Dear Friends in Transition,

 

Thanks for sharing your life with me this year as Singapore thumbed through a raging recession. I have benefitted from the time spent with some of you who took time to be with me or helped me with some of my  personal ventures. You know who you are out there.

 

Through your support, I managed to achieve a few landmark highlights making this year one of the best that I have been through in my whole life. It brought to mind that when one does something for others, the person most blessed is often the giver himself. Ironically, in a year that many wanted to forget, 2009 has remained the best year of my life so far! I hope that next year will be even better.

 

1. First  Book Published – “How to survive unemployment” (Rank Books)

 

I wrote my first  book “How to survive unemployment” and it was published in March 09 by Rank Books. A book launch was subsequently launched and it was attended by well over 100 people. The book is also featured in the press.

 

The books were rather well received and a total of 700 copies were sold either through the public book stores or privately. Many were also bought up by well wishers for distribution to the jobless people in jobfairs. An electronic version of the book is being distributed free of charge to the jobless upon request. A Chinese version is now available too.

 

2. A Blog site Launched – Transitioning.org

 

To help the many jobless people cope with unemployment this year, I launched a blogsite “Transitioning.org” in Jan 09. We provide online/face to face counselling support and support group activities free of charge. More than 100 people have approached us  for assistance so far.  We have also given small amount of cash to the chronic ones.  We also conducted bi-monthly networking sessions whereby the unemployed come together and network with one another. So far, six of such sessions were held and a total of fifty people have benefitted from such gathering.  Three series of support group sessions were also conducted and they were attended by about thirty people. The blog is being featured in the local press, Channel News Asia, BBC, Readers Digest among others. We also received many letters from readers who were retrenched this year and some of the stories brought tears to my eyes.  I have, with their permission, published some on the blog for all to view. I am glad to annouce though that most of these readers whom I have tracked have found jobs already. Congratulations to them!

 

We were also approached to give talks to the unemployed during jobfairs and other occasions. It was a good time for us to motivate many jobless people during such talks. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my volunteer counsellors for providing online and face to face counselling. Your services are most appreciated. Keep up the good work!

 

 

My family also stays in Sydney long term now as my wife is being posted overseas. It was a major shift for us as we miss friends and family members back home.

 

It was a tough time adjusting to a totally new environment for us though we revel in the blue sky and extensive space there. Having journeyed  home thrice this year, I realised that many people are rather unhappy with the overcrowdedness and the employment situation. It was indeed be a blessing in disguise for us.

 

Once again, I want to thank many out there who either lent me a helping hand or a listening ear. Being someone who cherishes friendship, I also want to be the person for you if you need a helping hand.

For those who are still jobless now, stay strong and be hopeful. Remember that all this is a transitional period – it never lasts forever. Do and enjoy the simple things in life. Never stop learning and upgrading to stay employable!

 

Thanks again and have a blessed Christmas all! We all will learn something from both the good and bad times of our life. Let us hope for a better 2010!

 

Regds

Gilbert