Supporting and Guiding Others

Caregivers face challenges and multiple stresses physically, emotionally and financially. Those who have been through the caregiving journey can share relevant experiences and inspiring stories to give new caregivers encouragement and hope. By contributing to a supportive learning environment for caregivers to become mentors, seasoned caregivers will not only find companions to share their journey with, but also will find that their caregiving skills can be enhanced, interpersonal communication skills developed and thus increase their confidence and motivation in their own caregiving journey.

Caregivers can be inspiring and your story can give others much encouragement and hope – such as these recipients of in the Model Caregiver Awards  (AWWA), Singapore Health Inspirational Patient and Caregiver Awards. For more inspiring stories relating to persons with disabilities, check out our Stories page.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Mentor Training

The P2P Mentor Training is a 2-day workshop that trains and equips caregivers to be mentors and deliver better peer support to fellow caregivers. This training is targeted at caregivers who:

• are caring for someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hearing Loss, Intellectual Disability, Physical Disability or Visual Impairment,
• have cared for someone with special needs for at least 2 years,;
• is keen to support another caregiver. 

Some of the objectives of this training include enabling participants to:

• understand the role in peer mentoring
• acquire communication skills
• encourage sharing of caregiving stories to connect and empower caregivers
• learn the importance of observing confidentiality when sharing personal stories
• recognise and signpost to additional support when necessary

If you are interested to attend or would like to recommend any suitable caregiver for this training, please write to caregivers@sgenable.sg.

Alternatively, if you are interested set up a caregiver support network, you may also want to adapt the step-by step guide here to support caregivers of persons with disabilities.

Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (formerly known as Mediacorp Enable Fund)

The Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF) aims to develop a society where persons with disabilities are recognised for their abilities and able to lead full, socially integrated lives. GCTEF recognises that caregivers are the first line of support for persons with disabilities and critical in helping persons with disabilities be included in the community. It is therefore critical to support caregivers for best outcomes for persons with disabilities. 

GCTEF (Community Support - Caregivers) provides up to $5,000 per project to organisations or groups (with a minimum of 4 individuals) that are keen to support caregivers of persons with disabilities. The proposed project should promote sustained engagement among caregivers and benefit a minimum of 10 caregivers in at least one of the following areas:

• Well-being (physical and/or mental)
• Knowledge or skills
• Community integration 

If you are interested to apply or find out more about GCTEF, please write to caregivers@sgenable.sg.

GCTEF-supported Initiative: Care Carnival

Care Carnival was a unique caregiver-led initiative, with the mission to connect, enable and empower caregivers through sharing of evidence-based knowledge and practices, and building of mutually rewarding and synergistic partnerships with professional bodies, community partners and stakeholders. The carnival was held on 30 November 2019 at the Enabling Village. 



Over 250 caregivers and children with special needs attended the Care Carnival at the Enabling Village. The event speaker was Professor Robin McWilliam, a professor of special education at the University of Alabama, who shared early intervention strategies to help children learn naturally at home and improve family satisfaction with daily living routines. A useful resource of this routine based intervention implemented in Singapore can be found in the ECHO framework.