A property estate company eschews house-viewing appointments for one day to help the less fortunate.

Contributed By Sharon Tan

The staff of Landz Realty.

Author of the classic, Life’s Little Instruction Book, H. Jackson Brown Jr. once  suggested, “While earning your daily bread, be sure you share a slice with those less fortunate.”

Based on this maxim, a couple set aside their real estate business operations for a day to bring their administrative staff and property agents on a mission to clean up and refurbish the home of an aged couple.

Recommended to them by City Harvest Community Services Association, Steven Goh and Elly Gui, owners of Landz Realty came to know of Lim Huat Kim’s heartrending predicament—his wife, son and daughter all suffer from mental disabilities.

Due to frequent fits, Mrs. Lim’s cognitive growth was hampered, resulting in an unstable mental condition. Both their children also suffer from epilepsy, affecting their mental capacities, social interaction and communication capabilities.

Lim, who is in his 60s, is the sole breadwinner. He works as a cleaner to provide for the family of four. He also supports his own aged grandfather who is in need of medical treatment. To make matters worse, Lim’s wife recently suffered a fall, which means that Lim now has to look after her.

The Lims’ home was given a thorough clean-up.

“When we heard about the plight of this family and the financial burdens they faced, my husband and I were very keen to help them,” said Gui. “Beyond mere financial contributions, we felt that it would be most beneficial and practical if we visited their home to help improve the family’s living conditions” They also decided to rope in their staff.

On March 28, early Monday morning, the “home-makeover team” set off with their cleaning equipment, paint brushes and large tins of wall paint to the Lims’ home in Bukit Batok.

Getting down to the task of cleaning. PHOTO: Jeffrey Tan

As the entire project had to be completed within one day, it provided the staff members with an opportunity to build up teamwork and display group bonding—critical qualities vital to the success of any organization. The group had to work together to clean the toilets, plaster holes in the walls and give the entire flat a fresh coat of paint. Said Goh, “Although our bodies ached at the end of the day, our heart was overwhelmed with joy seeing that we were able to bring happiness through our acts of service.”

The team also bought new bedsheets for the whole family as the existing ones had not been washed for a long time and were bug-ridden. In addition, they furnished the home with a brand new refrigerator and wardrobes, and gave the family supermarket vouchers for groceries.

Furniture was shifted, junk was discarded and appliances were repaired. The day was, without a doubt, a far cry from their usual day-to-day operation, but it was meaningful for each individual.

Gui stated, “A preacher once said that God has blessed us, so that we may bless others. God has given us so much to be thankful for. It is fitting for us to give back to society.”

Gui leveraged on her role as an employer to mobilize manpower for this project. She added, “Not only did we help the Lim family, our own staff members gained a valuable lesson through giving and serving the community.

Said Krystine Tan, a volunteer from CHCSA who worked hand-in-hand with Landz Realty, “The family members’ eyes lit up with joy and excitement when they saw their new wardrobes arrive. Prior to that, all their belongings and clothes were in boxes or strewn all over the house. Now they have a place to store their possessions.”

Beyond this one-time act of giving, the team from Landz Realty will also be helping the family on an on-going basis by continuing to provide them with food and groceries.

NEW JOB FOR A DAY

“It was a very memorable and meaningful experience for me. Although it was physically demanding to clean and refurbish the home, I was glad that our bosses were proactive to be hands-on, leading the team on the ground to help the family in practical ways through cleaning, painting and providing new furniture.”

Caroline Tan, senior admin exec

“This is my first experience in community work. Though tiring, it is definitely meaningful. I’d love to do this on a regular basis.”

Kelvin Goh, associate director

“It’s rewarding to be able to contribute and help the lives of others. I’m thankful for the privilege to work alongside my fellow colleagues in this project.”

Philip Kao, senior associate director

City News profiles four graduates of the School Of Theology and finds out how it has changed their lives.

Contributed By Sharon Tan

The School Of Theology was first formed in January 1994 with the aim of training up pastors, missionaries, church workers and marketplace Christians, to empower them to penetrate their spheres of influence with the power of the Holy Spirit. In the past 16 years, there have been a total of 4,965 graduates from 34 countries. Students come from Singapore and throughout Asia Pacific to as far away as Nigeria, South Africa, the U.K., Sweden, Norway and even Haiti.

The school conducts a six-month, full-time program offering an Advanced Certificate of Theology. Each school year, students are trained in the Word of God; they are also involved in prayer meetings, ministry practicum, in-depth theology, leadership training, counseling, deliverance and ministry sessions, Bible quizzes and preaching tests.

One of the latest developments this year is the inclusion of Bahasa Indonesia translation to cater to the increasing number of students coming from Indonesia each year. The SOT curriculum already provides simultaneous interpretation of lessons into Mandarin and Japanese.

According to Bobby Chaw, the dean of SOT, “With this year’s batch, we will be crossing the 5,000 mark. Foreign students hailing from entirely new places such as Haiti and Thailand will be part of the 2011 cohort. This year, we have also tailored a Bible study program which will be taught by CHC’s senior pastor Kong Hee, on the books of Galatians and Romans.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBORA HENUBAU

Debora Henubau joined SOT in 2002 when she was just 25. She dedicated a full 10 months to study in Singapore full-time and to build her knowledge of foundational Bible doctrines, effective ministry work and discipleship, church organization and the practical aspects of running a church.

At first, she encountered difficulties with language and there were cross-cultural barriers she had to overcome. But through regular interaction with her cell group, her English gradually improved. “I was very blessed through my cell group’s warmth and fellowship toward me. As I interacted with them more, various members helped me to improve my English and helped me understand more about the Singaporean way of life. They often encouraged me and meaningful friendships resulted,” Henubau says.

Henubau has since taken her lessons in SOT and applied them in her church in Indonesia, Gekari Damai Sejahtera. She reflects, “The sessions with Rev. Kong Hee and Dr. A.R. Bernard provided fresh revelation about biblical truths. It was this foundation that ultimately strengthened my faith and understanding of the Word to change the way ministry was done in my local church. I learned, from being involved in ministry practicum, how to creatively engage children in fresh and new ways.

“The children’s church ministry here is growing at an extremely rapid pace and it has become a great blessing to other local churches. They are now starting to come to our church to see the miracle growth and learn from us. I attribute this to what I have learned in SOT. Right now, through mission trips by our church’s children ministry, many in Indonesia have been impacted by God’s Word,” she added.

When Chaw visited her church in 2010, he was deeply moved by what he saw. “From just 15 children in 2003, it has now grown to 713 children! Debora is doing a great work and we are so proud of her.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCIS TAY

Francis Tay, 49, an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, first enrolled in SOT in 2009. Sharing on his key takeaways from SOT and the foundational Christian values and life lessons he had learned, he said, “Being trained at SOT teaches one to have good balance in life. When you apply what is being taught, you will realize that any challenge can be overcome and you’ll have special grace and strength to cope with the requirements of SOT.”

Tay was deeply inspired by several testimonies he heard from different speakers. “I was greatly impacted by how God came through even when everything seemed impossible. It was listening to the multiple life stories depicting the conviction, life transformation and the ultimate grace of God during SOT that was priceless!”

Many graduates, like Tay, have discovered that skills and lessons learned at SOT are fully applicable to daily life, even outside of the church or ministry context. “SOT teaches you not just spiritual disciplines but practical disciplines. [I learned a] simple, but important discipline of arriving on time for class and clocking in by 8:45 a.m. to avoid chalking up demerits for tardiness,” he smiles.

“Post-SOT, I experienced personal breakthrough upon grasping and applying the message of the Cultural Mandate to my sphere of influence. I wanted to be able to bring more of Christ into my workplace. I also decided to serve as a cell group leader shortly after Bible school. My training at SOT laid a solid foundation in the aspects of body, soul and spirit to meet the demands of serving as a CGL together with my wife, as well as serving actively in the university with a spirit of excellence.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL SONG

Michael Song, 51, business partner of family business V.Hive, enrolled in SOT in 2006 together with six other business friends from his cell group. Song devoted half a day, every day, to studying at SOT for 10 months while juggling family commitments, leading a cell group, giving Bible studies and running his own furniture retail business that has branches throughout Singapore.

“SOT was a platform for me to stretch both my faith and my capacity. It is in SOT that God gives us a platform to be willing to serve, to expand our capacity and develop an unswerving trust that in God, all things will work out,” Song says, “I was never a university degree holder and had left academic life over 30 years ago. It was a miracle for me as I faced the daunting task of completing my essay assignments, book reviews, Bible readings and studying for tests.

“Through God’s grace, I was not just able to balance SOT, family and business, but business flourished even when I was away for half a day for almost an entire year! I am glad that SOT taught us to complete our journey and to finish well!”

Song also attributed the entire experience in SOT to anchoring his faith deeper in God. When he was studying for his exams, Song used the opportunity to bond with his two children who were in Secondary 2 and Secondary 4.

In 2011, this SOT alumni generously sponsored some furniture (12 cupboards and 14 beds) to help furnish 14 hostel rooms. It was a gesture that touched Amber Tan, who oversees the hostel. She shares, “When we first approached Michael, we were looking to buy furniture from his store at a discounted price. Instead, he decided to give us whatever we needed! We were very grateful for his kindness which I believe is a tremendous blessing to our international students.

Song also discovered that his training at SOT had equipped him with critical skills applicable to the business context. “Going through the preparation lessons and execution of seven-minute preaching tests were most valuable. I was able to learn about critical elements of public speaking just like in business school, learning how I could engage the audience, having the right posture and body language and delivering the three key points that my audience would remember.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAN SEOW HOW

LIVING THE GREAT COMMANDMENT, FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION

Tan Seow How, senior pastor of Heart of God Church, Singapore, enrolled in SOT for two years in 1996 and 1997 when he was 26. God had planted in him a desire to build a strong local thriving church, modeled after City Harvest Church.

“I shared my vision to build a strong local thriving church with Pastor Kong and he invited me to join in for a two-week series he was teaching at SOT on ‘Building a Strong Local Church.’ I was so impacted, enthused and inspired by the messages that I enrolled myself full-time in SOT for two years instead of one.”

Together with his wife, Cecilia, Tan started the church with three other members in 1999. In February 2011, HOGC crossed the 2,000 mark in its weekly regular service attendance.

Tan shared that SOT was a time that he laid the foundations in his ministry. “It was during my time in SOT that I learned, under the tutelage of Pastor Kong, how I could be a real, loving, secure and confident person. I learned how to carry myself as a pastor, as a man of God, in my thinking, my life testimony and in everyday living, to walk, talk, preach and minister to others while depending on the Holy Spirit.”

A School Of Theology graduation service. CN FILE PHOTO

SOT was indeed a turning point for Tan, moving his life and ministry to another level of faith and expansion. Apart from ministering in his home church, he preaches regularly in CHC’s affiliate churches in Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

In 2010, Tan was invited to A.R. Bernard’s church—Christian Cultural Center—in Brooklyn, New York, to speak at a youth ministry meeting. Tan also spoke in 2009 and 2010 at Ulf Ekman’s Word of Life’s youth conference in Uppsala, Sweden.

“Before SOT, I was a faithful minister. After SOT, I became a faith-filled and fruitful leader. I can say that without SOT, Heart of God Church would not have been even close to where we are today in our ministry for God!”

Teo Poh Heng collaborates on the soundtrack of a local movie.

Contributed By Sharon Tan

Teo (right) is a regular collaborator with Ng. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEO POH HENG

Veteran musician Teo Poh Heng, a worship leader at City Harvest Church, combined forces yet again with film music composer Joe Ng, in the recent local movie It’s A Great Great World. Evoking the nostalgic moments of the ‘40s till the ‘70s, each of the classical and acoustic guitar pieces have been painstakingly arranged to frame the scenes and bring out the poignancy behind Singapore’s legendary amusement park, Great World.

“In the film, I worked on six guitar pieces, using the instrument to accompany each scene and the accompanying dialogues, tracing the moods of each character on screen. In total, I took around six hours drilling myself to familiarize myself with the scores,” said Teo.

The S$2 million film directed by Kelvin Tong features a star-studded cast including Dennis Chew, Kym Ng, Xiang Yun, Chen Shu Cheng and Joanne Peh. The movie chronicled the stories of various characters who lived, worked, played, sang, danced and fell in love in Great World.

This was not the first collaboration between the two­—Teo has also worked with Ng on soundtracks for films such as Do Not Disturb (2007), Gone Shopping (2008) and Rule Number One (2008), an international horror film starring Hong Kong actor Cheng Ekin and Shawn Yue where Teo recreated passionate tango pieces to suit various scenes in the movie.

“It was a privilege to work with Joe, who is hailed as one of Singapore’s leading film and television music composers and is the sole music head and working partner of Kelvin Tong. I am challenged in my craft to work on various projects and recordings as each movie would entail a fresh music angle, a different requirement and a new scope,” he says.

Teo’s musical talents will next be featured in another upcoming romantic movie entitled Forever, which will open in local cinemas island-wide on Feb. 26.

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread” ~ Mother Teresa. Help FIRSTHand make this happen.

This year’s Valentine’s Day is more than a celebration for couples and lovers. Benjamin Lim, a final year Real Estate undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, together with a few of his friends, will be spreading the spirit of Valentine’s Day to show love to the needy in the community.

Lim will be partnering with FIRSTHand volunteers to spread a little love by selling flower bouquets to benefit the terminally-ill at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Many of these patients are suffering from HIV or Aids.

FIRSTHand stands for Friends In Reaching and Serving the Terminally-ill and is a service arm of City Harvest Community Services Association. They conduct befriending and outreach programs through visitations, providing emotional support and a listening ear, food and groceries delivery programs, music therapy and touch therapy.

People with HIV or Aids often face rejection from the mainstream community due to stigmas related to their condition. It is Lim’s vision that this simple act of kindness and unconditional love will warm their hearts and energize their spirits.

“Through this simple gesture, I hope to be able to share the joy of Valentine’s Day and be a channel to express love to a group of people who do not often receive a genuine touch of love,” commented Lim.

Lim has also previously produced a CD compilation, If You Ask Me, consisting of six songs with self-written lyrics and personal music arrangement. Proceeds of the sales went toward World Vision to provide for a South African child from a low-income
family, sponsoring his primary school education and basic necessities like food, clothing and school textbooks over a period of one and a half years.

Through the sale of Valentine’s Day flower bouquets, Lim hopes to be able to contribute more to the charities and needy causes in the community.

Head-Over-Heels Bouquet
Valentine’s Day Special: S$42
The Head-Over-Heels bouquet consists of three delicate roses representing “I Love You.” Each bouquet is surrounded with a splash of Baby’s Breath and a matching array of complimentary blooms and vibrant greens!

Enchanted Bouquet
Valentine’s Day Special: S$99
The lavender rose blooms represent “Love at first sight and enchantment,” a perfect way to epitomize the magic of love. The gift of 12-rose blooms conveys your feelings of admiration and devotion.

Pretty-In-Pink Bouquet
Valentine’s Day Special: S$99
This romantic arrangement of 12 roses expresses your sweet thoughts to your loved one. Lined with pink roses representing grace and gentility, it contrasts with the color red, symbolizing sincere love and respect.

Love Actually Bouquet
Valentine’s Day Special: S$75
Send the heartfelt message ‘“I Want To Be Yours” with six crimson and champagne rose blooms encircled with ruffled organza.

Valentine’s Beauty Bouquet
Valentine’s Day Special: S$85
Share your love and devotion with your special Valentine and warm her heart with nine stalks of roses dotted with two-toned carnations and a sprinkle of Baby’s Breath.

Place your orders early! Contact Benjamin Lim at +65 9877 4453 or e-mail benssoon@gmail.com.

City News gets first taste of Xi Yan’s Chinese New Year menu, which steers clear of tired conventions.

The mountain of glowing coverage about Xi Yan in the media for the past few years did nothing to prepare us for the experience as we arrived to sample its Chinese New Year menu earlier this week.

Tucked away in the Duxton Hill enclave of conserved shophouses, this Chinese fusion restaurant has gained popularity among the most discerning group of Singapore elites including business owners, lawyers, architects, doctors, ministers and celebrities over the past five years. With a lineage deriving from the original outlet in Hong Kong headed by celebrity chef Jacky Yu, Xi Yan has a unique concept of dining by reservation only and diners are treated to a chef’s menu that is customized and prepared daily according to the choice ingredients available.

To kick off the Chinese New Year Menu, however, it is offering set menus, highlights of which we were privy to. First, there is the Prosperity Yu Sheng (but of course). Loaded with fresh greens and generously cut salmon, swordfish, tuna and abalone slices, it is more akin to a sashimi salad. And instead of the cloyingly sweet plum sauce which often overwhelms the senses, Xi Yan’s chefs have created their very own sauce, a refreshing concoction of honey, kumquat and olive oil sauce.

The Golden Oyster Nuggets In Tarocurd Sauce, to put it crudely, is exactly how Colonel Sanders would eat his oysters—fresh oysters are encased in a sweet potato flour batter (as opposed to bread crumbs, for added crisp and texture) and fried to a crispy exterior, oozing tarocurd sauce with every bite. It’s a savory treat like no other.

The perfect showcase of the chef’s ability to play with taste and texture came with the Salivating Chicken With Century Eggs And Konnyaku Noodles, which originates from the Sichuan province but has been creatively modified by Xi Yan’s chefs to up the titillating factor. Combining five different spices—chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, ginger, garlic and shallots, the century egg is added to the original Sichuan version to mellow the spiciness, while the chewy Japanese konnyaku noodles soak up the sauce so that each mouthful allows you to savor more of the rich, tangy sauce.

The Zhenjiang Spare Ribs takes a leaf from the Hakka dinner table, where sweet meat is a must during Chinese New Year. Soaked in the famous Zhenjiang vinegar for four hours such that fragrant, sweet yet acidic flavors seep into the meat, the ribs are then slowly stewed with rock sugar and Shaoxing wine, making for a lip-smacking dish.

By this time we were feeling almost full but we simply could not resist the curious-sounding Stir-fried Kimchi Prawns With Shanghainese Rice Cakes: each prawn came dripping with strings of melted mozzarella cheese—the muted flavors of which complemented the kimchi to perfection.

CN PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

For desserts, there was the Xi Yan Signature Tang Yuan In Old Ginger Soup—ah, trust the innovative chefs to turn even this age-old dish into a delightful surprise. While traditional versions of the glutinous balls contain sesame, peanuts or red bean paste, Xi Yan’s creation contains salted egg yolk, candied winter melon and a dash of grounded peanuts. The paste is mixed in butter and frozen before being molded into individual rice balls. Served piping hot, the melted butter oozes out into the ginger soup and melts in your mouth as you take a bite of gastronomical heaven.

While take-aways are available, we should probably mention that there are only six tables in Xi Yan so if you want to dine in, make your bookings early!

The Chinese New Year Menu (S$68++ per pax for a six-course lunch and S$88++ per pax for an eight-course dinner) is available from Jan. 31 to Feb. 21.

Xi Yan Restaurant
38A Craig Road,
+65 6220 3546

Waylion Advisory and Consulting helps businesses succeed.

Contributed By Sharon Tan

CN PHOTOS: Desmond Tan

Waylion Advisory and Consulting is a boutique consulting firm assisting both foreign and local technology, media and services companies gain access to a highly established network of advisors and consultants across a wide number of geographies, industries and functional skills. Waylion’s clients range from local start-ups to American, Swiss and French corporations, including Thierry Apoteker Consulting (Macro Economics Research Services), Brandtology (Branding) and Ohanae Inc (Security Solutions). Waylion’s consultants aid clients, in their bid to gain access to capital, share best practices in business strategy and planning, formulate effective sales and marketing strategies and help clients implement corporate restructuring projects.

Waylion’s clients benefit from working with consultants who have more than 20 years of experience and are often ex-CEOs, CFOs, COOs, coaches and specialists in their field. These practitioners ensure a greater success rate as measurable outcomes are ascertained and results are quicker and less risky for clients.

“Unlike many large advisory and consulting firms, Waylion’s consultants operate independently and can commit to projects with minimal or no overheads, devoid of other organizational responsibilities.  As a result, this enables consulting rates to be more competitive and flexible without compromising on quality and deliverables.  Hence, for any given project, Waylion can guarantee the ‘best consultant’ is engaged and employed to deliver. This is truly a benefit that is unprecedented in the industry,” commented Thomas Choong, founder and executive director of Waylion.

IN EXPERIENCED HANDS

One can be assured of getting balanced and professional help at Waylion. Boasting an illustrious career, Choong was most recently the chairman and CEO of EAM International, a company that provides interactive digital touch screen media to major telecommunications carriers and handset makers such as SingTel (Singapore), AIS (Thailand), Telkomsel (Indonesia), Globe (Philippines) and Vibo (Taiwan).

Prior to his roles as CEO of EAM, Choong started Elipva Ltd, a joint venture with Singapore Technologies Telemedia and the Lippo Group. Elipva, an e-business software, solution and services company was awarded a major innovation development grant by Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore in recognition of the original software that it was developing.

He has also held regional management positions in IBM for the Network Computing and Industry solutions division and served as managing director for Sun Microsystems Software.

SUCCESS STORIES

Waylion has worked with wide spectrum of clients, helping them with their varied needs. In the area of capital access services, they once worked with a client who provided online monitoring of social media for corporate business intelligence. With Waylion’s help, the three-year-old company gained access to investment capital and funding by helping to structure a comprehensive business plan that fit the company’s stage of growth. The plan was effective in its appeal to investors, ensuring sufficient operating funds and cash flow were available to expand and grow their operations.

In the area of business strategy and planning services, under an aggressive timeframe of just six months, Waylion’s consultants helped their clients from Makandeals.com launch their online food and beverage marketplace portal. Makandeals.com faced the challenge of developing a competitive business strategy in an increasingly competitive market segment.  With Waylion’s assistance, Makandeals.com was able to crystallize its business model, strategies, offerings and target market.

Waylion provided business advisory, marketing and development strategies to help Thierry Apoteker Consulting, a 20-year-old French company specializing in macro economics research services to overcome barriers to entry in the Asian market.

With Waylion’s help, TAC successfully penetrated the Asian market, developing their brand in Singapore and other ASEAN countries. TAC was even featured on mainstream media and regional broadcasting stations such as CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC World, Channel News Asia and Business Times.

This media exposure helped build TAC’s reputation and relationships amongst numerous large corporations and SMEs in Singapore.  This also resulted in open doors to major banks, sovereign wealth funds, global conglomerates and other government organizations. To date, Waylion has successfully helped TAC to develop Temasek Holding, DBS, IE Singapore and Keppel Corporation as customers.

Showing their versatility, Waylion helped Xi Yan Pte Ltd, a private dining establishment with contemporary Chinese cuisine to formulate collaborative marketing initiatives for network and relationship building with their key clients who are a select group of business owners, lawyers, architects, doctors, ministers and artistes. As corporate professionals form the bulk of the network, marketing plans need to be nurtured continuously. Strategic plans were developed to foster Xi Yan’s relationship with the media and strategic influencers as well as to expand their operations in Singapore and in the region.

MORE THAN JUST BUSINESS

Beyond developing businesses and helping to nurture start-ups, Choong also envisions expanding the Waylion affiliates and consulting network.  In 2011, he aims to incorporate a greater sense of corporate social responsibility in his business.

“I believe that corporate social responsibility isn’t just for the large corporation but for any entrepreneur or SME who is willing to contribute. It may be unequal amounts but there are equal sacrifices.”

Choong is also an active supporter of local charities and community projects for the disadvantaged such as the aged and underprivileged children. In 2007, Choong chaired and organized a charity event to raise funds for the Autism Resource Centre (the current Pathlight School) and the YMCA Annual Charity Golf for the Lim Kim San Volunteers Programme in 2009 and 2010. Recently, he also took on the role as board member of the “Make A Wish” Foundation.

For more information, visit www.waylion.com.

Corporate Social Responsibility, the concept of companies doing well and doing good at the same time, is translated from mere theory into sustainable action with CityCare’s CSR Movement ’10­—Community Project Series.

CityCare, a not-for-profit organization, held a five-day program to create public awareness on Corporate Social Responsibility values and encourage a culture of embracing CSR in the participating organizations in its CSR Movement ’10­—Community Project Series, consisting of a series of six different community projects that spanned over the period between Sep. 18 to 26.

CityCare brought together a total of 90 business professionals from eight different industry sectors to do their part for the needy in the community. These individuals ranged from health care professionals to real estate agencies, golf trainers, makeover artists and photographers.

In the increasingly conscience-focused marketplaces of the 21st century, “giving back to the community” allows employees of corporations to benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits.

CityCare’s CSR Movement ’10 ­—Community Project Series was fully sponsored by the companies themselves. Through this movement, more than 140 beneficiaries were impacted.

“The project truly demonstrates the spirit of Singaporeans in that while shaping the economy is important, the less privileged in society have not been forgotten. Corporate citizens all have a part to play in shaping our nation,” said a spokesperson from CityCare.

Since its inception in January 2007, CityCare has partnered 78 schools and collaborated with 54 corporate partners to serve 7,435 beneficiaries.

For more information on CityCare, log on to www.citycare.org.sg.

Sponsored by Body Inc., this event involved 30 volunteers and 30 beneficiaries where participants scaled the heights on high-element obstacle courses, an exercise that built their confidence as they overcame their fear of heights.

A Ride to Remember
Outing on Singapore River Cruise with Needy Elderly

Staff from DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (SEA) Pte Ltd and CityCare organized a 45-minute Singapore river cruise for 20 elderly folks, the oldest beneficiary being a 95-year old grandmother. This idyllic cruise was followed by a sumptuous Teochew porridge lunch buffet complete with special gifts.

Picture Perfect
Professional Makeover & Photo Shoot for Low Income Families

Sponsored by Brew Studio, the session involved 24 beneficiaries. For many of the families, it was their very first time taking their family portraits. The entire event allowed for the families to experience a unique sense of bonding with one another.

Golf for All
Golf Clinic for Disadvantaged Children

Sponsored by KinderGolf, 30 children from Fei Yue Student Care were trained in the tactics of winning at golf. They were also taught the basics such as the correct techniques of holding a club and making a swing. This professional workshop, which normally costs more than S$40 per person and has been conducted for the Bill Madonna Golf Academy, HSBC, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, was provided free for these aspiring “Tiger Woods.”

Body Matters
Free Health and Dental Checks for Low Income Families

Sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, volunteers who were trained professionals and dentists conducted free health checks and dental checks for 34 members of low-income families.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITYCARE

Revitalize
Home Makeover for a Low Income Family

A home in Lorong Lew Lian experienced a full revamp as staff of Villa Investments completed a home makeover for the low-income family which was being assisted by the Serangoon Moral Family Service Centre. The home was given a fresh coat of paint; spoilt utilities and kitchen appliances were repaired and home furniture such as sofas, beds and mattresses were replaced with entirely new sets. They also provided a study table for the couple’s 9-year-old boy who has learning disabilities.

Through this movement, CityCare has thus allowed for more synergistic collaboration of business enterprises, community groups and individuals. This movement has effectively played its part to bring about transformation in our local community.

Upclose with The Big Groove’s headliners.

Quest Crew (USA)

Quest Crew, a vibrant and eclectic mix of dancers hailing from California, USA staged their first dance gig outside of their homeland during The Big Groove this year.

Having won the coveted title of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew and capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? the crew members are living out their childhood dreams, travelling around the world to perform while displaying not just nifty dance techniques but also unique re-interpretation of music and rhythm.

The crew’s main draw stems from the ability to wow the audience with the unexpected, performing tricks, stunts, headspins and acrobatic feats all set to hip hop and b-boy grooves.

One member, Steve Terada, formerly an extreme martial artist, brings to the team a unique flavor with some standout stunts and tricks of his own.

Tiny Toones (Cambodia)

 CN PHOTOS: Poh Yang Zheng

As K Ki saw the plight of dozens of street kids roaming the street­—some struggling to make ends meet by shining the shoes of passers-by while others dabbled in drug abuse—he had a vision to bring the street kids into a place where they could develop their talents and be sheltered from the harmful influences on the streets.

Out of this vision Tiny Toones was birthed. Today, it is an organization that uses hip-hop, rapping and break-dancing to get street youth involved in proper education and free of drugs and HIV. Mentors help to guide and engage the youth who enrol in Tiny Toones’ activities, with many roping in their friends to actively take up free English classes as well as participate in games, skits and performances.

The Tiny Toones dance crew, with its youngest member only 13 years old, has competed in hip-hop and break-dancing competitions internationally in Cambodia, USA and Thailand. It has even performed at hip-hop clothing and music company Ecko Unlimited in New York City and chi-chi fundraising parties in Los Angeles, Seattle, Wisconsin, Philadelphia and New York City.

Their message to the youth is to look beyond their circumstances to see the potential that has been planted within each person, as they themselves are scaling heights, meeting people and going places they never thought possible.

Squinting at the time may soon be a thing of the past for the elderly, with an innovative solution seen at this year’s Tah Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award.

CN PHOTO: Adalia Tan

She looked at the clock intently, trying hard to make sense of the various numbers and clock hands, only to give up after a minute. Turning around, she asked, “What time is it?” This was the situation which Josephine Ng Ying Tian often found herself in, when her grandmother could not read the time by herself.

This thus gave Ng and her classmate, Kay Si Ying, both studying for their diplomas in Telematics and  Media Technology at Nanyang Polytechnic, the inspiration to design a clock that would allow the elderly to read time clearly without difficulty. They named their invention the “Elderly Clock,” and participated in the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award 2010. With this entry, they were one of the four teams to be awarded the Silver Award this year. The silver medal is the top award for the Senior Student Category. They received the award from Ms. Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development & Ministry of Education on June 5.

Through the courses taught at college, Ng learned about the latest advancement in technology, including artificial intelligence, digital media and next generation user interfaces. Through her knowledge of creating smart products, services and experiences, she aims to help improve business and quality of life in the community. Together with her co-inventor, Kay, they applied their knowledge and came up with the highly innovative solution. “The idea behind this invention was to reduce the confusion faced by the elderly when they read the time by showing only the relevant information of the clock. We wanted a digital clock that could be read using the analogue system,” said Ng.

“We faced several difficulties and challenges in creating the clock. Both Si Ying and I had to play around with the colors of the clock, ensuring contrasting background colors that would suit the elderly. We also spent much time in getting the numberings for the clock right, going to print shops to finalize the correct template. Two prototypes were created before deciding on the final design,” added Ng.

The design of the clock is such that it has a unique “Lollipop Concept,” where the white circles at the end of the clock hands is in high contrast to the colours of the numbers, thus showing the hour and minute more clearly to the viewer.

The Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award was first mooted by Nobel Laureate Professor C.N. Yang in May 1986. Yang, who holds the position of Tan Kah Kee Foundation’s advisor and mentor, observed that Asian students including Singapore students were good at learning but lacked originality in scientific research. He thus proposed an award that would encourage students to be more creative in order to create new inventions that would bring about economic benefit to the country.

Businesses were showcased at The Marketplace Exhibition during CGI-Asia Conference 2010.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MARKETPLACE

The Marketplace was launched to optimize the influence of business leaders and professionals through 4 E’s: Educate, Equip, Encourage and Empower.

Leveraging on the high volume of delegate traffic at CGI-Asia Conference 2010, which saw over 25,000 attendees, the Asia Conference Marketplace Exhibition was a platform to drive awareness and membership recruitment.
Apart from their participation at the conference, The Marketplace regularly organizes business luncheons, forums, seminars, a connect portal and a discussion group to create networking opportunities for the business community to share strategies in order to remain competitive.

The Marketplace Exhibition offered many opportunities for the Christian business community from City Harvest Church and their affiliate churches to network, carrying out business matching and exhibiting their array of products and services.

Many foreign delegates gave feedback that through the exhibition, they were able to expose their brand to a regional audience, generating leads and international opportunities. Some of the foreign delegates that exhibited included the Masarut Capital Group from Taiwan, PT. The First National Glassware from Indonesia and De Quan Investment Management from China.

Members of the regional business community who participated as international delegates from Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia were taken with The Marketplace ministry model. They were particularly encouraged by The Marketplace’s aim to raise industry standards for businesses and uphold godly business values.

This is a step away from the traditional mindset of separation and disconnect between secular business and church, and works to raise up a new generation of godly and excellent business leaders who spur one another to good works for the benefit for society.

At The Marketplace Exhibition, the organization also offered the new issue of its magazine Entrepot which contained useful insights and ideas from a panel of experts aimed at helping both professionals and business owners grow their professional capacity and enlarge their business capacity.

The panel consisted of successful marketplace personalities in many industries, from lawyers, accountants, marketers, management-level business leaders, business owners, ambassadors, venture capitalists to consultants and representatives from the Singapore Business Federation.

After the conference, the committee members of the Marketplace also engaged two notable Christian businessmen—Paul Kim and Ken Eldred—at a breakfast roundtable. The two billionaires who have a track record of philanthropy and key investments in strategic ventures in Silicon Valley were impressed with The Marketplace committee’s camaraderie and desire to encourage business in a way that was pure, based on integrity, openness and trust. In particular, they applauded The Marketplace’s willingness to help and accelerate each other’s business goals through mentoring.