court more companies
to volunteer not just
their money but their
time and efforts. She
wants to increase the
public’s awareness
regarding the issue of
the invisible poor, of
the people who have
neither the means nor
the capabilities to break
out of the vicious cycle
of the less privileged.
“When we do charity
work simply by giving
money, you don’t get
to see where your
money is going to. More
importantly, you don’t
get to see the problem!”
says Wei Ling.
THE HEIGHTS AND THE
HEARTLANDS
Singapore’s glitzy façade is
intoxicating, her alluring bright and
beautiful skyline enticing the wealthy
and the glamorous. Venture deeper
and you’ll start to see the city-state’s
underbelly – older folks clearing
tables, a single mother working two
jobs before rushing home after work to
cook dinner, and a family of six sharing
a meal of boiled rice and cabbage and
sleeping in one room. They are the
invisible poor, left behind while the
economic juggernaut that is Singapore
forges ahead.
at least until I brought the topic up.
“It’s a waste for me to retire right?”
questions Wei Ling before going
on to say that she would probably
focus more on her charitable efforts
and spend more time with her
grandchildren. The four of them are an
entertaining lot and bring a lot of joy to
dear Wei Ling. She’s already cultivated
a love for singing and dancing in them
(“My grandchildren find me a fun-
loving grandmother!”) and tries as
much as possible to teach them the
principles in life – that of choice and
genuineness – that she holds dear.
But, most importantly, she wants
them to be happy, to seek the simple
pleasures, spread the joy and not
worry about what others think. And
occasionally, all you need to be
contented in life is a wee flamingo.
Her idea: specially
arranged visits to
homes and families of
the sick, elderly or less privileged so
people have the opportunity to see a
world different from their own with
their own eyes.
SLOWING DOWN? NOT A CHANCE
Wei Ling is a feisty grand dame.
While her peers are kicking back
their legs and enjoying their golden
years, thoughts of retirement have
never entered Wei Ling’s mind, well,
It is a world that Wei Ling readily
admits she has not personally
experienced until the inception of
Project We Care. “Becoming the
chairperson of Project We Care has led
me to garner numerous experiences,
many of which I’ve never had the
fortune of experiencing in the past six
decades of my life,” she says. “I’ve
read many articles in the papers and
magazines about the less fortunate in
Singapore but I hav