A single mum, Sandy Tan has been looking after her 20-year-old son Jayden Ong, who was diagnosed with autism when he was about four years old. A few years ago, it all became overwhelming, and she decided to take a step back.
“I felt that I needed to do something for myself,” says Sandy. That led her to pursue her love for sewing and turned this into an income-generating activity. With newfound confidence, Sandy started to encourage her son’s passion for art. This led to Jayden attending a creative art programme, and after fully utilising a training grant, he tapped on the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund to continue with the programme.
A recent project featuring his art piece of a massive lantern went on display at Gardens by the Bay.
“As caregivers, we will get older. I am not sure if he could work part-time in the future,” says Sandy. Jayden had completed his training in hospitality housekeeping but found himself not ready for full-time work. She had also enrolled her son in an institute for higher learning, but the learning environment was hard for Jayden to cope with, due to his anxiety issues.
With the help of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund, Sandy is proud and hopeful that this newfound talent could bring some positive change in their lives. “Jayden would like to earn some allowance for himself,” she says.
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