THE UNCLE DOWNSTAIRS
Cultivating civic-mindedness among the young through a story on homelessness
Project Background
In 2021, children’s author Lianne Ong approached Solve n+1 to learn about rough sleepers in Singapore. Later, she was keen to write a children’s book that sparks conversations on homelessness, creates empathy and debunk myths.
However, bringing this vision to life wasn’t easy—she faced hurdles in securing support from publishers.
That's when she reached out to Solve n+1 for help and we stepped in. We brokered a partnership with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as well as the largest preschool operator in Singapore, PAP Community Foundation (PCF), to garner more support for the book.​
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To make the story more accessible and meaningful for children, Solve n+1 went on to collaborate with PCF to co-create an Activity Guide for preschool educators and parents. We worked with preschool curriculum specialists and tested out activity prototypes at PCF Sparkletots @ Taman Jurong Blk 150 to ensure they were age-appropriate and effective for young ones.​
Impact
​​In July 2024, the first local children's book The Uncle Downstairs was successfully published together with an accompanying Activity Guide! Solve n+1 has also partnered with MSF to distribute 2,500 copies of The Uncle Downstairs to nearly 400 preschools and 36 primary schools across Singapore.
Project Highlights
GENERATING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
"The Uncle Downstairs" is part of our larger multi-pronged strategy to cultivate civic-mindedness among Singaporeans and make complex social issues more accessible to the public.
It builds on our earlier efforts such as the “Open Home Network” initiative, a community-based solution to rising homelessness and oversubscribed shelters, and “Beneath The Rug”, a collection of stories from social and impact sector practitioners. ​
With this book, we hope to reach the youngest members in our society and their families.
SPARKING CURIOSITY ON SOCIAL MATTERS WITH ACTIVITIES
Beyond introducing the idea of 'homelessness', we saw huge potential to engage kids on a deeper level and get them thinking about social matters through experiential and hands-on activities.​ ​Thus, we co-created an Activity Book with preschool experts.
Read about our efforts behind the scenes in prototyping and testing out our activities to ensure its effectiveness for preschoolers!
"You'd think that homelessness is difficult for a child to understand because children are very young and into their own worlds. But The Uncle Downstairs has given them a chance to step into someone else's world."
Ms Tashka Hodge,
Principal at PCF Sparkletots @ Taman Jurong Blk 150