This is exactly why elitism is one of the many hallmarks of Singaporean culture, and why it’s never going away.
Instead of actually you know, aiding the poor, one of Singapore’s most prestigious country clubs is hosting a poverty simulation exercise next month. Members of the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) can take a break from golfing, reflexology sessions and gastronomical delights and have the chance to see life from below the poverty line.
It sounds exactly like something out of The Onion, but we’re sorry to report that all this is true.
According to TODAY, the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) are the ones behind the programme, which aims to stir compassion and gently nudge participants towards doing more for the community. Usually conducted for schools and volunteers, the participants in this case are folks who might have known no hunger and discomforts outside their air-conditioned bubble.
How will these cushioned SICC card-carrying members (membership costs as little as $25,000!) be learning the ways of the less fortunate? Why, through role play of course — one scenario will see them in the shoes of “Casey”, a struggling technician who has to repay $200 a week to a bank for a loan, while also providing for a hearing-impaired wife and two children. Paltry troubles unknown to the affluent such as striving to get their children in school, paying for medical bills and scrounging for food will also be played out.
Oh, and the scenarios are all based on real-life family profiles. Fantastique!
In one aspect, it might seem like a good idea — a routine that can get silver-spooned gentry to be aware of what the impoverished in Singapore have to go through. But then again, so many things can go wrong if the workshop isn’t executed well, and honestly the poor can benefit more from real, tangible aid than people’s empathy.
MWS mentioned to TODAY that participants who took part in their workshops generally came away with a better understanding of poverty — but it’s what they do with that knowledge that’s clearly more crucial.
