September 2009, a team of volunteer Meridian 101 trainers contributed their time and skills to help transform eight VH brothers and sisters of SAVH to become the very first batch of Meridian 101 VH Ambassadors.
Thanks to Meridian 101 Trainers Theingi Soe and Joey Tan, and Meridian 101 Ambassadors Cecilia Lim and Kenny Foo. Each of them will mentor two Meridian 101 VH Ambassadors to provide meridian massage/guasha services to clients and help them towards gaining independence in both competence as well as business sustainability.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: you and your corporate company or organization can engage these Meridian 101 VH Ambassador/s to provide Meridian 101 massage/guasha services to you and your staff for regular preventive health massage routine and in the process help these VH friends earn an honest skill-based livelihood. More details below.
Meridian 101 Visually Handicapped Ambassador Team
Muhammad Hidayat
6 years ago, he hurt one eye during a soccer game. His vision deteriorated, and about 1 year ago the remaining eye’s vision also started to deteriorate. Muhammad’s dream is to set up his own restaurant selling international cuisines. He loves cooking but now has to halt his passion due to blurry vision. He still hopes to pursue his dream one day. He currently works at a retail chain but hopes to find a better job to earn more income to contribute to the family. Both his parents are diabetic and have high blood pressure. He hopes to use his new found skill to help his family and friends gain better health naturally.
“The course is interesting, entertaining but at the same time educational. It taught me how to treat common ailments and not to rely too much on drugs. What I plan to do now is to make a career out of it and spread Meridian 101 around and help other people at the same time. It is like killing three birds with one stone.”
Mentor: Meridian 101 Trainer Theingi Soe
Sim Kah Yong
Father of 2; visually impaired since birth, learnt foot reflexology before.
"I wish to say that all of us from SAVH appreciate it very much what you guys have done. You bring hope to us. Not only you taught us meridian massage, you did not charge us for the training and on top of that, you give us each a bottle of Vital Meridian Essence. It meant a lot to most of us who are not employed.
I'm personally very happy to experience the effectiveness of what I'd learnt. I had a stiff neck recently, and I practised D.I.Y. meridian massage on myself. The pain and stiffness went away in a matter of days. In the past, it would be weeks before I could feel any relief.
I know what it means to be ill for I am perpetually ill due to my poor eyesight. Hence, I feel very happy that I can bring relief to others with the skills I'd learnt from you. I hope to improve on my skills and help more people in the future.
By the way, I have started doing the massage on my children and wife and they have benefitted from my new skills.
Thank you to all the trainers."
Mentor: Meridian 101 Trainer Theingi Soe
Yakob
Father of 5 daughters; currently unemployed due to poor eye sight. Hopeful of learning new skills to seek employment.
“I'm very happy to have the opportunity to learn Meridian 101 massage and guasha skills, and thoroughly enjoyed the course. This has given me confidence to face new challenges and vision to provide meridian guasha service to others. I've already started provided this service and managed to earn not only good review but also an honest income."
Mentor: Meridian 101 Ambassador Kenny Foo
Azman
Father of 4; recently became visually impaired. Was working as a heavy vehicle driver until he realized his vision is becoming blurry. Currently unemployed.
"Being a handicap, I can't compete with the normal people for employment. Although I have no prior knowledge of meridian massage and quasha skills, I'm hopeful of earning an income through learning this skill. I found Meridian 101 to be very practical, mainly requiring the use of my hands and thus avoiding cost on equipment/massage table/massage chair etc. It's a helpful skill that I can use on myself as well as pass on to my family and friends, treating minor ailments, allowing us to save on unnecessary and costly medical bills.
I wish to help others become less dependent on doctors. I'm interested to acquire skills on full body massage and reflexology in order to provide comprehensive massage service to my customers."
Mentor: Meridian 101 Ambassador Kenny Foo
Chong Peck Cheong
Recently became visually impaired due to eye disease. Currently under the social welfare care and residing at a welfare home.
“The Meridian 101 knowledge is a very useful and important skill for me. As I am staying in a Home, I do not want to depend on others forever for the rest of my life. I'm very indebted to you for guiding us selflessly throughout the past months. Using these skills, I can help a lot of people with health issues. I used to be a cleaning supervisor before my eyes got worse and with these skills now, I would be able to work hard again and contribute to the society. I hope to be able to get my own HDB flat and become independent again. Thank you!"
Mentor: Meridian 101 Trainer Joey Tan
Johnston Arulraj
currently still working but due to worsening eye sight, employment cant be taken for granted. Wants to learn more skills so that when unemployment hits, there’s still so thing to rely on to earn some income.
“I’m so glad to have met you all from essentiallyMERIDIAN and for teaching us these natural meridian skills of guasha and massage, and enable us to de-stress naturally. I’m also very touched by the time and effort that you have put in, in volunteering to impart these skills to us. Now, I want to become a volunteer too, and I hope I can inspire other similar handicapped people to not give up on themselves. If a blind person like me can do it, I’m sure any body can too. Thank you very much!”
Mentor: Meridian 101 Trainer Joey Tan
Lay Lay
Currently unemployed, only child in the family.
“This course enabled me to learn and help friends and relatives ease simple health problems. I hope to further upgrade my meridian skills and open my own workshop one day."
Mentor: Meridian 101 Ambassador Cecilia Lim
Evangeline Yeo
19 years old; was visually impaired since young, low vision with blurry image.
"A fantastic course which is very fun and interesting. It's suitable for everyone. We can do it for ourselves and others for a healthier life. I will continue to practise it. In addition, it will be great if we can learn more about it and having the chance to do for others either as voluntary or getting paid."
Mentor: Meridian 101 Ambassador Cecilia Lim
Meridian 101 Volunteer Mentor Team
Theingi Soe: "When I took up the task of spear heading the team to impart the knowledge of Meridian Therapy to the Visually Impaired (VI), I was thinking if I could do it well, when we started practicing and working closely with the team of other volunteer trainers, we become more and more passionate about our cause.
My vision is that through our knowledge and skills sharing, we could help the visually impaired acquire a skill set that they could use it to impact on the community at large and at the same also earn an income for themselves and their families.
In time to come, I look forward to mentoring each and every visually impaired till they reach the stage of competency and independent professional Meridian Therapist.
Throughout the course, the trainees have motivated and inspired greatly with their enthusiasm to learn, and hunger for knowledge. Their positive attitude towards life and their future always marvels and inspires me greatly. Every week, I always look forward to our lessons together, while we impart our Meridian knowledge to them, they impart their passion and love for life to all of us."
Joey Tan: "When I first volunteered for this project, I had no idea how the response will be, how much I can inspire and empower these visually and socially handicapped brothers and sisters in our society. Our objective is always to ‘teach a man to fish, rather than giving him the fish’. After working and sharing with them for more than a month, I experience a paradigm shift in me. Not only do I improve myself in teaching them the meridian skills, I must say that I learnt a lot more important values from them, in terms of their desire to be independent, their positive attitude, and how they take challenges in life. Most of all, I am completely humbled with their nature. Inevitably, I compared them to normal people like us who are blessed with full ability but yet many are easily discouraged with a negative attitude, especially during the present economic crisis.
I truly experience the being of this saying:
There are many things in life that you cannot control, but you can control the only things that really matter: your mind and your attitude.
Throughout the course, the trainees have motivated and inspired greatly with their enthusiasm to learn, and hunger for knowledge. Their positive attitude towards life and their future always marvels and inspires me greatly. Every week, I always look forward to our lessons together, while we impart our Meridian knowledge to them, they impart their passion and love for life to all of us."
Kenny Foo: "I embarked on this project once I got to know about it in June 2009, as I wanted to impart Meridian 101 knowledge and skills to the visually impaired (VI) so that they too could utilise this skill set as a form of service to earn their own income.
I was really impressed and touched by the optimism shown by all the VI throughout the duration of the course. The VIs displayed keen learning attitude with ability to pick up skills fast.
I look forward to promoting the services of the VI to companies and public at large. I am also committed to ensure the VI are competent in their services resulting in continuity. I look forward to building and maintaining a long term relationship with SAVH."
Cecilia Lim: "I have always wanted to do something to give back to society in the form on doing voluntary work but have not had the opportunity. When Theingi told me about the program for the Visually Handicapped, I immediately agreed. I learnt Meridian 101 Skills in the May’09 Meridian 101 Ambassador Course, have been practicing in external workshops and with my friends. I was really amazed to see the positive outlook of all the VH friends. They are all so cheerful and to them everything is possible. They attended the lessons seriously and wholeheartedly, and that touched me deeply. I told myself I must be a good mentor to them so that they could learn to be independent and live a life that they desire without having to compromise due to their disability. Since they graduated, I have started marketing their services and I look forward to having them start their assignments and gaining expertise and independence”
Refer Jobs to Visually Handicapped Meridian 101 Ambassadors
They are competently trained and well supported by our Meridian 101 mentors. They can provide healthful Meridian 101 massage and guasha service to you and your staff at your corporate office or organization once a week/month.
Meridian 101 Volunteer Mentor Team