Why this 35-year-old philanthropist made senior citizen welfare her mission
Fast-talking, self-effacing and all of 35, philanthropist Rebekah Lin assembly her work in the social impact sphere to her affinity for the elderly.
"I can talk to older people about anything; they accept no inhibitions and we should strive to be more like them. In full general, we've go very awkward and unauthentic, with all these guards we put upwardly," said the co-founder of local think-tank The Social Co., which raises awareness of, and funds for, causes including suicide prevention and geriatric welfare.
Bad-mannered. It's a label uttered more than once by the multi-hyphenate during our prandial conversation, which she uses to draw herself as a kid. A finance professional who counts volunteer piece of work, writing and filmmaking amidst her passions, Lin revealed that she was a victim of bullying.
"I was an introverted kid who just developed social skills when I was in university," she said, smile. Beyond an instinctive desire to shield others from the same sense of self-isolation she in one case struggled with, Lin's involvement in mental health issues also stems from loved ones' experiences with them. "I've lost a couple of friends to suicide, which drove the realisation that depression and isolation are real challenges faced past immature and old alike."
Any social ineptitude that may have pervaded her earlier years evidently did not stymie The Social Co.'s kickoff move named l for 50, which was launched in 2014.
Under their atypical initiative, the newly-incepted non-turn a profit gathered more 80 individuals nether the age of 35 to garner funds for lesser-known charities in the span of iii months.
Matched past corporate organisations, earlier being further matched by the Government nether the South$250 meg Care and Share movement, their funds totalled S$four.v million.
Success aside, why focus on millennials to drive the project? Underlying their mission, was a resolution to alter the stereotypes of young people being apathetic and self-serving.
"My co-founder Cheryl Chong and I kept hearing that millennials but care nigh the next Prada handbag and vacation, even so we were seeing a lot of them showtime social initiatives within their own neighbourhoods. We wanted to bring these people together," she said.
While being taken seriously as a coterie of young alter-makers with no track tape was challenging, the duo worked closely with the National Council of Social Service to convince underfunded charities that they weren't just conducting a one-off school project.
Canvassing for funds was non new to Lin, whose job in private equity spans investor relations and fundraising. She also tapped on her customer base for donations.
"My twenty-four hours job trained me to be thick-skinned. It occurred to me that if these people could put money into financial products, they would have the capacity to donate to charity," she rationalised.
"My co-founder Cheryl Chong and I kept hearing that millennials only care about the next Prada bag and holiday, nonetheless nosotros were seeing a lot of them start social initiatives within their own neighbourhoods. We wanted to bring these people together." – Rebekah Lin
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PRIVILEGE AND PHILANTHROPY
There seems to be an odd dichotomy between the image of Lin as a inconversable child and my forthcoming interlocutor.
The daughter of private equity investment firm Tembusu Partners founder Andy Lim and one-time Chiffonier minister Lim Hwee Hua, she alludes to her privileged background before I tin can broach the obvious. Philanthropy, she says, runs in the family unit.
"I experience very grateful for what we have. My parents and grandparents take always given generously, and growing upwardly I was taught to remember of how to make the world a better identify, as cheesy as that sounds," she shared in her folksy manner. "My female parent commits her time to helping others, which makes me feel that it is never just near money."
The aforementioned altruistic slant has inspired Lin'southward volunteer efforts.
Between 2022 and 2017, she raised funds and sought employment opportunities for inmates of Changi Women'south Prison house. "It was hard to witness senior inmates grapple with the question of survival once they were released from prison. I wanted to exercise more just sit on a committee and approve things," said the self-professed "doer", whose sometime appellations include chef, magazine writer and photojournalist for World Vision.
Far from beingness a dilettante, Lin has followed through with helping the disadvantaged. She's made lasting social affect The Social Co.'s mission. Three years ago, the commonage began focusing on working with the elderly, also every bit causes related to mental wellness.
"I think people don't instinctively want to support such causes as at that place isn't actually a way to mensurate the impact of your work, unlike, say, providing kids with an education," she explained. Adamant not to exist "typical young punks working on an event we didn't understand", she attained a Chief's caste in gerontology at King's College London in the UK.
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In a mode, studying the social, cultural and psychological aspects of ageing was a natural progression for Lin, who remembers witnessing her grandmother, with whom she shared a close human relationship, become vulnerable from illness.
"She had cancer and was gone in two weeks. I was saddened and later realised how ageing tin can really make people frail." In 2018, Lin anchored an episode of Channel NewsAsia's The Big Questions documentary series, which dissected Singapore'southward healthcare system. Beyond pablum, meeting various experts for the bear witness gave her insights on relevant elder care issues, including ageing within the community.
Using a studied approach, her team at The Social Co. – which is comprised of volunteers – selected five charities in the senior care sector to engage with meaningfully over five years. This includes meeting with them to sympathize their priorities, earlier rendering assistance.
During the ongoing COVID-xix pandemic, for instance, they gathered change-makers to answer to their beneficiaries' pressing needs. The group as well plans to host dialogues with seniors.
"I experience very grateful for what we accept. My parents and grandparents have always given generously, and growing upward I was taught to call back of how to make the world a meliorate identify, as cheesy as that sounds." – Rebekah Lin
Needs- and skills-based volunteering, she asserts, are lacking in Singapore's social sector, which requires more coordination between social enterprises. "We tend to work in silos, and the diverse groups aren't coming together to share manpower, strategies and other resources," she said.
Can that be attributed to an inherently guarded community? "I feel that many in the social sector tend to seek (and protect) original approaches, which is great. Only yous also have to make sure you are beingness creative to solve a problem, and not for the sake of being dissimilar," she posited.
Perhaps this pragmatism is borne from by failure, which Lin is candid about. As the manager of Jia Foundation, her family unit's philanthropic fund, she helped establish a now-defunct organisation in Cambodia to provide educational activity and chief healthcare to children in Siem Reap.
Co-ordinate to her, their efforts petered out after virtually five years due to a lack of clear objectives and toll-effectiveness.
"Information technology got me wondering if we did more harm than skillful. I've met people who say they are going to bring their one million dollars and change Cambodia – it just doesn't work that fashion," she shared.
Describing herself as inexperienced and idealistic back then, Lin admits to being negligent in managing the various aspects of the projection, which she assumed could run on its ain. "I don't regret it but I would be a lot more careful well-nigh starting a new projection."
"I experience that many in the social sector tend to seek (and protect) original approaches, which is keen. Merely you also accept to make certain you are being creative to solve a problem, and not for the sake of existence different." – Rebekah Lin
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING Hostage
For at present, The Social Co. focuses on "moving the needle frontwards", rather than replicating by successes. That's not to say that the hundreds of thousands they've raised for various charities between fifty for 50 and now is a paltry amount.
This March, the group hosted an intimate dialogue on mental health and suicide prevention between bartenders, proprietors and individuals from Samaritans of Singapore. It's an oft-overlooked topic in an industry given to bibulous pleasures, where service professionals are invariably expected to be cheerful.
"Participants shared that the give-and-take gave them new awareness on how to talk to friends who may be going through a hard time," she shared.
And she draws inspiration from like-minded millennials also. Among the "cool immature people" she admires are the organiser of the get-go Singapore Climate Rally at Hong Lim Park, and a youth worker from local charity Boys' Town who reaches out to youth on the street through applied theatre.
Which begs the question, is there any truth to the notion that millennials are apathetic? "For the nearly part, yep. Non everybody has the space and time to give, considering we are so distracted by what'southward going on in the world correct at present. It can feel like whatever you practise is non going to make a difference," Lin admitted.
But for her, nihilism is not an choice. "There are many immature people doing interesting work, plus the adjacent generation of Greta Thunbergs is very much driven by activism. They experience very strongly well-nigh issues, and I definitely see a lot of bulldoze and delivery from them."
Sanguine? Yes. Authentic? Sure. Simply as someone with placidity confidence write large on her face, awkward is certainly a misnomer for Lin.
"There are many young people doing interesting work, plus the adjacent generation of Greta Thunbergs is very much driven past activism. They feel very strongly about issues, and I definitely come across a lot of drive and commitment from them." – Rebekah Lin
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/singapore-philanthropy-rebekah-lin-250936
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