Category Archives: Inspiring Dads Stories

Since the early days of Dads for Life, fathers have been getting more active not only in their children’s lives at home, but also where the children spend many hours of their days – at school. We talk to two dads who have played an outsized role as dad volunteers in their children’s schools, Edwin […]

James Ong, a volunteer at Dads for Life and father of four, shares about his joys and challenges of being a parent, including how he delivered his child at home. Together with his dedicated wife, watch how they overcome the complexities of balancing their careers and growing up with their children.

At a time when he was struggling financially, Adnan Karim received news that he was going to be a father. The uncertainty of fatherhood also brought about anxiety for Adnan as well, “I had no clue as what being a father is all about although I have seen my brother being a father and my […]

The early history of Centre for Fathering Singapore revolves around the conviction and faithfulness of three intrepid men, who identified a yawning gap in the lives of families in Singapore, as they put active and involved fathering at the forefront of conversations on the family. Meet Edwin Choy, one of the three pioneers who brought […]

The story of 33-year-old Ramlan Saruan and his family explores his turbulent transition into fatherhood, a history of family abuse, circumstances of immense pain and loss and how he turned a corner and found the strength and grace to start afresh. Ramlan and his wife, Shamsiah, have three children – Idris (7), Idrus (5), and […]

Bryan Tan, CEO of Centre for Fathering is father to four children aged 1 to 12 years old. From not wanting to have children, to being an absent father and then an involved father of his children, what brought about this change of heart? Bryan spent his growing up years living under the shadow of […]

Father to a fifteen year old son with intellectual disabilities, apraxia and dyspraxia. Anand Lal is a swim coach, adult training facilitator and gamification consultant who has overcome the challenges of bringing up a child with special needs to champion the cause of making Singapore a more inclusive society. Despite minor development delays in the […]

Mohamed Jamaluddin Abdullah’s experience as a neglected foster child did not prepare him well for the challenges of fatherhood. In his growing up years, Jamal experienced a lonely childhood lacking in love and trust where his adoptive parents favoured their two biological children who were born after they adopted him. These experiences led him to […]

A repeat drug offender and gang member, Bruce Mathieu spent the prime of his life in and out of prison. And by his fifth prison sentence, Bruce had become a husband and father. The turning point came when Bruce’s daughter came by to celebrate her fourth birthday with him. Her birthday wish was simple – […]

As Centre for Fathering-Dads for Life enters a season of celebrating fathers from every generation, it is fitting that we would enter Parliament House to interview our Patron, Speaker of Parliament Mr Tan Chuan-Jin. After all, within these halls of power, Singapore’s founding fathers set the foundation and framework for the remarkable story of our […]