NanyangConnect

So, who is NanyangConnect for?

Those setting up NanyangConnect had a vision of a network for spouses of staff who live on campus.\A0 As staff housing is principally provided to foreigners, social networks made on campus or through nationality or religious groups are essential to replace extended family or past school friends on whom we normally depend for advice and companionship.\A0 NanyangConnect wants to become one of the social networks on campus that is open for all and whose media (flyers, list server and website) can be used by smaller social groups, such as the Playgroup or Bible Study group.\A0 Any activities organized by NanyangConnect are open for all who have time and want to join.\A0

The Scope of NanyangConnect

(1) to assist in communication among the residents (buying/selling household goods, sharing taxi, finding a tennis partner, etc.)

(2) to provide community with info about offerings around campus (lantern festival, health screening, etc.)

(3) to organize activities that encourage community interaction (cultural, recreational, social, educational)

(4)  to assist in communication between residents and housing OFPM.

How does NanyangConnect serve you?

Flyers: There are flyers in English and Mandarin Chinese that list names of people who will hook you up with a buddy if you are a newcomer and another list of contact people for various activity groups, some formal, some informal.\A0 The flyers can be found on the glassed-in notice boards at/near all staff housing.

Click here if you cannot find one at your staff building.

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List server: Once you join, you can search the archives for past notices and update emails on the organization and receive news about events and activities a few times a week.\A0 Sign up if you are not on it.\A0 You can go to the same website address above to leave the list anytime.

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Dinner and Talks: About once a quarter, a dinner and a speaker are organized and all are welcome to join.\A0 Themes vary and have included Nature and Animals on campus and Image Improvement: Colours and Style.\A0 We hope to rotate general themes of nature/environment, beauty/women\92s issues, finances/investments, art/culture.

Welcome Coffee Mornings: Every quarter, a coffee morning starting at 10:30 is organized to invite any newcomers to staff housing. It is not exclusive to women and all dependants as well as working spouses are invited if they can make it. The hosts have made wonderful cakes and there are always new and interesting people we meet.

Welcome Wagon Buddy System: Below is the list of people living in various staff housing buildings who have volunteered to be a person a newcomer can call. These volunteers will then find the newcomer a buddy that is a good match for the newcomer. If you are new to campus, please feel free to call one of them up and have all of your personal questions answered.

Contact	Email	Living at	Tel.
Xiao Qing	huangxiaoqing@homail.com	Heights	6791-6914
Sheel	the_shresthas@hotmail.com	Heights	6791-0653
Zoe	zzzzsnoopy@yahoo.com	Meadows	9648-4069
Brad	breepgh@yahoo.com	Meadows	6790-6043
Neerja	aneerja@ntu.edu.sg	Terrace	6794-7501
Wency	wencyruth@hotmail.com	View	6792-6042
Dolly (Chanda Piplani) (NC coordinator)	piplanis@gmail.com	View	xxxx-xxxx

Website: Written mainly for newcomers and for those living on or just off the campus, it covers the basics of life here for now.\A0 Hopefully soon it will enable users to put up notices, find other services, and sell things and to paste pictures of events organized by NanyangConnect.

Playgroup: Women often meet other women when their children play at the playgrounds.  The playground between block 100 and 102 seems to be especially favored. 

Address: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/NanyangConnect/

History

Since its inception there have been groups of women organizing activities at NTU.\A0 There have been events and activities organized by individuals or small groups of women like the Book Club, Ladies Night, badminton, Tai Chi and ad hoc parties for those starting a job or going home.\A0 As is often the case, the activity will come alive and die with the individuals who organize it and it was not always clear to newcomers to find out what groups there are and how they meet.

Some women or men who follow their spouses to NTU or NIE find that they cannot find work themselves or it takes some time before they do.\A0 Others decide to start or extend their family during the years here and decide to become a stay-at-home mother or father.\A0 During the time here, it is nice to connect with others and that is why NanyangConnect came into being.

In fall of 2003, Sonja Bretschneider knew she was quitting her teaching post to take care of her first-born and was worried about not knowing other stay-at-home mothers her age and wanted some mental work that she could do from home while caring for the child.\A0 The idea of an organization for dependants (but also for others who were interested in the services and events) was born.\A0 She met Ann Chin who has lived on campus since 1990 and knows a lot of people and so with her help they founded NanyangConnect.\A0 A meeting in March 2004 to which women of various backgrounds (working for money or family values, different nationalities and ages) were invited to decide the scope and name of the organization.\A0 Volunteers were also found to help with the address list, website editing, translations, and programming in the following weeks.

Further details and updates about the organization\92s progression can be found on the archives of the list server.