Now the issues that face Singapore or any developed nation tends to defer from a developing country. These are strictly my own unread opinions. I think a developed country faces a lot of issues of the heart-loneliness & purposelessness & depression. Hence we have delinquency, forsaken elderly, lovelorn people and depression.
Perhaps in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, these are on top of the pyramid. After fulfilling their basic needs for food, shelter/security, next on the line is love, and esteem and self actualization. Hmm...Maslow does have some insights there. How many people in the city of Singapore feel unloved, and have low self esteems? Ha..I really don't know.
When we were seeking for extra leave for our Philippines trip, a director asked why don't we start in Singapore first. I don't know. It seems like the usual arguement is that there are also problems in Singapore. I think there will always be problems everywhere. The thing is it can be difficult bringing across to people the extent of the problems elsewhere. Cos if we live in a glass box and sheltered environment, we can't see out of the box to see the problems elsewhere. How would we know anyway, how the people in developing countries are starving and homeless? And those are the images that we need to have in our hearts, to move us with compassion to do more.
Yes we must do more. Thankful in a way that MCYS has many comprehensive policies for the low income. The government in Singapore indeed does quite a good job in helping to eradicate poverty locally. Can we then set our eyes elsewhere beyond our own shores and help others?
Abt 2 mths ago when Anil was here, one of my friends asked- Singapore seems to have not much problems. Cos social entrepreneurship seeks to help where there is a lack. E.g. Anil was saying that when he was in Nepal, he saw a child tied up to to the door post of a house because the mother was taking a 3 hour walk to the village well to fetch water. I think we all need to see images like this! Visually or inside our hearts! And then Anil was saying if we are so good in Singapore, why don't we impart some policies to help other developing countries?
Ha..I will like to, except unfortunately I am not an expert in policy making or development. But for now I hope to bring more people to see these images.
Just how can we be happily eating our big macs and sakae sushi and buying more prada and gucci and what nots when there are people dying? And what we are getting for ourselves- yes, unfortunately, is to fulfill our esteem needs.
I don't know who agrees with me. Maybe we are just desensitized to all these. Maybe our own problems have blinded us to others' problems. I know that it feels terrible to wake up in the morning at 7am...go to work and come back at 9pm from overtime. Most of my colleagues are so tired of their work...and it is really so meaningless. Hence we need more psychologists and counselors and more leisurely activities to make us relax and feel happy. Spas and shopping sprees and all that. When will these vicious cycles end?
What if we meet our esteem needs by helping others? What if the image of the child on the house post is ingrained in our minds and hearts? Would this world be a happier place? Would we be more thankful for what we have? And will we stop striving to be top of the rat race cos even if we win we are still rats? When will we have enough to make us happy?
Okay enough ranting! Lets go back to happier and positive posts....
One of the dilemmas I face while raising funds for Philippines is that I don't want people to give out of compulsion or emotional blackmail. But from their hearts, they want to chip in cos they feel something. And that's impt! Though..it is also impt to challenge ple and make them (us) feel uncomfortable abt the way we are carelessly spending our money.
Thankful for the wonderful team of people! 13 of us are going, plus abt 5 others helping in Singapore. And have been so encouraged by the way they organize the garage sales, staying late to pack stuffs, taking lunch time to do the sales, taking weekends to do the posters. :)
Here's a brick that we are giving to everyone who pledges $10. If u are interested, do contact me. The words on it say "Every Brick Matters".
Oh yah, I was talking abt 2 articles. There's another one today on Straits Times. Mohammad Yunus has received a nobel prize. :)I am so happy for him. He is the one who started microfinancing at the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. He didn't come from a poor family either. Neither did Bunker Roy. ;) And I believe that we are in our privileged positions for a reason. God must have a reason for placing us in Singapore, to be well educated and all that. So that we can extend our hands to help others with the expertise that we have learnt.
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