16 LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS
Troublemaker Turned
Humanitarian Advocate
By Gillian Chai and Shaun Koo
An SJI alumnus of the Class of 1989 , Mr Julian Tan was a self-proclaimed troublemaker in school . The former Singapore Armed Forces ( SAF ) commando has made multiple trips to the Philippines over the last year , to bring aid to the Filipinos whose homes were ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan that destroyed many parts of central Philippines when it struck in early November 2013 .
His time in the SAF Special Forces led him to high-risk locations in the Asia-Pacific region where he carried out evacuations , opening his eyes to the plight of the many people who suffer every day in the countries around us . Children who were filthy , homeless and starving roamed the streets instead of attending school . Having seen the deprivation that the less fortunate undergo regularly , he was spurred to action . His compassion made him the philanthropic “ man for others ” that he is today .
In the Philippines , although the wealthy have the financial ability to leave the country and escape the destruction that Typhoon Haiyan left in its wake , the rest of the locals , many of whom live in squalid conditions , have to endure the terrible predicament with which fate dealt them . The knowledge that there were so many people who were desperately in need of aid was what prompted Julian to visit the Philippines and begin the slow process of rebuilding people ’ s homes and lives . His project “ Homes for Hope ”, aims to help all the 11 000 people whose homes were destroyed by the typhoon .
Julian is convinced “ without proper shelter , there is no way that people are able to cope or provide for themselves .” Realising the need for the people in the Philippines to receive immediate shelter , he took full advantage of his connections with security networks which enabled him to transport relief goods further and deeper than most other relief organisations have managed to . With the aid of the local military , which provided him with
aircrafts and vessels , his contributions have proven him an invaluable asset to the Haiyan relief efforts . This , however , is not Julian ’ s first time volunteering in the Philippines . He had been on numerous evacuation missions , yet he claimed that no other disaster he has encountered has come close to the destruction that Haiyan had caused . The sight of people reduced to setting their homes in zinc sheds and even cardboard boxes in the Philippines is one that he is no stranger to .
Although experienced in this field of volunteer work , Julian ’ s efforts were not without struggles . In his opinion , the hardest challenge was the fundraising , especially with the increasing suspicion and cynicism that people view monetary donations . However , Julian does not allow such issues to deter him from doing his part to rebuild homes in the Philippines . By approaching his friends and family first , then his acquaintances and business partners , he slowly but surely built up the trust necessary to secure enough funds to begin his work .
Another obstacle that Julian encountered was striking a balance between his work and the volunteer project . In order to fully commit to the project , he sacrificed much of his valued time at work . Though it was another massive burden placed on his shoulders , he has no regrets and considers the sacrifice “ well worth it ”.
He feels strongly that compassion is something that comes from within , from purely altruistic intentions . “ Be compassionate , do ( everything you do ) because you want to do it and
not just do it for the sake of doing it .” He believes that when you show people compassion , they will understand what it is that you do and that it will innately resonate with them , such that they will start treating other people the same way . Thus this creates a multiplier effect , spreading the kindness . You and I are that one person , who has the power to create a chain effect that will spread far and wide .
So what advice would Julian give to the youth in SJI ? His “ personal mantra ” is , “ We make a living by what we get ; we make a life by what we give .” To Julian , it is definitely more important to live a life which we are remembered for being a person who gave generously and selflessly , than to be one who ended up lost in a paper chase , and forgot about the people around . Taking time to slow down and reflect about why we do what we do , and in the midst of all the praise and accolades , we must remember the “ last , the lost and the least ,” even as we surge to greater heights .
This page ( top ): The best part of the job - seeing smiles on the children ' s faces
This page ( bottom ): Julian ( second from left ) packing supplies along with other helpers