Voices of Youth

Starting out as strangers, building a real project from scratch, and coming out of it as true friends later was awesome!

"True social impact doesn't ask the world to feel sorry; it invites the world to participate in something better."

Most importantly, I realised that my role in philanthropy can change from being a participant to a leader.

We shift the dynamic from “trying to fix the problem” to “walking alongside them to solve it together”.

My definition of leadership used to revolve around self capability, but slowly I began to exam the qualities of leadership, through communicating with my group, and discovered that true leadership is never meant for a certain person to stand out, but to be able to hold a team together and ensure the team moves forward together.

It is about insisting that justice is not a privilege to be bought, but a right to be honored and that those who defend it deserve our deepest respect, and our unwavering support.

It felt incredibly fulfilling to be organising and facilitating the volunteer session at Ren Ci Nursing Home as I felt that I saw the youth and elderly connect. For me this program isn’t really volunteering but a conscious effort to foster a non-transactional relationship between the participants and elderly.

As we move into the future and reflect on the past it is important that we as leaders and philanthropists treat Generative AI as a tool and not a decision maker, using this technology to create meaningful change throughout our world.

Likewise, after this programme, I felt that philanthropic leadership is about considering the welfare of others, to be empathetic and curious, all while looking at yourself through the eyes of others.

Ultimately, all children ought to have an equal opportunity to succeed. Not just those who can afford to pay for it. If we truly do believe in meritocracy and equal opportunity, then we need to walk to talk and allow the necessary resources to complement the efforts of students.

The heart of philanthropy comes from the motivation and calling for us to close our mouths and listen to the stories of the world. To understand distinct cultures, challenges, and lifestyles, to acknowledge our privilege, and the reason why we are granted those privileges.

The impact that he has made shows that innovation is not just about physical products, it’s the mindset to make a difference.