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CATALYST
ASIAISSUE 01
APR–SEP 2015
A Publication On Societal
Leadership In The Region
20
BUILDING HOUSES TO
BUILD COMMUNITIES
“My life changed from that point. I saw that
people were hungry to contribute, to dirty their
hands to make an impact. They just didn’t
have the platform to do so,” he said. “It gave
me the courage to continue.”
26
LOOKING TO UNDERSTAND
AND HEAL AFTER A GENOCIDE
Youk realised, while speaking at length to
individuals, that people were not caught up in
vengeance, but ached to move past their losses.
33
FAST TRACKING THE HUNT
FOR TIME BOMBS IN LAOS
There is a huge gap in resources between
what is available and what is required for the
detection and clearance of UXO in Laos.
"Simply put, you cannot resolve something you
can’t count."
COVER STORY
Singaporean
moved by the plight
of the Hmong
Three decades following the end of the
Indo-China conflict, a bilateral agreement
was signed in September 2007 between
the government of Thailand and Laotian
authorities that would lead to the
re-classification of ethnic Hmong refugees
as “illegal immigrants”... p. 35
Executive Director Chief Strategist
CATALYST ASIA ISSUE
MARTIN TAN TONY LAI
APR–SEP 2015
A Publication On Societal Leadership In The Region
Academic Director
DR LIM LAI CHENG
Editor
SERENE ASHLEY CHEN 01
CONTENT
ABOUT US STORIES FROM THE GROUND
Catalyst Asia is a publication by the Institute for Prototype, Test, Tweak, Repeat – Proximity Designs Lives Up To Its Name 02
Societal Leadership at the Singapore Management
More Than Just An Autism Centre 06
University. It is a collection of feature stories, interview
articles and opinion pieces about how leadership is Khek Noi – The Land Without The Concept Of A Title Deed 08
being exercised around societal challenges in Asia. We
Trash, Transformed. 10
hope that Catalyst Asia will inform, inspire and
catalyse new ideas for change. This Professor Will Use Saltwater To Empower Asia’s Poor 13
Non-profit Initiative Gives Back ‘The Right To Learn’ To
EDITOR’S NOTE
Underprivileged Children 16
At Catalyst Asia, we believe that real life can only be Big Fish 18
captured at a particular moment in time. Everything
Building Houses To Build Communities 20
you read here is accurate at the point in which it was
recorded. We do not expect details to stay the same Charity Hero Syed Azmi Inspires Community Projects Amongst The Youth 22
and we hope that they don’t. We have chosen a dark
In For The Long Run 24
background for our cover page to symbolise a
landscape of lesser known stories in the region. The ISL Looking To Understand, And Heal, After A Genocide 26
globe motif illuminates a featured picture but
We Are All Human 28
intentionally obscures certain parts to imply that the
perspectives presented in Catalyst Asia are by no
IN THE HOT SEAT
means a complete picture. We frame the story and
offer a point of view. It is then up to the reader to form
Fast Tracking The Hunt For Time Bombs In Laos 33
his own understanding and imagine how the remaining
pieces of the story could look like. The views and Singaporean Moved By The Plight Of The Hmong 35
opinions expressed in this publication are those of the
Gender Equality Necessary To Power Myanmar’s Society 40
authors and do not necessarily reflect the official
policy or position of the Institute for Societal Bringing Connectivity Back Into The Lives Of Underprivileged Women 44
Leadership. No part of this publication may be
reproduced without written permission from the
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE TOP
Institute for Societal Leadership at the Singapore
Management University Administration Building
A World in Crisis – Conflicts, Refugees and Humanitarian Response 47
located at 81 Victoria Street Singapore 188065.
Well-being And The Drive For Success Is A Double Helix 53
For enquiries, please email
Strategy – Where Art Thou? 56
serenechen@smu.edu.sg.
Leadership 2.0: The Need For A New Type Of Leadership 58
02 STORIES FROM THE GROUND YANGON . MYANMAR
TEXT BY CATHERINE TRAUTWEIN | PHOTOS BY PROXIMITY DESIGNS
PROTOTYPE,
TEST, TWEAK, REPEAT
PROXI M IT Y D ESI GNS LIVES U P TO ITS NA M E
Though Myanmar’s groundwater runs close to the surface, pumps tack on the pumps and set about prioritising the user through design. In
presented challenges in the past for the country’s farmers, according to this way the company created not just new products but experiences.
Aung Din. People couldn’t swing buying diesel machines at US$250
and cheaper hand pumps at US$20 wouldn’t serve for irrigation and Design runs through Proximity like blood in veins, feeding into each of
were “really hard to use and repair,” she says. In the meantime, people the company’s four subdivisions as well as its ethos. In its approach and
employed the use of buckets for irrigation, ferrying 20 kgs on both implementation, the organisation emphasises putting people first from
sides 200 times a day in the dry season, she continued. the first. Perhaps the biggest difference between the company and
traditional NGOs comes from how it interacts with users of its products.
“There was a real opportunity for the foot pumps to come in at
[around] US$25 as an intermediary step and for irrigation for small “We didn’t want to treat people as charity recipients or aid
plot holders during the dry season,” she says. “We started showing beneficiaries,” Aung Din says. “When you treat people as
them to farmers and villages and asking them about the price and customers and sell things, it’s really a matter of giving them choice
this and that, and we quickly saw that these models need to be and affirming dignity. They decide whether what you’re providing
adapted … for Myanmar farmers.” is valuable or not, so they hold you accountable.”
People – so central to Proximit y’s mission – determine how its
Yangon-based social enterprise Proximity Designs, products are set up and sold. Around the time the company
entered Myanmar with the Indian foot pumps, Aung Din says she
then a country programme under International
and her husband and co -founder Jim Taylor came into contact
Development Enterprises (iDE), began its with Stanford professor Jim Patell, who teaches with others a
now-decade long mission to better Myanmar course on designing for extreme affordabilit y. The class
farmers’ earnings. concentrated on “human - centered design,” she explains.
“This is what most very progressive and modern companies … in the
What followed can be best summed up by the organisation’s name and UK and West use to design cool products, but for rich people,” Aung Din
the sentence it forms: Proximity Designs. The social enterprise, which says. “It starts with a real focus on the user and empathy for them.”
has stayed close at hand to observe and listen to customers, changed
04 PROTOTYPE, TEST, TWEAK, REPEAT – PROXIMITY DESIGNS LIVES UP TO ITS NAME STORIES FROM THE GROUND 05
Proximity, whose customers earn about such as one simple trick that boost yields for
US$2 daily, used the strategies to revamp farmers – a test assessing rice seed based on
the Indian pumps. old Japanese practices that require only
saltwater and a duck egg.
“You have a rigorous process of prototyping,
testing, getting feedback, tweaking, “That’s how we go about designing things,
prototyping, tweaking, prototyping, tweaking, coming up with the best solutions,” Aung Din
and really understanding all the aspirations and says. “It’s being able to fail early and fail fast
needs, wants, practical aesthetics, everything,” and learn from it, and then in the end you end
Aung Din continued. “Designers had never up with a better product or a service.”
applied it to the poor in developing countries.”
A “scorecard” for the full year 2014 written in
The company soon extended its tailored neat, block chalk lettering greets guests that
approaches into other sectors: irrigation, walk into Proximity’s clean, modern office. As
renewable energy, financial inclusion and of the last day of June this year, the company’s
farm advisory services. Electricity presents an “rural reach” had touched 170 townships and
incredible challenge in the country, so more than 9,500 villages. The count of
Proximity formulated ways for farmers to irrigation customers neared 20,000 people.
water land without it, providing products such
as “gravity-fed” drip irrigation equipment for At Proximity, the micro and macro have
sale. Meanwhile, one of the organisation’s crossed axes. Myanmar’s transition “is still in
specialty initiatives, “duck loans,” gets the early stages,” Aung Din says. “We have
scheduled to line up with seasonal egg leveraged a lot of our on-the-ground
scarcity, according to the company. knowledge of rural areas and customers and
thousands of villages to inform and do
More broadly, Proximity architects loan research on economic policies, so the two
durations and timing to crop seasons and have converged.”
employs bullet payments, the company said in
an email. “For the macro to be effective it has to …
have input from on-the-ground and have that
Proximity has two types of loans on offer: crop iterative, adaptive mentality,” she continues.
loans and livestock loans. The latter category “For what we do to be successful in helping
comprises goat loans and the trademark duck families get out of poverty, I think you need
loans. Spanning 150 kyats to 250,000 kyats, [a] macro policy environment that is
the loans are meant for rural farmers and often conducive … You need the exchange rate to
go to customers in the Delta, though Proximity’s be managed, you need [a] good regulatory
reach has extended to Myanmar’s Dry Zone, environment that supports banking and
according to the company. financial inclusion. You can’t just be working
at one level,” she concludes.
This year, Proximity will begin commence
enterprise loans aimed at micro-business owners Depending on whom you ask, change has
in rural towns, the company wrote in an email. come – and will come – to Myanmar. As the
ecosystem evolves, so will Proximity Designs,
Proximity operates its own design lab and whose name says it all. CA
team. Its investigations have turned up results
06 STORIES FROM THE GROUND KUALA LUMPUR . STORIES FROM THE GROUND 07
MALAYSIA
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CAROLYN HONG
MORE THAN JUST AN
AUTISM CENTRE
The little boy stood against a green wall; his “Or else, how would they get out of poverty?” Sharifah Salleh.
Run by a libertarian think-tank, the Ideas Autism
teacher coaxing him to look at the camera. He he said.
Centre believes that the free market can fulfil the
looked everywhere but at her. Another teacher Many also need to learn to cope with sensory
needs of the poor – at a low cost too
made funny faces to persuade him. His Thus, the IAC sets out to provide comprehen- problems which cause them to, among others,
classmates giggled but he didn’t budge. sive care and education during working hours get distressed at loud noises. Twice a month, At the beginning, it did try to do that by
from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, in a they have horse-riding and swimming classes charging higher fees for wealthier students but
Photography attempt: Failed. neighbourhood where many of these children to improve their social skills. that didn’t work. Their parents preferred to
live, about 20km from Kuala Lumpur. send them to more exclusive centres. Ideas is
Classes are also held for parents to learn to now revisiting this plan – but this time, it will
Opened in October 2012, IAC is a pilot project manage their children at home. have separate centres for the two groups.
All in a day’s work for a teacher by Ideas to meet the needs of the poor, based
– except that this is not a regular on the principles of a free market philosophy It has seven teachers and an occupational Wan Saiful said they are in talks to take over
kindergarten. It’s the Ideas which encourages greater self-reliance and less therapist, while a specialist from the government’s an autism centre in a posh neighbourhood
Autism Centre (IAC) run by the dependence on the government. Selayang Hospital visits once a month. which generates enough profit to run the IAC,
Institute for Democracy and and more.
“This does not absolve the government from its The goal is to have the children ready for
Economic Affairs (Ideas),
responsibility but the key thrust is to reduce the mainstream school by the time they reach “Our priority is to turn IAC into a social
a think-tank promoting market- burden on the government, and by extension, nine. So far, IAC has successfully sent nine enterprise although at the moment, the model
based solutions to public issues. the tax payer,” said Wan Saiful, 40. children to regular schools. is a charitable one,” he said.
Autism Spectrum Disorder covers a range of Securing adequate funding is, by far, the This is likely to happen sometime this year.
A closer look at the cheery classroom tells you that brain developmental disabilities which toughest part of its journey.
it’s not a kindergarten. Chairs and tables are manifest as difficulty in social interaction, As IAC is a pilot project, it is kept an open
pushed right up against the wall to prevent the communication and repetitive behaviours. It Clearly, the fees aren’t sufficient to cover the book to visitors, even its accounts, so that
children from running around, but they still do. was estimated that one in 600 children in annual expenditure of RM750,000. Students others may learn from its experience.
Malaysia is autistic. pay only RM300 a month if their household
The IAC is the only autism centre in Malaysia per capita income is below RM1,500, and Ideas has also used this model for a school for
catering to low-income families in a holistic While there are private centres for the pay nothing if it’s below RM500. (Per capita refugee children which it set up in Kuala Lumpur
manner. It provides full day care, early wealthy, the poor have to rely on charitable income is calculated by dividing the monthly in August 2014. The Ideas Academy, with 24
intervention therapy and education to prepare centres or government hospitals where it takes household income with the total members. For students aged 12 to 17, is a secondary school.
autistic children for mainstream schools, at a months to get a specialist appointment. example, a household income of RM6,000 for
low cost or for free. a family of six, works out to a per capita It has been a long journey but with funding now
IAC tries to fill the gap. income of RM1,000.) more certain, there is a greater sense of hope
Other centres usually offer partial day care, for IAC’s children – including the little boy who
with therapy at an extra cost. Besides full day care, it offers speech and Currently, three corporate foundations are refused to be photographed that day.
occupational therapy, and education. Its providing funding until the end of this year.
But Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of students, most of whom cannot speak, are Given that donations can fluctuate, Ideas is He may not like the camera but he was happy
Ideas, said the idea is to enable the child’s taught language skills as well as therapy to now looking at a model to redistribute from to welcome us with the traditional Malay
parents to work, if they chose to. develop their motor skills, said principal the rich to the poor. greeting for elders – a kiss on the hand. CA
08 STORIES FROM THE GROUND PHETCHABUN . THAILAND
TEXT AND PHOTO BY MATHIRA SUTIWATANANITI
KHEK NOI
TH E L AN D WITH O UT TH E CO N CEPT O F A TITLE D EED
Located in Phetchabun, one of the northern provinces of Thailand is are first comers or encroachers, the land situation in Khek Noi is
a quiet little sub-district called Khek Noi. Famous for its unique rather unique, since the 72 sq km plot of land that forms present-day
cultural offerings, intricate handicrafts and rich history, it is home to Khek Noi has been transferred back and forth, and given to and
Thailand’s largest community of Hmong people. For travel buffs, it is taken back from different government agencies as well as the
an off the beaten track experience and a stone’s throw away from villagers – a result of shifts in state policies on hill tribe development
areas that offer adventure tourism. For residents though, Khek Noi and natural resource management. Nowadays, the ownership of the
has the potential to become much more than what it is today. land is divided among three agencies and with each comes a certain
set of rules and restrictions.
What seems to be standing in the way is a cumbersome system
around public property laws and the issue of ethnic minority rights. “It’s a bureaucratic mess and ethnic discrimination,” said Suwit
In Khek Noi, purchase or lease of land is done on the basis of a Sanyakul, 57, two-time elected chief executive of Khek Noi
verbal agreement alone. To many, this is an inconvenient Administration Organization. “Newcomers who are Thai, land
arrangement that offers little security and poses challenges to the developers or businesses have no problem getting the authority to up with Khek Noi Administration Organization members, local hearings. Yearly, twelve small meetings are held in each of the
implementation of long-term investment plans. issue title deeds. It’s just us. An entire sub-district without any land leaders and villagers, they submitted letters, filed petitions and met villages and one large public hearing for the entire sub-district along
titles even though we have Thai citizenship.” with relevant agency officials. Despite an uphill battle that is mired with additional public hearings for important or urgent matters.
in red tape, their sheer persistence and effort in petitioning and
Without a land title document, villagers are An activist at heart, Suwit spent over ten years working in Hmong negotiation have resulted in small wins. “He’s a good chief and doesn’t play favourites like the one before.
shelters with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Each village gets an equal amount of funds to carry out its own
ineligible to apply for loan through normal lending
(UNHCR), and through the years he has spearheaded several Villagers living on the 32 sq km land managed by Social activities,” said See Sakcharoenpanyabhum, 51, one of the four
channels and starting a small business remains campaigns alongside fellow Hmong – from requesting the district to Development Center Unit 38 Phetchabun Province can now build female members of Khek Noi Administration Organization Council
an elusive dream for most. hold a hearing on the construction of a wind power plant to fighting for permanent structures like concrete homes and small shops, while and a representative of Moo 7. “I only wish we had more budget.”
the removal of the previous chief executive for abuse of power – with those on the 32 sq km of land held by the Treasury Department can
varying degrees of success. Eventually, seeing that the only way to fix continue to use the land without having to pay rent. Still among other things, the sub-district managed to carry out road
Meanwhile, the local administration is left to deal with a headache the broken system is to work within it, he ran in the local elections and repairs, construct drainage systems, provide trash pick-up service,
of its own, as plans to expand the sub-district’s water supply system was elected both times. His campaign? Land rights and ownership. “It’s a small step but with the restrictions relaxed at least some offer marriage counselling sessions and organise reforestation
and develop new tourist attractions may never be realised because villagers will have an alternative source of income other than activities along with classes on Hmong traditions and handicraft work
necessary documents like land title deeds cannot be produced. BABY STEPS growing ginger, and through boosting their income it will help for the youth – all with a budget of 3 million baht. And in spite of the
increase our tax collections and budget for community development, long road ahead in the fight for land rights and ownership which can
STICKY SITUATION Since starting his first term in 2009, this chief executive, who is also too,” Suwit added. drag on for years, it seems like there may be light at the end of the
one of Khek Noi’s first generation of university graduates, has stayed tunnel after all. CA
In addition to a common debate over whether highland minorities true to his promises and followed through on his campaign. Teaming And how does the sub-district decide which project it will do? Public
10 STORIES FROM THE GROUND JAKARTA . INDONESIA STORIES FROM THE GROUND 11
TEXT BY NADINE FREISCHLAD | PHOTOS BY DISSY EKAPRAMUDITA
IRetno Hapsari is a middle-aged woman in Retno runs XSProject, an NGO that buys initiative because XSProject is not just about
her early fifties. “I’m from a very normal reusable waste materials from garbage a creative approach to waste management, it
family” she says. “My father is a government collectors, and upcycles them into products is also about finding ways to improve the
official, my mother a teacher.” We were such as laptop or book covers, cosmetic livelihood of a community of disadvantaged
TRASH,
driving back from one of her routine visits to bags and storage boxes. families.
the squatter community on an illegal garbage
dumpsite in Cirendeu, just South of Jakarta. Until seven years ago, Retno was working in At XSProject, a 5% share of product sales is
Sitting amidst a heap of bags and bottles in a multinational company and sitting on the channelled towards a scholarship fund,
TRANSFORMED.
Retno’s compact car, I was trying to figure advisory board of XSProject. In 2007, Retno which helps children from trash picker
out what makes this woman tick. But she isn’t took over the management of XSProject families at the Cirendeu dump go to school.
one to make bold statements. “I just think it when American artist Ann Wizer, who had XSProject also picks up the occasional
needs to be done. There shouldn’t be garbage started the initiative as communal art medical bill, pays for missing light bulbs, and
dumps like this in Indonesia. Or anywhere.” project, left Indonesia. Retno believed in the provides employment for some of the family
members of the community at the XSProject
upcycling workshop. So far, 56 children
have been enrolled in a local school nearby
with funds from XSProject.
Over the years, Retno has come
to understand the mechanisms of
the trash economy.
Dumpsites emerge on empty plots of land with
unclear legal status. Each dumpsite ends up
being managed by one or several Lapak:
These are families with enough means to build
several shanty houses and carts. Each lapak
allows poorer families to live in the shacks and
assigns them a cart each morning which they
use to comb the district for any form of trash.
Everything reusable or recyclable is returned to
the lapak, the rest is piled on top of a big heap
of slowly rotting waste.
Living conditions in these informal settlements
are harsh and unhygienic. Trash pickers
usually come from outside the city, where
they have fled from extreme poverty. They
often do not possess official documents such
as ID cards, marriage or birth certificates,
which makes them especially vulnerable.
Without legal documents, these people do
not exist, let alone have access to economic
Retno Hapsari wants to help trash collector
families improve their livelihoods. She has devised
an ingenious support system that relies on
upcycling and education.
13 STORIES FROM THE GROUND KALINGA . PHILIPPINES
TEXT BY EVAN TAN | PHOTOS BY AISA MIJENO
THIS PROFESSOR WILL
USE SALTWATER TO
EMPOWER ASIA’S POOR
A bucolic charm possesses Kalinga: you could almost touch the sky practical and accessible lighting solution for these people.
and the clouds from the valleys and plateaus in this landlocked
Philippine province. At 17 to 22 degrees Celsius, the weather is more This was how SALt was born – a technology startup which utilises a
pleasant than the heat and grime of the country’s capital Manila. simple yet ecologically- and economically- sustainable idea: a
Here, life passes very slowly, and people are still very much into saltwater-powered lamp as bright as seven candles, or 90 lumens.
doing things the old way.
What makes SALt more outstanding is its business model, which is
opportunities. Ironically, the informal trash lapak. Last year, Retno managed to convince corporations donate industrial waste on a You could say that this is paradise on earth, except saying that would patterned after TOM’s One for One concept. Each purchase of a SALt
economy that has emerged as a result of a the lapak to support her plan to start a large scale, and buy back the upcycled be romanticising the lives of the Kalinga people, who face real lamp means a family from an unelectrified community gets one too.
dysfunctional municipal waste management makeshift pre-school at the Cirendeu dump. product as a unique form of merchandise, problems which threaten their livelihood. Climate change, one of their
system has become a source of livelihood for Here, children aged 4 to 6 receive basic supplementing income from product sales in biggest challenges, affects the province’s rice production. Landslides IGNITING INSPIRATION
them – a few women from the trash picker education and supervision three times a its retail outfit. and unpredictable rainfall worry the farmers and villagers. The
community are employed as cleaners and week. This was a response to Retno’s worsening weather also makes the people more prone to illnesses. A few months after SALt, the sustainable alternative lighting solutions
seamstresses at XSProject. observation that children from trash picking Through XSProject, the messy Cirendeu dump company she co-founded, was awarded in June 2014 as one of the top
families who were supported by XSProject to now symbolises a renewal hub of sorts It doesn’t help that they live off the grid, with electrification still not ten tech startups in the 2nd Annual Ideaspace Startup Competition, Aisa
“I have had people say that it is not good to attend mainstream schools were often not where waste materials are given a second widespread in the province. This is why a lot of these people rely on had to immediately fly to Seoul in November last year.
give support to these people living here able to follow the pace of learning there. lease of life and the disadvantaged are kerosene lamps to survive the dark nights. Men are forced to walk miles
illegally, that it will make them lazy. But I given a little leg up to start well in society. just to buy kerosene from their neighbouring towns. Chosen by the Young Entrepreneurs Society of the Philippines and
don’t see that. They live on the garbage dump The pre-school education provided at Freelancer.com to represent the Philippines at the World Startup
because they are forced to; this is their life, XSProject is intended to give the children an At XSProject, people, organisations and Competition in South Korea, SALt bagged the People’s Choice Award
day in day out. What we can do is minimal. early head start and create a positive corporations are linked in a sustainable during the event and the prestige of being the only Asian company to
Professor Aisa Mijeno personally witnessed the
We offer opportunities, but it is up to them to learning experience that will motivate them chain of creative entrepreneurship. Within have reached the top five of 50 competitors.
make something out of it.” to keep on learning. this chain, individuals fulfil their professional
difficulties by the Butbut tribe when she visited
ambitions while leaving a long lasting Buscalan, a small town in Tinglayan, Kalinga. These accolades would make you think Aisa had it all figured out from the
Retno has found that the key to making long To continue the growth of XSProject, Retno impact on their environment. CA start. But the truth is, no one would have thought that this was the path she
lasting improvements to the living conditions reaches out to corporations with a win-win was headed – not even her.
of these communities is to gain the trust of the proposition. Rather than donating money, With her knowledge and experience in environmental engineering and
sustainable energy, she thought that she could help develop a more Before that fateful trip to Kalinga, she was busy lecturing students on
14 THIS PROFESSOR WILL USE SALTWATER TO EMPOWER ASIA’S POOR
Men are forced to walk miles just
to buy kerosene from their
neighbourhood towns.
Embedded Systems, Data Structures, In hindsight, losing that job may have actually the merchandise to the early adopters and their
Algorithm Analysis, and CCNA (Cisco Certified been good, as it paved the way for Aisa’s partner communities. “First beneficiaries are the
Network Associate) Exploration, as a next, larger mission with SALt. 100 households in Bulalacao, Mindoro Oriental,
part-time Engineering professor at De La Salle the Hanunuo Mangyan. And then the 590
University in Lipa, Batangas, a town outside BRIGHTLY SHINING THROUGH households, locals of Baranggay Gabi in Isla de
Metro Manila. Gigantes Sur, Carles, Iloilo,” Aisa explains.
For Goldy Yancha, Ideaspace’s Associate
But if it was any sign that her heart had always Director for Community Development, what She is grateful for the opportunity to assist
been in the right place, Aisa had been immersed made SALt a winner from the start was its these communities, and the lessons she is
in volunteer work long before. Shortly after promise of changing lives as a social enterprise. picking up in her journey to grow SALt as a
graduating from college and into her first job, company. “We are learning, every single day
she resigned from her work so she could spend “SALt is exciting because of its great potential we learn something new. I think the main
one whole year working with various NGOs. to disrupt and provide substantial impact to pickup is you have to reach to people. If you
grassroots communities, especially have questions about something, don’t be
“I call that now a year of enlightenment, when I unelectrified ones,” Goldy relates. afraid to ask for help. And we are very
travelled across the Philippines and Southeast thankful that there are people willing to help
Asia and did work for free–or sometimes, on my Right now, one can purchase the lamp online, and guide us to the right direction.”
expense,” she recollects. She became a Direct but Aisa foresees offline retail once sales pick
Dialogue Campaigner for Greenpeace up, depending on how and where the market Asked what advice she can give her fellow
Philippines that same year, wherein she received receives them. Aisa envisions that they will serve entrepreneurs, she muses:
a measly PHP4,000 monthly allowance. underprivileged communities not just in the
Philippines, but Asia’s impoverished 615 million. “Stick to your principles—that is who you are.” CA
When the burden of financial constraints took
hold, she was forced to quit being a campaigner. This coming April, SALt will begin distributing
16 STORIES FROM THE GROUND KUALA LUMPUR . STORIES FROM THE GROUND 17
MALAYSIA
TEXT AND PHOTO BY SUSAN TAM
NON-PROFIT INITIATIVE
Watching a child’s handwriting improve from primary schools. out more than RM3 million in study loans and
being weak to strong is more than just an scholarships. Other donors include large
indicator of academic progress at the non-profit But lack of economic opportunities may force corporation Berjaya Sdn Bhd that gave RTL a
initiative called the Right to Learn project (RTL). them to work, either by helping their families van so the children can be ferried for free
GIVES BACK
or completely missing out on school, as their from various shelters to the centre.
“When a child comes to the centre, his or her low-income parents simply don’t have the
handwriting is usually weak, writing letters that means to send them to school. And, while the RTL’s classes are customised to suit a child’s
are small and hard to read. After spending some United Nations note that primary class attendance academic levels. “The homes select the
time with us, you can see how they write is above 95%, drop out rates come close to children to join us and we assess them.
‘TH E RI GHT TO LE ARN’ TO U N D ERPRIVI LEGED CHI LD REN stronger, bolder and more confidently. This is 30% for secondary school students. Sometimes they have reading difficulties or
how we know that a child is improving, either by even dyslexia.” With specific learning
gaining confidence or improving academically.” Large classrooms may also influence the challenges, teachers are hired to help with
children’s academic progress with little these children.
An observation that project founder Yans attention given to weaker students. Yans note
Ganghadaran says is simple, but speaks that the children from disadvantaged The teenagers work on more complex issues
volumes about the levels of education and backgrounds tend to ‘slip’ to the back of the such as discussions on global leaders and role
attention given to a child, for him or her to class if not given the right attention, a models. They reflect their learning by painting
learn effectively. situation that is influenced by their a mural on Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize
environment at home or upbringing. winner Malala Yousafzai, as well as discuss
RTL provides free reading and writing classes, educational opportunities in Pakistan.
and activities for orphans, children from A certified English and French teacher, her
underprivileged shelters or low-income passion for creating RTL began when she was RTL relies on volunteers and paid teachers,
families. These children, from six years old to motivated to do more for the community who work with small groups of children so
17, attend classes at RTL that spark their beyond just a few hours of volunteerism. they get the attention they need, an approach
creativity and innovation. that is showing results. “We try not to push the
RTL had its humble beginnings at a longhouse children to becoming ‘A’ students. We try to
settlement in 2007, located next to affluent get them to improve from D (grades) to C, and
neighbourhood Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala C to progress upwards. So the teacher doesn’t
“When the children first come to
Lumpur. Yans started with reading and writing feel stressed and more importantly the child
our centre, they are quiet, shy classes at a hall near the longhouses. doesn’t feel stressed.”
and sometimes scared of speaking
up. But over time, we encourage Four years later, the All Malaysia Malayalee Using her corporate training experience to
them to take part in many interactive Association (Amma) Foundation adopted the further strengthen RTL, Yans devised a unique
activities, from costume making project. Today the project is housed way of expanding her volunteer pool, by
comfortably at a first-floor shoplot along Jalan setting up an online volunteer reading
to painting, games and quizzes,
Rahim Kajai 13, with three small classrooms programme through Skype. Volunteers based
and you will see a remarkable and plenty of space for activities. outside Malaysia or even Kuala Lumpur, can
change in these vulnerable help the children in 30-minute reading
children,” Yans explains. “The foundation pays for my rent and sessions using audio books.
electricity and that gives me the chance to
take in more students,” she explains. The initiative is hoping to expand its
Malaysian children attend compulsory primary programme, so they can help more underserved
education, as well as pre-school education The Amma foundation was established in students through imaginative ways of learning.
and secondary schools. In a multilingual 1975, supporting efforts to provide education Yans sees projects like RTL complementing the
system, these children enjoy free education to disadvantaged children. It provides existing national system, an indication that the
covering basic subjects for 12 years of their assistance for students to pursue a tertiary government and policymakers could do more
life. Since 2012, close to 2.7 million education, and work on partnerships to assist to address the gaps in the schooling system. CA
Malaysian pupils have enrolled in national the needy. To date, the foundation has given18 STORIES FROM THE GROUND JAKARTA . INDONESIA STORIES FROM THE GROUND 19
TEXT BY NADINE FREISCHLAD | PHOTOS BY DISSY EKAPRAMUDITA
successful product designer. “I saw that a lot of young entrepreneurs possess been advocating the introduction of micro
creativity and motivation but lack the know-how loans to young entrepreneurs like our
But it didn’t feel right. “There wasn’t really any of manufacturing processes. I don’t see how they vendors at Brightspot.”
competition” he says, “I got bored.” can grow if they don’t do this seriously.”
Leo is part of a generation of Indonesians who are
In a way, Leo had become a big fish in an This led Leo to set up Indoestri, a makerspace aware of the privileges of their upbringing and are
BIG FISH
empty pond. Then, together with a couple of to build capability among young designers. At now working hard to give back to society.
friends, the idea of Brightspot was conceived: Indoestri, people take up membership to gain
a pop-up market for up and coming local access to welding, wood cutting machines and Against the backdrop of widespread consumerism
designers that was to take place in varying other facilities of an industrial workshop, and that grew under Suharto’s authoritarian New
locations across the city. “Brightspot turned join classes to learn new skills which can be Order government, Leo’s story is a testament that
into a springboard for young designers. It applied to their individual projects. new attitudes are emerging among the young,
works, because people make money there. It post-Suharto generation.
wasn’t just a big party, it proved a point.” Whatever drives Leo forward extends beyond
Leonard Theosabrata is a leading figure in building a reputation for himself and setting “Self made” is the motto of Indoestri, and it
Jakarta’s creative scene. Transforming his Brightspot’s success spawned many imitators. Hardly up profitable businesses. refers to more than the way products are made
family’s furniture business was the beginning a weekend goes by in Jakarta without a pop-up in Leo’s workshop. It is a reminder that the
of a much bigger transformation of his market of some kind. But Leo soon realised the “I am in the private sector, doing business future of Indonesia is in the hands of individuals
hometown, Jakarta. industry needed more than marketplaces. for profit, but with good conscience. My who are empowered to shape history through
goal is to support the middle sector. I have a new brand of personal leadership. CA
We follow Leonard Theosabrata up the stairs of
a freshly renovated part of his family’s furniture
factory in West Jakarta. The office contains
little more than a desk. Warm light filters in
through the wooden drapes.
Leo has one of those ageless appearances.
Thick-rimmed glasses and casual clothes make
him look like the typical urbanites you would
meet in a hip Jakarta restaurant on a Saturday
evening; let’s say in a place like Goods Diner.
Except that Leo owns Goods Diner and the
adjacent Goods Department, together with a
group of friends. He’s a driving force behind a
number of creative ventures that have changed
the city’s beat in recent years. he had found his place. But after graduation it It was 2002 when he returned home. There
was time to decide whether to stick around wasn’t much of a local scene for product
Leo grew up in Jakarta in the 90’s at a time and pursue a work contract at one of the design at that time. Leo started out by learning
where clubs were opening up and kids were prestigious American design firms, or to pack everything about wood manufacturing and the
aspiring to become rock stars. He was inspired his bags and head home. furniture trade at his father’s factory.
by American pop culture, especially design
and music, and was able to convince his “I was drilled by my dad. I still had my red or
parents to send him to college in the USA. “I decided to go back to Jakarta orange hair, but my dad took me everywhere
with him, even to important meetings. We did
because I’d rather be a big fish
With a smirk, he sums up his experience as a a lot of furniture shows back then. And we
young graphic design student in Texas. “Have
here than one of many in a founded Accupuncto.”
you seen the movie Dazed and Confused? highly competitive environment,”
That’s how it was.” Leo says unabashedly. “I said to As a duo, Leo and his father Yos Theosabrata
my friends: I want to be the created a line of stylish and well-crafted
If Leo started out as a slacker, this changed product designer in Indonesia. I chairs. Accupuncto gained international
when he discovered his talent and passion in reputation and won design awards such as the
want to make an impact.”
product rather than graphic design. He moved Red Dot. Leo’s story could have stopped there.
to California to continue his studies. It felt like He had achieved his aspiration to become a20 STORIES FROM THE GROUND KUALA LUMPUR . STORIES FROM THE GROUND 21
MALAYSIA
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CAROLYN HONG
BUILDING HOUSES TO
BUILD COMMUNITIES
John-Son Oei pulls out a manual from the bookshelf. Words were able to order houses online from Epic which will deliver the components to The idea was born: Build a house for each family that needed it. Epic has a pretty efficient system going now. It has an online portal to
scarce on the pages. Instead, they were filled with line drawings that them with a manual. sign up volunteers and donors. Volunteers are trained in its workshop,
showed how planks are to be assembled to make a wall, or how Oei first thought they would raise funds and hire contractors. But he and building teams are well structured with clear hierarchies.
windows are made. In this way, its admittedly ambitious goal of building a house for soon saw great scope here for volunteerism and community building.
12,000 families can be achieved. Modular houses have been designed to speed up the building process
Yes, it’s a house-making manual, and it’s created by Epic Homes, an “It would be great to build a house together and build relationships at as well as to allow customisation, to some extent, for each family based
organisation dedicated to building homes for the 12,000 indigenous “We want to put a system into place that will allow this venture to be the same time,” he said. “And it would be so cool to be able to say that on their needs.
Orang Asli families in Peninsular Malaysia. sustainable,” Oei said. we actually built a house!”
“We treat them as our clients, with dignity, not as victims. We don’t
Oei, 28, is the founder of Epic Homes. It all began with a toilet five years ago, in 2010. But the process had to be simple enough for untrained volunteers to want to foist upon them a design that we have chosen as this would
carry out, and had to be completed within three days. make their house a daily reminder of their poverty and lack of choice,”
Oei was then a college student with like-minded friends who wanted he said.
more from life than the rat race. None of them were wealthy. Oei, No architect thought it could be done. A developer friend came to the
But Epic doesn’t want to be just a builder of
whose father passed away when he was 13, had worked his way rescue, and undertook the pilot project. Four workers built the first house In its first year, Epic built only one house but last year, it built 16. So
houses. It also wants to be a builder of through college, doing everything from making coffee to modelling. in three days in 2012. It proved that it could be done. far, in all, it has built 30 houses.
communities, and a builder of systems to make
house-building accessible to all. Then, one day, a friend invited them to Kampung Jawa Kerling, an The model was refined, and the next project was built by 30 volunteers. To think, it all began with a toilet. CA
Orang Asli village in Selangor. An idea struck Oei when he saw the
deplorable toilets. He thought they could rebuild the toilets as well as Epic Homes was well on its way. As with the toilet project, there were
To do this, it recruits volunteers to build houses alongside the Orang Asli paint the rundown houses. no shortage of volunteers and funds. In fact, there are so many eager
community, with the hope of fostering lasting relationships between the volunteers that available slots often get filled within 30 minutes.
different communities. And in return for a new house, the recipient will Without any money or expertise, they turned to social media. To their
join Epic in building at least another three houses for their community. surprise, within a week and a half, they had 64 volunteers and “Money hasn’t been a problem either,” Oei said.
RM10,000. They called the venture Project Epic or Extraordinary People
“In this way, the Orang Asli community won’t just get new houses, they will Impacting Communities. Corporations and donors fund the houses. The team runs side ventures
also become connected to a larger community which can be a source of to fund operational costs and salaries of its eight staff. This includes
support to them,” he said. “My life changed from that point. I saw that people were hungry to organising house-building weekends for corporations like Pemandu (the
contribute, to dirty their hands to make an impact. They just didn’t have government agency in charge of reforms), AirAsia and Media Prima, as
A government survey showed that eight out of 10 of these indigenous the platform to do so,” he said. “It gave me the courage to continue.” a team-building exercise.
families are in dire need of better housing, and better support.
All fired up, they then visited Kampung Hulu Tamu in Batang Kali, Oei is also exploring a voluntourism sideline to raise funds for Epic
But what makes Epic really stand out is its effort to create a house-building Selangor with the idea of replicating the project. But they found the while generating income for the Orang Asli through eco-tourism in
system that can be scaled rapidly. Someday, it hopes people may even be houses so dilapidated that a fresh coat of paint wasn’t going to cut it. their villages.22 STORIES FROM THE GROUND KUALA LUMPUR .
MALAYSIA
TEXT BY SUSAN TAM | PHOTO BY KAMAL SELLEHUDDIN
CHARITY HERO
SYED A Z M I INSPI RES COM MU N IT Y PROJ ECTS A MO N GST TH E YOUTH
“I’m a nobody, really I am no one. I like to be members and is growing, with FreeMarkets Syed’s work may not be officially regulated, but
nice and I wanted people to be nice to others.” being replicated by communities in states he and his friends form a group called the
outside of Selangor. No money changes hands Rakyat 4 Rakyat initiative, (Citizen for Citizen)
and no barter is made, goods are simply a platform where everyone is considered a
Syed Azmi Alhabshi shrugs off donated to those who need them. leader and offers an honest, rather grassroots
approach to charity. of Malaysians,” explains Hayati. was made up of ‘low-profile’ individuals rather than as an accountant.
any compliments about his
Syed uses Facebook effectively to publicise his wanting to make a difference, adding that
leadership skills, as a young projects. But he was surprised how quickly his “We’re not a formal organisation, and we’re from Syed’s simple response to such backlash was to Syed’s ideas and energy has helped fuel the Another Rakyat 4 Rakyat member Athirah Al
person motivating others to work went viral, with more than 4,000 likes different backgrounds. We disagree and we are regroup and examine why they didn’t work hard projects to greater heights. Tarmidhi knows that planning and running a
do good. captured on his own page, possibly influenced free to express our opinion. When we disagree enough to educate communities on the cause, and charity campaign is not easy. “Syed inspires
by his humble and down to earth nature. Syed we find a solution to make things better,” Hayati strive to work harder at the next project. Syed admits he never sees himself as a role me to do many things. Working with the team
doesn’t reveal his age, only to say that he is Ismail explains, a 41-year-old mother of three model, because he feels that there are critics makes us very close. Syed is really funny, at
This Petaling Jaya resident’s first community close to 40, because he wants others to who is one of the core members. Anytime they hit a roadblock, they’d return to who think he is a show-off. “Every challenge the same time he is serious and very clear
project was an awareness campaign on how to continue serving the community without feeling the cause. Hayati and Syed shared the same is an opportunity and I tell those who bash about the project’s purpose.”
be a good neighbour. out of place regardless of whether they were In late 2014, Syed’s work became controversial point. “The cause is bigger (in importance). me to do better community projects and I will
young or old. when they organised the “I want to touch a We’re not doing any of this for fame.” be their follower.” Athirah, 25, is driven to launch her own
“I work in Johor and my parents live in Kuala dog” event offering Malay Muslims a chance to initiative after witnessing the impact of Syed’s
Lumpur, and I thought if anything happens to His philosophy is simple. “People think you pet dogs, a practice considered taboo amongst “But, every time there is a challenge, it means But for 22-year-old accounting student Intan work in the community. Athirah’s full-time job is
them, the first person to help them would be my need to be in a society or have funding to do Muslims. The event received criticism, as well we create tension. When people are criticising Diyana, she says Syed is too modest. “I am at a gourmet food company, but is committed
neighbours. I wanted to spread the word about charity. But no, we wanted to change that. You as support from Muslims and non-Muslims. it means they are reading and learning about inspired by Syed and want to do projects that to host a cycling for charity initiative.
being a good neighbour.” This initiative began don’t need a single cent to start a drive.” Syed’s phone was inundated with over 2,000 our cause,” Syed adds. will positively impact communities. Usually
as get-togethers, hosting pot lucks and messages, some hate messages targetting him young people do community work as part of Syed is modest, a lesson learnt from his father.
cleaning shared areas in the Taman Tun Dr In Malaysia, the cost of setting up a welfare and his family, including death threats. Hayati points out that Syed forms the public their homework. But when you do it on your “All those in the team are leaders, and everyone
Ismail where the family lives. society is low at RM30 per application, but face of the group. It’s his large following that own, it’s different. It’s more satisfying and you inspires me. My team mates are my role models.”
there are at least 20 forms to complete along But, Syed and friends didn’t stop their allows his campaigns to get the massive feel more inspired.”
He moved on to organise FreeMarket in early with fulfilling other legal checks by the charitable work. support it needs, so much so he had to convert At the same time, he is happy to offer advice
2014, a place where people can donate their Registrar of Societies (ROS). The ROS is strictly his Facebook profile into a Public Figure page She is impressed with Syed’s energy, and to those wanting to recruit volunteers, “Be
pre-loved goods to the needy, such as single governed under the Ministry of Home Affairs, “We’re stronger now than before, we’re more to accommodate everyone’s requests. how one individual’s actions could change genuine, be honest about the cause. It’s really
parents and hardcore poor families. The to prevent abuse in the social sector. careful with what we do. We try to do less the lives of others. Intan is even toying with nice to be nice to others.” CA
FreeMarket Facebook page has over 3,000 controversial things. We keep to the sensitivities She agrees with Syed that Rakyat 4 Rakyat the idea of working in the social sector,24 STORIES FROM THE GROUND YANGON . MYANMAR
TEXT BY SERENE ASHLEY CHEN | PHOTO BY GENERAL ELECTRIC
IN FOR THE LONG RUN
General Electric (GE) was the first Despite being rich in natural resources notably in hydropower and
American company to enter Myanmar after US natural gas, over 70 percent of the population had no access to
electricity in 2013, the World Bank reported. The National Electricity
sanctions were suspended in 2012 despite a host
Master Plan study estimates that by 2030 the demand for electricity in
of challenges plaguing the country. As large Myanmar will be 5 to 8 times the level in 2012.
companies think broader about their corporate
objectives, GE’s recent move into Myanmar Myanmar also has the highest infant mortality rate (48 per 1,000 live
reflects a deeper purpose about how an inventor births) and mortality rate for children under the age of five (62 per
of great products is leading the way for companies 1,000 live births) in all of Southeast Asia, according to a 2013 UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report.
to evolve into creators of great social solutions.
Even so, Myanmar is often said to be last frontier in Asia with
tremendous growth potential. After a hiatus of many years, GE resumed Managing Director of MEPE. “The Myanmar Executive Leadership Program represents GE’s continued
In June 2013, General Electric (GE) and the GE Foundation announced its commitment in Myanmar following the country’s transition to a commitment to contribute its expertise, technology and solutions to help
a US$7 million commitment in Myanmar to donate healthcare equipment civilian government. To address the high incidence of maternal and infant mortality rates, GE both government and local private sector companies solve the tough
and support significant training and capacity building efforts to Healthcare launched a rural healthcare pilot project in partnership with challenges faced in Myanmar. We hope to be able to inspire, connect
strengthen Healthcare, Energy Infrastructure, Leadership Development “Myanmar is a market that has huge opportunity for growth. We are the Myanmar Ministry of Health. Under this project, GE will supply both and develop Myanmar’s leaders of today and tomorrow as part of our
and Rule-of-Law in the country, making it the first American company to focused on expanding our investments and contributions as the training and technology which includes the Venue 40 ultrasound, infant aim to help Myanmar make progress in its social and economic reform
invest in Myanmar after years of absence. government continues to make progress in its social and economic warmers, LED phototherapy, patient monitors and other equipment. agenda and boost its global competitiveness”, said Stuart Dean, CEO of
reform agenda to boost Myanmar’s global competitiveness,” said GE’s General Electric, ASEAN.
Myanmar began seeing an upsurge in foreign direct investments after a CEO ASEAN, Stuart Dean. Beyond focusing on critical needs faced by the people of Myanmar, GE
series of dramatic political and economic reforms and the subsequent has also been working on capacity building within Myanmar. Through As a societal leader, GE has stayed competitive for over 100 years
suspension of several trade sanctions by the European Union and the GE’s investment has been focused on healthcare, energy infrastructure, the Myanmar Executive Leadership Program (MELP), 27 leaders from through continued investment in research, development and innovation.
United States against the country in 2013, two years after the end of the aviation, and capacity building as these business sectors address business, government and private sectors in Myanmar had received Yet, GE’s investment into Myanmar is not without risk. In a study
military junta regime. critical areas of basic human needs faced by the people of Myanmar. training on leadership skills at GE’s corporate training center in published by the McKinsey Global Institute, it was noted that companies
Crotonville, Ossining NY. In addition, the GE Foundation is supporting investing in Myanmar could run “a major risk of disappointment”.
Myanmar further announced its decision to refinance public debts owed Following a proposal made during GE Chairman and CEO, Jeffrey an undertaking by the International Senior Lawyers Project to help train
to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, a move that Immelt’s visit to Myanmar in 2014, GE and Myanmar Electric Power civil society advisors on rule of law concepts as they engage with “Foreign investors are afraid to invest in the country because there’s no
signalled a strong intention to accelerate the country’s economic reform Enterprise (MEPE) signed a collaboration agreement in November 2014 government officials on policy matters. guarantee for them, because we still lack rule of law and infrastructure
and poverty reduction. and agreed to work together on a new commitment to help in here,” said Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the World
repowering and upgrading existing gas turbines in Yangon. This “It was a pleasure to have been involved in the first Myanmar Executive Economic Forum in 2013.
As Myanmar works towards integration with the global economy, a number initiative will result initially in approximately 25 megawatts (MW) of Leadership Program which provided me with deep insights about GE’s
of issues continue to confront the country’s developmental efforts. additional power for Myanmar, which is needed to help the country best practices in leadership and innovation across its various operations Despite numerous issues that present risks of varying magnitude, GE
continue on its rapid development path. all around the world. I have also taken away a number of eye-opening remains unwavering in its commitment to support economic development
With a land mass that is the second largest in Southeast Asia after experiences and inspiration from the site visits conducted during the and also broader capacity and capability development in Myanmar.
Indonesia, Myanmar is home to 52 million. To power Myanmar’s “GE had made a good effort in powering up Myanmar since the programme,” said H.E. U Aung Than Oo, Deputy Minister, Ministry of
economic ambition and serve the needs of Myanmar’s growing re-entry into the country in May 2013. I look forward to continuing to Electric Power, who was part of the first batch of Myanmar leaders in “The risk of not going in early to help the country far outweighs what some
population, demand for electricity will continue to rise. Today, demand work with GE on these power plants repowering project to get GE Crotonville in March 2014. would see as impediments to doing business in the country. The time to invest
for electricity is already outstripping supply. Myanmar up and running with the electricity plan,” said U Htein Lwin, in this country is now and it is for the long-term,” said Stuart Dean. CAYou can also read
