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Y FACTORA P U B L I C A T I O N O F Y M C A O F S I N G A P O R E

YMCA CELEBRATES 115TH ANNIVERSARY

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

P7 / Luncheon for Special PartnersP8 / Intergenerational bonding at YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017P13 / Y STARS holds biggest exhibition to date

OCT - DEC 2017CONTENTS

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General Secretary: Mr Lo Chee WenEditorial team: Ms Wang Xiaojia & Ms Tan Yee Lynn

YMCA of Singapore 1 Orchard Road Singapore 238824Tel : (65) 6336 6000Fax : (65) 6336 8003Email : members@ymca.org.sgWebsite : www.ymca.org.sgY Hub Portal : https://yhub.ymca.org.sgSocial Media : www.facebook.com/YMCA.Singapore www.youtube.com/YMCAofSingapore

This is a publication of YMCA of Singapore,a non-profit organisation. The publication is distributed free to its members and has no subscription or newsstand price. No part of this publication may be produced in whole or part without prior written permission.All information, dates and prices are correct at time of printing. Please note that all prices are shown in Singapore Dollars (S$).

CITI-YMCA YOUTH FOR CAUSES 2017 AWARDS CELEBRATION

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INTERGENERATIONAL BONDING AT YMCA SILVER FIESTA 2017

YMCA LUNCHEON FOR SPECIAL PARTNERS

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Y STARS HOLDS BIGGEST EXHIBITION TO DATE

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YMCA CELEBRATES 115 YEARS OF TOUCHING LIVES

GENERAL SECRETARY'S MESSAGE

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Dear Members and Friends,

This third issue of Y Factor 2017 is filled with events where we celebrate our 115 years here in Singapore. We are thankful to God for His abundant blessings and protection.

As part of the celebrations, we held a Special Partners Luncheon in November to show appreciation to our long-time VWO partners who have worked closely with us and supported our programmes. It was also a formal affirmation and continuation of a strong partnership that was cemented through a signing of a Memorandum of Co-operation. A 115th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service and Dinner was also held in November in thanksgiving to God for the past 115 years. It was truly moving to see our various stakeholders, from past directors and VWO partners to staff and volunteer leaders coming together to celebrate with us and reflect on how far we have come as a voluntary welfare organisation. We are also blessed with the presence of our extended YMCA family members, who travelled specially from overseas and our Singapore partners who made time to share our joy in this momentous occasion.

Apart from these, we also highlighted our annual key events such as the YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017 which aimed to promote intergenerational bonding between the young volunteers and the elderly beneficiaries. The YMCA youth participants’ achievements were recognised at various events such as the ELEVATE programme, Graduation Ceremony of the YMCA Project Bridge Vocational and Soft Skills Programme and the Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes Awards Celebration.

Many gave with generous hearts at YMCA Giving Gala 2017 for which we are thankful, raising $300,000 for the YMCA Community Service Programmes. On the governance front, I’m pleased to share YMCA was awarded the Charity Transparency Award 2017 (CTA) for the large charities category. We give glory to God for blessing us with this award, as it affirms our commitment in living out two of YMCA’s core values – accountability and honesty.

2017 was indeed a meaningful year and we are grateful for your support. We look forward to continue journeying together in the new year.

In His Service,Lo Chee WenGeneral SecretaryYMCA of Singapore

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For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5

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COVER STORY

YMCA CELEBRATES 115 YEARS OF TOUCHING LIVES

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2017 marked YMCA of Singapore’s 115th year of touching lives and lifting spirits through its service to the community. In gratitude towards God’s guidance and blessings upon YMCA over the past century, a Thanksgiving Service was held at Wesley Methodist Church on 9 November. The service was followed by a dinner at YMCA of Singapore to appreciate long-time supporters and staff for their contributions.

YMCA of Singapore would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to our Guest-of-Honour, Ms Joan Pereira, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, our overseas YMCA counterparts from Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY), YMCA of Bangkok, YMCA of Chiangmai, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Kumamoto YMCA, Manila Downtown YMCA, YMCA Shanghai, YMCA Sibu and Tainan YMCA, friends from Metropolitan YMCA and YWCA and all invited guests for celebrating this momentous occasion together with us. YMCA looks forward to nurturing future generations of community champions and strengthening our outreach to the wider community.

Down throughout the century, the YMCA of Singapore had been successful in establishing a permanent place in the social fabric of Singapore. May God the Almighty bless YMCA of Singapore abundantly, to that they may continue to work in the vineyards of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr Babu Markus GomesPresidentAsia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs

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Below are some highlights of the celebrations. To view more photos, please visit YMCA’s facebook page.

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GIVING THE GIFT OF DIGNITYThe 6th edition of YMCA Giving Gala welcomed more than 240 guests from all across Singapore at Orchard Parade Hotel on 26 October 2017. Helmed by the eloquent and exuberant Channel NewsAsia presenter Yvonne Chan, the event opened with a high energy dance by the Y STARS (YMCA Special Talents, Arts & Recreation Society) made up of youths with Down Syndrome. The charity gala raised over $300,000, which helped to meet the expenses of running some of the YMCA’s programmes which include Y Camp Challenge and Y Arts Challenge.

“When you look around you, the people who are here, you have obviously given something of yourself as well. Some have chosen to give, in a financial way. Some give by way of your time, your commitment, your ideas, support, moral or otherwise,” said Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office & Second Minister for Manpower & Second Minister for Home Affairs. In her speech, she also encouraged the YMCA to keep up the good work in being a good role model for others in society, and for getting people to come forward to serve.

Encapsulating the good spirits and generosity of the guests was an impromptu song auction segment that raised close to $8,000. The event also featured a testimony-sharing by Stacey, a beneficiary of Christian Outreach to the Handicapped, on how she enjoys the Y Visit programme organised by YMCA.

Guests supported the event by purchasing tables, individual seats, raffle tickets and making pledges. Many individuals and organisations also contributed prizes for the raffle draw.

If you are keen to participate in the next YMCA Giving Gala, kindly email us at givinggala@ymca.org.sg.

Here are some highlights of the dinner:

LUNCHEON FOR SPECIAL PARTNERS

In appreciation to YMCA of Singapore’s long-time voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) partners, a luncheon was organised at YMCA on 6 November 2017. The event saw participation from over 100 attendees, with representatives from 21 VWOs. The luncheon also served as a formal affirmation and continuation of a strong partnership, which was cemented through the signing of a Memorandum of Co-operation (MOC) between YMCA and the partnering VWOs.

Guest speakers Ms Choy Yee Mun, Assistant Director, Knowledge and Advocacy, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre and Ms Joyce Teo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundation of Singapore shared insightful perspectives on Singapore's social service landscape.

YMCA would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Guest-of-Honour, Dr Tony Tan, 7th President of the Republic of Singapore, Former Patron-in-Chief, YMCA of Singapore, for gracing this special occasion with his presence.

As a fellow VWO partner, we are continually humbled and inspired by your amazing heart for those in need and your passion to live out and promote your causes. You have also enabled our volunteers to learn the valuable lesson of treating others with respect and love, regardless of any differences, and we are grateful to be given the opportunity to work with you.

Mr Leslie WongPresidentYMCA of Singapore

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CITI-YMCA YOUTH FOR CAUSES 2017 AWARDS CELEBRATION

The Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes Awards Celebration 2017 took place on 17 November at YMCA of Singapore. A total of 12 awards which include YFC Distinction, YFC Best Fundraiser and YFC Most Innovative Awards were presented to winning teams.

One of the winning teams was Project Synapses who received the YFC Distinction and YFC Most Innovative awards. As part of their effort to raise funds and increase awareness for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), they organised a fashion show featuring models with cerebral palsy at Scape on 5 August 2017. “Though these events, people with cerebral palsy were given a platform to showcase their talents and we also took the opportunity to change people’s misconceptions about cerebral palsy,” said Mr Guang Yu, team leader of Project Synapses. “The public is able to interact with people with cerebral palsy directly and understand more about them. We hope that what we have done could be a spark that inspire like-minded individuals in Singapore to help people in need in more creative ways,” he added.

A brand-new video contest element was introduced for the first time to encourage participants to think out of the box and submit a short video of their YFC journey. The winning entry came from Project Candenti, whose heart-warming video highlighted the importance of helping children and youths from less privileged backgrounds break the cycle of poverty. To find out more about YFC, please visit www.youthforcauses.com.

The award recipients are as follows:

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AT A GLANCE

RAISED

$700,000VWOS

SUPPORTED

49VOLUNTEERS

MOBILISED

15,000

Awards Category Team Name

YFC Distinction Award LEUcida I Project Edelstein I Team Empathy I Diligence I Project Iridescent I Project Liberosis I Project Synapses I Solidarity (家) I Super I Team Edutomahawk

YFC Merit Award BARKANEERS I Faith In Humanity Restored I HERMES I In a Different Light I OMTC I P.A.W. I Project Candenti I Project Espérer I Project Guardian I Project Luminos I Project Orenda I Project Vitalize I Project Wildcare I Reinsight I StarCatcher I Team DasMyDream I Team Whiteing I Through Your Eyes

YFC Best Fundraiser Award Team Edutomahawk

YFC Entrepreneurship Award Solidarity (家)

YFC Volunteer Mobilisation Award Project Liberosis

YFC Most Innovative Award Project Synapses

YFC Fund Management Award LEUcida

YFC Public Outreach Award Project Edelstein

YFC Supportive Mentor Award Beatrice Ong I Helen Tan I Wong Peng Hong

YFC Supportive Teacher Award Darren Chin I Shuryani Abdul Wahab I Samihah Ali Baswedan

YFC Supportive VWO Award Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation I Canossaville Children and Community Services I Singapore Disability Sports Council

YFC Supportive School Award Home School Network I Singapore Chinese Girls’ School I Dunman High School

I call upon more private sector and social service organisations to step forward and help nurture our youth to be the leaders of their generation, and who play an important role in shaping Singapore’s future.

Mr Baey Yam KengParliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

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Organised over two days from 9 to 10 November 2017 at Toa Payoh HDB Hub, the YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017 reached out to over 1,500 elderly folks from 34 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs). Many youths and working professionals served as volunteers and interacted with the elderly and assisted at the event booths. The young volunteers were not only exposed to intergenerational bonding, but also empowered to become advocates in serving the silver community and promote active ageing among the elderly through sports, fitness and dance activities.

Highlights of the event included:• Handicraft booths• Chair workout• Chinese opera• Wushu performance

Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

Tan Chin Tuan Foundation is the gold partner for YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017.

AT A GLANCE

ELDERLYATTENDED

1,500PARTICIPATING

VWOS

37VOLUNTEERS

ACTIVATED

700

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INTERGENERATIONAL BONDING AT YMCA SILVER FIESTA 2017

I see that the elderly are very happy. When they are happy, I am happy too.

Ms Zhang Xiu FangWushu PerformerRexarts Wushu

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“Find an area that you like, maybe interacting with senior citizens or little children. It will really benefit them because just by spending a few moments with them, you can really brighten up their day.

Ms Anne LowVolunteerCredit Suisse

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YMCA of Singapore would like to thank the following corporations and schools for their support in YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017:

Participating Organisations:• Bukit Panjang Government High School• Credit Suisse AG• EI Study• ITE College Central• Kranji Secondary School • Nanyang Technological University (NTU)• National University of Singapore (NUS)

Here are some highlights of YMCA Silver Fiesta 2017:

To view more photos, please visit YMCA’s facebook page.

• Nordic Group Limited• Raffles Girls School• Raffles Institution• Regent Secondary School• Singapore Management University (SMU)• Singapore Polytechnic• YMCA Education Centre

Partner in Sports:

Bronze Partners:

Venue Sponsor: Gold Partners:

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GETTING ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Held on 1 December 2017 at the YMCA Lee Kong Chian Auditorium, graduates of the YMCA Project Bridge VaSSP and Barclays “Connect with Work” Programme each received a certificate of completion at the YMCA Project Bridge’s Vocational and Soft Skills Programme Graduation Ceremony. This serves as a form of recognition of their hard work and effort in the intensive six-month long training.

As part of the training, the youths picked up soft skills such as job searching, job ethics, employer expectations and youth employment rights. They also undergo training with YMCA Project Bridge’s partners in a vocation of their choice, with options such as horse stable management and web design.Attendees of the graduation ceremony were treated to a superb performance put up by the YMCA Project Bridge youth band, The Black Serenade. They also had a fun time at the photo booth, bringing back instant momento of the night.

“This year, we are very blessed to have the partnership of Barclays, who came on board to collaborate with us in the YMCA – Barclays “Connect with Work” programme. Apart from funding the programme, Barclays also engaged its staff to embrace volunteerism by becoming mentors and generously contributing their time, and expertise in providing career related advice to our youths under the Barclays Lifeskills programme. It has been a mutually enriching partnership for both YMCA staff, Barclays volunteers and more importantly the youths, who are inspired to have grit and stay motivated,” said Mr Adrian Tay, member of the YMCA Project Bridge Committee.

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YMCA of Singapore would like to thank the following donors and training partners for their time and effort in mentoring the youths, supporting and encouraging them to finish their journey:

Donors:• Barclays• Community Foundation of Singapore• Lee Foundation• National Council of Social Service• Tote Board

Training Partners: • Allspice Institute Pte Ltd• Baking Industry Training Centre Pte Ltd• Equal-Ark Singapore Ltd• JS Learning• Kimage School of Hairdressing• The School of Make-up

“I learnt to be disciplined and show commitment during the training. The experience was fulfilling and I gained much new knowledge. In the past, I was aimless but now I have an aim in life. I hope to continue to pursue a higher certificate in baking and my goal is to become a manager in the F&B industry.

Wan Nurfazlina Binte Mohamd Faiza, 17VaSSP graduate

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Y STARS HOLDS BIGGEST EXHIBITION TO DATE “I sold one today!” said Y STARS member Qiao Qi, adding that she was “very happy” to see her

artwork on display.

Held from 16 to 18 December 2017, the 24-strong arts group, which is made up of young adults with intellectual disabilities, put about 150 of their selected artworks on display at Arts on Emily Hill.

Over 150 artworks were displayed over the course of the exhibition, along with a collection of specially painted ceramic bears, bookmarks and postcards. The artworks were carefully

selected from the many pieces produced by the 24 Y STARS members, who have intellectual disabilities, over the course of the year. They meet almost every Saturday for art classes held at YMCA.

The exhibition was the result of months of preparation work by the Y STARS volunteer art teachers, as well as YMCA befrienders and staff.

“We took leave, took off, called in favours to make all this happen. It is physically draining, and quite mentally tiring, but when you see everything on the wall and how happy they (the Y STARS members) are, and how happy their parents are, it all pays off!” said volunteer art teacher Wendy Zhang, who described sales from the art exhibition as being “very encouraging”. The 24-year-old, who works as an Exhibition Coordinator, said that the most rewarding aspect of instructing the Y STARS members was watching them grow over the course of their sessions together.

Regina Aun, the founder of the Y STARS and mother of a Y STARS member, said she was thoroughly impressed by how well-organised the exhibition was. Aun hopes that the exhibition will encourage the Y STARS

members’ parents to continue bringing them to Y STARS sessions by showing them how much good these sessions do. She also hopes that the exhibition can inspire more people to

become volunteer art teachers, and change how the community views people with intellectual disabilities.

“When we look at people with challenges, we shouldn’t always look at their inabilities, all the ‘cannot, cannot, cannot’,” said Aun. “We should think of what they ‘can’ do. Look at what

they ‘can’ do, and not what they ‘cannot’.”

Below are some of the artworks displayed during the exhibition.

Contributed by Han Weichou

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SNAPSHOTS

Rebuilding lives, fostering hope in Nepal In collaboration with Living Hope Nepal and supported by the Youth Expedition Project (YEP), the YMCA Rebuilding Community Programmes saw a group of ten volunteers embark on rebuilding work at Shree Krishna Lower Secondary School in the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake from 28 October to 5 November 2017.

Educational and cultural exchange in OsakaOrganised by YMCA Learning Centre, 8 student participants visited Osaka on an educationaland cultural exchange trip. They spent 6 days 5 nights in Osaka, interacting with local students from Osaka YMCA International School (OYIS) and participating in various activities which include attending an American football workshop conducted by professional players and visiting places of interest.

Safety Talk by Bukit Batok Neighbourhood Police and Traffic Police Police from Bukit Batok Neighbourhood Police Centre visited the children at Bukit Batok CDC and shared with them about the role of a police officer and the importance of road safety. The programme included activities such as a short Q&A session, riding in a police car and on a police motorcycle.

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SNAPSHOTS

YMCA of Singapore awarded Charity Transparency Award 2017 Mr Leslie Wong received the award from the hands of MCCY’s Permanent Secretary, Ms Yeoh Chee Yan at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards ceremony on 15 November 2017 at Sheraton Towers Hotel Singapore. The Charity Transparency Awards, organised by the Charity Council, recognises charities of good disclosure practices that the Charity Transparency Framework (CTF) recommends.

Williams–Sonoma’s Universal Children’s Day event48 students from YMCA SCC @ De La Salle, YMCA SCC @ Greenridge, YMCA SCC @ Jurong West 2, YMCA SCC @ CHIJ Toa Payoh and YMCA SCC @ St Anthony’s were

invited by Williams-Sonoma Singapore Pte Ltd to take part in their corporate Universal Children’s Day event.

Students were engaged in a variety of activities including an art-and-craft workshop, cookie baking, face-painting,

in-house movie screening and games.

ELEVATE 2017 Graduation PartyThe first ever ELEVATE graduation party was held on 18 November 2017 at ITE College Central, with Mr Sim Gim Guan, CEO of National Council of Social Service (NCSS) gracing the event as Guest-of-honour. Students from ITE College Central, ITE College East and ITE College West participated in the ELEVATE programme. They each received a Certificate of Completion as a form of recognition for their commitment and effort in planning and executing projects to bless the communities.

YMCA Student Care Centres attend Chef Petite creative bento making workshop60 students from YMCA SCC @ Punggol Waterway, YMCA SCC @ St Anthony’s and YMCA SCC @ Greenridge unleashed their creativity as they designed their very own Minion-themed rice onigiri with glazed teriyaki chicken. During the workshop, students also learned about food safety and personal hygiene in relation to food preparation processes. Special thanks to Charoen Pokphand Intertrade Singapore Pte Ltd (CP) for bringing the sponsored workshops to the YMCA Student Care Centres.

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SNAPSHOTS

Y Camp Challenge - December Edition61 beneficiaries from various VWOs and 80 volunteers

attended a 3D2N camp held at Mayflower Secondary School.

Following the camp’s "Home Team" theme, participants took

part in various activities such as night missions at Kallang

Wave Mall and cooperative missions to save a hostage. The

camp was made possible with support from Tan Chin Tuan

Foundation and Credit Suisse AG.

Youth participates in Camp Champs 2017Partially funded by The Young ChangeMakers

programme organised by National Youth Council

(NYC), Camp Champs 2017 took place on 13 to 15

December 2017. A total of 30 youth, volunteers

and staff participated in this 3D2N camp held at the

Boys' Brigade/Girls' Brigade Campsite. Participants

were imparted with core values such as

compassion, servant leadership and honesty, while

the facilitators were given a platform to conduct

effective sharing and facilitate a time of reflection.

Y Outing to S.E.A. AquariumSponsored by Boardroom Limited, 36 beneficiaries from

Care Corner Teck Ghee Youth Centre and APSN Student

Care Centre explored the marine realm of S.E.A.

Aquarium at Sentosa on 11 December 2017. They were

paired with 35 volunteers from Boardroom Limited,

including the Executive Director & Group CEO, Mr Kim

Teo Poh Jin. The programme facilitated interaction

between the mainstream children from Teck Ghee Youth

Centre and special needs children from APSN, through

learning together in an integrated environment.

Tainan YMCA pays a visit to YMCA of SingaporeYMCA of Singapore hosted our counterparts from Tainan YMCA

who were here on an exchange trip to learn more about YMCA's

work in Singapore. We thank God for His gift of friendship and

look forward to learning from each other as we continue to serve

the community.

Tainan YMCA pays a visit to YMCA of SingaporeYMCA of Singapore hosted our counterparts from Tainan YMainan M

Centre and special needs children from APSN, through

learning together in an integrated environment.

MCAA

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serveerve

MCAMCA

effective sharing and facilitate a time of reflect

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SNAPSHOTS

Christmas came early for Y Makan's beneficiaries On 21 December 2017, staff and volunteers distributed customised Christmas goodie bags to over 90 beneficiaries of Y Makan as part of YMCA's Christmas Staff project 2017. Each bag consisted of a mini rice-cooker or transistor radio, pillow case, torch light and toiletries.

Spreading the joy of Christmas at Bukit Batok CDCA special Christmas celebration was held at Bukit Batok CDC to share with the children about the significance of Christmas through a short storytelling session followed by a Christmas carol sing-along. The children were also pleasantly surprised to see Santa Claus, who was one of the students' father dressed up in Santa's outfit. A heartfelt thanks to Mr Pan Yan Ming for his involvement and support in this event.

Smiles at Christmas 15 children from KidzCare gathered for a fun-filled Christmas party on 22 December 2017 at Carlton Hotel as part of Y Visit. The children enjoyed a sumptuous Christmas spread, played games and enjoyed a Christmas carol performance by the Wesley Methodist Church choir. Special thanks to Carlton Hotel for volunteering their time and fulfilling the children's Christmas wishes this holiday.

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