Mr. Khoo Eng Lim, principal of Soha Institute, delivered a speech at the 1st FDW Graduation Ceremony on June 2, 2013, recognizing the achievements of 41 graduating foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from various training programs, including foot reflexology and healthcare assistance. He expressed gratitude to the guest of honor, volunteers, and employers for their support in uplifting the lives of FDWs through subsidized training and emphasized the positive impact of their newly acquired skills. Looking ahead, Mr. Khoo reaffirmed Soha Institute's commitment to offering relevant programs to better serve the needs of FDWs and society in Singapore.

1. SPEECH BY MR KHOO ENG LIM
SPEECH BY MR KHOO ENG LIM, PRINCIPAL OF SOHA INSTITUTE
ON 02 JUNE 2013, AT THE 1ST
FDW GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR 2013
Guest of Honour, Mr Seah Seng Choon, President of FAST,
Mrs Seah, Ms Helen Tan, Vice President of FAST
Distinguished guests, fellow faculty members, graduands and friends
A very good afternoon to all of you.
First, I wish to thank Mr Seah our Guest of Honour for taking time off from his busy
schedule to be with us to grace this special and happy day. I would also like to thank
the group of volunteers for their tireless effort to make this ceremony possible. Since
two thousand and seven (2007), the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills
Training or FAST in short had been supportive of our effort to uplift the lives of FDWs
by subsidising the cost of training for our Foot Reflexology course. Although the
majority of our trainees are from the Philippines, we also have nationalities from
Bangladesh Myanmar, Indonesia, India, and Peru attending our programmes. To
date, 90 of such FDWs have successfully completed the course and many of them
have actually continued with our other Beauty & Wellness programmes whilst others
pursue our Caregiver and Healthcare Assistant programs. Some also took more
generic programs to improve their IT and linguistic skills in English and Mandarin. In
all, we had over 250 training places offered to these FDWs.
Today, 41 graduands who have completed their Foot Reflexology, Caregiver,
Healthcare Assistant and Acupressure Massage course will be receiving their
certificate of achievement.

2. The sacrifices that these FDWs went through to pursue their dreams in lifelong
learning are commendable. But this would not be possible without the good
understanding and encouragement of employers, some of whom are here today.
Your support and concern for the welfare of your helpers have been a big boost in
their pursuit for better lives. Our trainees often shared about how their newly
discovered skills have benefitted their employers and persons needing care. Some
make use of what they learn and acquire to pursue meaningful careers in their new
adopted countries in far away places like Canada and Russia while others who have
completed their employment in Singapore invested their savings to provide such
services in the Philippines and Indonesia.
To our trainers may I take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication and
commitment that you made on Sundays, a day of the week which you should be
resting and spending time with your family and loved ones. Together with you, we
have been able to shape and help define a brighter future for these FDWs. Thank
you once again.
Special thanks to Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home for allowing our trainees in the
Healthcare Assistant programme to complete their industry attachment. The
opportunity that you provide will remain an invaluable part of their Resume in years
to come.
With the changing needs of families in Singapore, SOHA Institute will continue in our
pursuit to roll out more relevant programs so that our FDWs will be equipped to
serve our society better. In this regard, we hope to work closely with FAST to reach
out to more FDWs.

3. On a final note, may I congratulate all graduands who will be receiving your
Certificate of Achievement all the best in your future endeavours. I am happy that
SOHA can be part of your learning journey.
I wish you all a pleasant afternoon. Thank you.