Oculus Design Challenge — SIT Giving Report FA Copy

SHAPING LIVES FOR A BETTER FUTURE GI V I NG RFYE20P2O0RT

Shaping Lives for a Better Future INNOVATING IMPACT “It is our moral d uty to contribute back to society. We hope to not only improve the lives of individuals, but as well as our society as a whole.” Ms Fi Leong, Boogle’s Chief of Staff Homegrown tech A search engine promising unbiased The Singapore-headquartered company start-up Boogle is big search results and data privacy may is a firm believer of grooming local talent. on empowerment - sound like a tall order, but to Boogle, this Hence, they set up the Boogle Bursary. their bursary enables goes a long way in empowering people in less privileged today’s digital world. . “There are members of the Boogle team students to pursue who struggled with financial issues and innovation without Now, this Singapore tech start-up wants juggled a hectic study-work life,” said the fear of failure. to go one step further launching a bursary Ms Fi Leong, Boogle’s Chief of Staff. for future computer scientists. For the less privileged SIT School of Computing “The founders of Boogle understand the Science undergraduates, the bursary will hardships that students from financially significantly lightentheir financial burden. challenged backgrounds are facing. T hey believe that everybody should be given Launched in 2017, Boogle is the b rainchild an equal chance to excel without financial of Singaporeans Mr. Patrick Less and Mr. worries or constraints.” Darren Goh. Alarmed by how the internet giants handle users’ data, the founders set Ideally, the recipients should be out to create an alternative search engine. innovative, fun, and bold-characteristics embodied by Boogle and its founders. Their solution? Boogle-A blockchain- Think tech innovators who take calculated powered search engine that protects user risks whilst having fun at work. privacy and provides unfiltered access to information. Ms Leong affirmed, “It is our mo.rald uty to contribute back to society, to strengthen Boogle is also looking to roll out electronic the foundation of our future generations. payment, web messaging, email and We hope to improve the lives of cloud services in the near future. individuals, and our society as a whole. By empowering people, they’ll hopefully Though Boogle has global. ambitions, create and innovate without fear of failure. home is where Boogle’s heart is. Our wish is to foster a spirit of innovation.” ” 09

OPENING DOORS TO OPPORTUNITIES At Singapore Institute of Technology, no student will be denied admission to the U niversity because of his or her financial background. The University is committed to support all our students and enable them to realise their academic aspirations. Help us Make a Difference A gift towards bursaries and scholarships can help in many impactful ways. SIT For Students For SIT For Society • Create a future-ready workforce. • Enjoy equal access to a • Attract and retain bright and • Enhance social mobility. world-class university education. talented students. • BSiunigldapaosrterotnogdfroivuendthaetionnatfioorn’s • Decrease student debt burden  • Panrodminotteellekcntouwalleedxgceelclernecaeti.on growth and continued success. upon graduation. • Participate in and benefit from a full university education. AcademicYear 2020 1,641 2,855 Scholarships awarded. Bursary recipients. The number of SIT Scholarships awarded increased steadily at About 50% of SIT Bursary recipients 2% - 3% each year. come from the bottom 20 percentile of Singapore households. Annual Cost of Education for Annual Cost of Education for Singaporean Students International Students Living Expenses S$6,000 Living Expenses S$6,000 Tuition Fee S$8,200 Accomodation S$5,300 (After MOE Grant) Expenses S$17,550 Tuition Fee (After MOE Grant) Total S$14 ,200 Total S$27,950 Cost Cost Thanks to your generosity, our bursary recipients are able to reduce their financial burden. 10

Shaping Lives for a Better Future TR ANSFORMING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY “We do not get to choose the circumstances that we are placed in, but we can choose our attitude towards them and what to focus on in each trying situation.” Growing up  As a little girl, family time for Ms Wah’s philanthropic work earned financially challenged Ms Francesca Phoebe Wah (’14) was her the Singapore Youth Award, which did not discourage sitting together to thread red strings honours young people who make a S cholarship recipient into plastic bags used for takeaway. difference in the community. Francesca Phoebe Wah. Instead, her Because her sickly dad could not work, Recalling the surreal moment, she said, childhood struggles her family took on such odd jobs to “This award is an affirmation of the work have entrenched in make ends meet. my volunteers and I are doing in the her a determination rental communities. to help others in the Adversity, however, did not dim her drive same predicament to succeed. Besides becoming a teacher, It is also an affirmation that our she was in. Ms Wah earned a master’s degree in beneficiaries matter to society. They are Social Work, sponsored by the Ee Peng not forgotten.” Liang Scholarship. And just last year, she won the nation’s highest accolade for The seeds of BLESS were planted during youths, the Singapore Youth Award. Ms Wah’s university days. Ms Wah said, “We do not get to choose In 2014, the Psychology undergraduate the circumstances that we are placed in, ran pilot programmes as part of her but we can choose our attitude towards social work modules. She felt it would them and what to focus on in each be unfair to the beneficiaries she was trying situation.” helping if she stopped. It can be said that those who have After graduation, Ms Wah continued experienced poverty and its daily running the programmes, but the novice struggles have an intimate understanding teacher had her concerns – juggling her of suffering, and as such, tend to be hectic schedule and getting funding for the ones who extend a helping hand a charity that was run by youths on a to others. pro bono basis. Determined to help others shape their She said, “My fears were real. The lives and break out of the poverty cycle, challenges were great, but the needs of Ms Wah started Bringing Love to Every the community were greater. I decided Single Soul (BLESS), a non-profit that to take a leap of faith and pressed on.” supports families living in rental flats. It has since been five years, and the BLESS runs a series of initiatives, school project has morphed into a such as Shining Star Reads and Small nationwide volunteer movement. Souls Blessing. Shining Star Reads is a reading programme for children living Shining Star Reads started off at the in rental blocks. Small Souls Blessing, on void deck of a Clementi rental block with the other hand, is an online gifting portal four volunteers armed witha mat, library where people can buy essentials, such books and a cheery attitude. By 2020, as stationery and wheelchairs, for the the reading sessions will be held in less fortunate. thirteen communities. 11

Small Soul Blessings collected a total of S$44,298.51 in donations. Gifted 6,415 beneficiaries. By 2020, reading sessions will 13 bcoemhemldunwititiehsin. According to BLESS’ 2018/2019 annual Ms Wah is carrying on his legacy in report, Small Soul Blessings collected charity and in helping communities.With S$44,298.51 in donations and gifted the knowledge gained from her Social 6,415 beneficiaries. Work studies, she was able to better lead and manage BLESS. Having relied on government handouts while growing up, Ms Wah understands She could also look at education matters how a little help goes a long way. through a ‘social work lens’. “I was awarded the MOE Teaching Just like Dr Ee, Ms Wah hopes to rally Scholarship when I was an undergraduate. average Singaporeans to do their part for For my Masters, I was awarded the the community. Ee Peng Liang Memorial Fund Scholarship. I am extremely grateful Ms Wah said, “Everyone has something to for them.” offer, no matter how small. We look at the interests of the volunteers and allow for The late Dr Ee was known as the “Father skills-based volunteering. of Charity” in Singapore. The businessman was also thefounding member and If we all play our part for the community, President of the Singapore Council of Singapore will eventually transform into Social Service, as well as the Community a more caring society.” Chest beneficiary of Dr Ee’s Scholarship. 12

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