StarHub Celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with Underprivileged Students from Metta School

Singapore , 21 September 2007 – StarHub’s employees celebrated the joyous Mid-Autumn Festival, with 50 students with mild intellectual disability from Metta School this evening.  The students were treated to StarHub’s delicious customised mooncakes and the fairyland of the special lanterns brought in by Chinese Garden, besides visiting the Garden’s turtle museum and koi pond. There was also a special musical performance by StarHub customer Ms Lau Geok Moon, the winner of StarHub's ‘Live Your Passion' contest and a music teacher with a passion for instilling a love for music in children through creative and holistic approach in music education. 

In addition to giving the Metta School students a memorable and fun-filled day, StarHub also donated S$150,000 from its StarHub Sparks Fund to Metta School, to refurbish and replace the obsolete computers and printers at the School’s 30 classrooms and two computer laboratories.

“We are delighted to bring the 50 Metta students to Chinese Garden to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with our employees.  This meaningful cause reiterates our corporate philanthropy to continue to care for the less privileged and cultivates the spirit of volunteerism, right from the heart.  Our donation to Metta School will also help to provide the students’ with access to the latest information technology education and learning opportunities,” said Ms Jeannie Ong, Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, StarHub.

StarHub’s donation will benefit Metta School’s current 400 students in over 30 classes for both morning and afternoon sessions, to acquire the knowledge of the latest information technology.  The sum will enable Metta School to have two computers in each classroom and 34 computers in its two computer laboratories, for the children to learn the latest software technology.

StarHub selected the Metta School as it believes in promoting learning and development opportunities for underprivileged children and youths, to widen their opportunities in life and integrate better into our society.

“It is indeed heartwarming to see StarHub employees celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with our students today.  This celebration is a wonderful blend of ancient Chinese fable, beautifully crafted lanterns, scrumptious food and lots of fun and laughter for everyone.  We are also grateful to StarHub for helping us to refurbish our computer laboratories, to enhance the learning experience of our students,“ said Mr Anuwar Abdul Wahab, Metta School’s Vice Principal.

The Metta School was established in 2001, to provide special education to students with mild intellectual disability and/or autism between the ages of 6 to 18 years, with an IQ range of 50 to 70.  The School caters to the students’ special needs like pre-vocational training and right-brained activities such as performing and visual arts, in addition to academic skills.

Designed to cater to the students’ intellectual, social, moral, physical and aesthetic development, the School’s holistic curriculum includes English and Second Languages, Mathematics, Information Technology, Independent Living Skills, Physical Education and Moral and Sexuality Education.  In addition, counseling, social services, speech therapy and occupational therapy are provided by the Metta School’s paramedical staff to cater to the students’ physiological and emotional well-being.