Project to help Muslims in marriage, parenting draws over 2,000 couples

Shortly after their first child was born, Mr Muhammad Amirul Shah Imran and his wife Nur Amalina Anuar joined a project that would give them access to religious officials, medical professionals and social workers whom they could tap whenever they face issues in their relationship or caring for their newborn.

- Natasha Ann Zachariah

Through the Temasek Foundation Achieving Resilient and Inspiring Families (Project Arif), the couple, who are engineers, have attended various programmes such as Village, which equips new parents with parenting skills, resources and services that support them beyond their child's infancy, and Men on the Move, a support group for fathers.

On one occasion, after checking in with a consultant from the general paediatrics service – a member of Project Arif – the couple learnt that what they thought was a milk rash was actually eczema. This allowed them to manage their child's condition more effectively.

Ms Amalina, 28, said she and her husband, 29, joined Project Arif in 2023 to get proper advice about child-rearing.

“There's a lot of information out there… but it may not be legitimate. So when they told us that there'll be professionals such as (those in) healthcare, I thought I should get us into this programme,” she said.