SINGAPORE — From cooked meals and cash relief to the provision of essentials, a new initiative by the Mediacorp Enable Fund — a charity fund by national media network Mediacorp and SG Enable — aims to help people with disabilities and their caregivers ride out the Covid-19 pandemic.

The initiative “C.A.R.E.” — short for the provision of cooked meals, assistance funds, respite care and essentials — will be driven by public donations, Mediacorp said in a statement on Thursday (May 14) as it launched the scheme.

The funds collected from the campaign will give beneficiaries access to:

• Cooked meals. These will be for persons with physical disabilities or those with visual impairment who are living alone, frail persons with disabilities and aged caregivers

• A one-off cash relief of S$400 for families with multiple persons with disabilities who face financial hardship and caregiving stress. This will help the families defray the costs of daily expenses and other needs, such as medical costs

• Respite care — home-based respite that provides relief for caregivers. This will minimise the risks of burnout and injury for low-income elderly carers who look after persons with disabilities round-the-clock

• Fortnightly distribution of dry food rations. This will help persons with physical disabilities or those with visual impairment who are living alone, frail persons with disabilities and elderly caregivers

Mediacorp said the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on people with disabilities and their caregivers has been “disproportionately huge”.

Those among this group who are seeking employment or are working have been hit hard, with some having lost their jobs, the company noted.

“Many have not been able to access rehabilitation and care services when non-essential services are suspended, while others face greater difficulty getting food and necessities due to mobility challenges,” Mediacorp said.

Singapore is in the midst of an eight-week circuit breaker to curb the spread of Covid-19, with rules to limit business activity and restrict movement for all but essential activities.

To drive the initiative, the Mediacorp Enable Fund — a community fund administered by SG Enable, an agency supporting people with disabilities — has started a fundraising campaign on the Giving.sg website. It has set a target to raise S$500,000 by the end of June. 

Six Mediacorp personalities will chip in to the fundraising drive by rallying support and appealing for donations on Mediacorp platforms and social media.

They are presenters Glenda Chong (regional news network CNA), Fadli Kamsani (Warna 94.2FM), Lin Peifen (Yes 933), Chris Mak (987FM), Mohamed Rafi (Oli 96.8FM), as well as artiste Denise Camillia Tan from The Celebrity Agency.

Mediacorp chief executive officer Tham Loke Kheng said that nobody is spared the impact of the pandemic, in particular persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

“Mediacorp is committed to working with SG Enable to do our part to help this vulnerable group by leveraging our media network as well as the reach and influence of our artistes… to spread awareness of the C.A.R.E. donation drive,” she said.

“We hope that members of the public who are able to help can support wholeheartedly and generously.”

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