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My Singapore: Pearlyn Tan from Babes, a crisis service assisting teen pregnancies

Delfina Utomo
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Delfina Utomo
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In the spirit of International Women’s Day on March 8, we speak to Pearlyn Tan of Babes. The initiative housed under Beyond Social Services aims to provide teenagers with unplanned pregnancies all the necessary support they need, preventing them from resorting to drastic measures out of desperation or ignorance.

What are you up to these days?
When I am not working at Babes, I am checking out interesting events happening around town, learning new languages and honing my drawing skills.

What do you do at Babes?
I manage Babes’ social media presence and the volunteers who assist us with our casework and programmes. We work towards raising awareness among youths so that they know we are here should they ever need support.

What are some local causes you feel strongly about?
My top two causes would be women’s empowerment and environmental protection. Singapore may be a modern nation but there are service gaps in supporting women, especially from the lower income group. I also think that we can do more to play a part in reducing our carbon footprint for a better earth.

How can we make Singapore a better place?
To have a little more kindness and a little more empathy, not just to people around us but to ourselves as well.

How can people do their part in helping out Babes?
For many of the teenage girls we assist, they lack self-confidence as they often feel that they are outside of society and not valued or cared for. Other than supporting our programmes through donating or volunteering, a simple act of acceptance, be it a kind word or a listening ear, goes a long way.

What do you love most about Singapore?
Despite being a young and small country that’s very diverse, we still have such a distinct identity that you can recognise a fellow countryman anywhere in the world.

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