About the Speakers and Presentations

The presentation will reference research done by Dr Valerie Shapiro on Communities That Care and Social Emotional Learning to highlight the role of prevention science in improving outcomes for youths through assessment, intervention, building the infrastructure for programmes and engagement with the families.

Dr Valerie Shapiro is an associate professor jointly appointed in Social Welfare and Public Health, and the Co-Director of the Center for Prevention Research in Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is in the prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioural problems in children and youth through the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of effective prevention practices.

Dr Shapiro studied Communities that Care (CTC) – a programme of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) in the USA designed to help community stakeholders and decision makers understand and apply information about risk and protective factors to address issues faced by youth in the community. CTC is a multidisciplinary and strength-based approach covering social work, public health, psychology, education, medicine, criminology, and organisational development. It engages with community members and sets priorities for action based on community challenges and strengths.

1. Leveraging Prevention Science with Families and Community

The spirit of “gotong-royong” is a community-driven approach that has helped the Malay/Muslim community to make great strides in areas such as education, income, housing, and employment.

Part of this progress can be attributed to the active participation of individuals within the community in helping others, including through mentoring. Mentoring has made a significant positive impact and plays a critical role in guiding and encouraging others towards achieving their potential.

This presentation explores the impact of mentoring and its future as a key driver in youth empowerment and self-help within the Malay/Muslim community.

Mr Johann Johari is currently Assistant Director and Team Lead for the Planning Department in Yayasan MENDAKI. Previously, he was Team Lead for the Future Ready Dept, which engages Malay/Muslim youth through mentoring and education support initiatives. With other M³ partners, he was heavily involved in the formation of the Youth Mentoring Office (YMO) in 2019, under the ambit of M³ Focus Area 3, which aims to build a strong and active mentoring culture and ecosystem within the Malay/Muslim community. Today, YMO coordinates the efforts of several mentoring programmes for Malay/Muslim youth across various M³ Towns and schools. Outside of MENDAKI, Mr Johari is also a Steering Committee member and co-Workgroup lead for the Mentoring Alliance for Action (AfA).

2. Community-Based Approach to Empowering and Mentoring Youth

Bersamamu, or “With You”, is a ground-up effort by a group of Kadi and Naib Kadi (Muslim solemnisers) that started in 2019. It aims to inspire soon-to-wed couples and newlyweds to build strong and stable marriages. The Kadi and Naib Kadi have good social standing and are respected by the Muslim community, and are well-placed to support couples in their journey towards an enduring marriage. The speakers will share on Bersamamu, which is an integral part of the M³ Focus Area 1 that focuses on strengthening support for marriage, parenthood, and early childhood education. The presentation will also cover how the different partners collaborate to provide a strong foundation and ensure a strong start for our Muslim families.

Ustaz Mohamed Khair graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. He then pursued his Masters in Islamic Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies at Shariff Hidayatullah Islamic State University from (Universitas Islam Negeri), Ciputat, Indonesia, and also obtained a Specialist Diploma in Counselling Psychology. Currently, he serves as Deputy Registrar at Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM). He is also a member of Religious Rehabilitation Group.

3a. Bersamamu - Inspiring Strong and Resilient Marriages

Ustaz Muhamad Nuzhan is currently the Head of Dakwah Department at Jamiyah Ar-Rabitah Mosque and Naib Kadi for Registry of Muslim Marriages. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Quranic Exegesis and its Sciences from Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, and serves as a PERGAS Council Member and a counsellor with the Religious Rehabilitation Group. Ustaz Muhamad Nuzhan actively organises Islamic learning and parenting programmes for the Muslim community with a special focus on religious awareness amongst Muslims, and the strengthening of religious and racial harmony in the country. He is also the resident Ustaz for the number 1 Islamic podcast in Singapore, Non-Judgemental Podcast (NJU).

3b. Bersamamu - Inspiring Strong and Resilient Marriages

About our Moderator

Dr Mathew Mathews is Head of IPS Social Lab, a centre for social indicator research and a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore. To date, Dr Mathew has been involved in over fifty research projects, most of them addressing social policy issues. He is currently leading a three-year ethnographic study of work and savings behaviour among low-income families and a three-year long evaluation of a programme run by MENDAKI to empower parents to equip their children with skills to be school-ready. His previous studies have included efforts to understand the lived-in realities of single-parent households, three generational families, parental attitudes to children’s education and couple resilience. He sits on the boards of OnePeople.sg and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, and is also part of the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund Panel and Families for Life Council. A firm believer of active parenting, he also champions the Alliance for Action on Parenting Together.