HAPPY FEET FOR NEEDY CHILDREN
Click here to see article on Overseas Singaporean portal
By Yee Wei Zhen. Photos Courtesy of Project Happy Feet
9 Nov 2011 – How would putting on a pair of slippers in Singapore help a poverty-stricken child in Cambodia or Vietnam?
That is possible with Project Happy Feet Slipper Race happening in Singapore this Sunday, 13 November. This non-competitive walk/jog/run in slippers hopes to raise funds for underprivileged children in rural areas in developing countries.
In case you’re wondering why participants are supposed to wear flip-flops to the event, it’s not because the organiser, Project Happy Feet, is trying to elevate this habit of flip-flopping to cult status or to promote it as a sartorial must-have. While the idea of walking or jogging in slippers may seem rather flippant and casual, and health buffs may raise the alarm about the risks of running in slippers, the message underlying wearing slippers to this event is a rather somber one – it serves as a reminder of the plight of underprivileged children in developing countries who walk three to five kilometres each day barefooted or in slippers to school.
Project Happy Feet hopes to raise $150,000 from this race. Funds raised will benefit Blue Dragon Foundation (Vietnam), This Life Cambodia (Cambodia) and the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (Singapore).
Co-founder of Project Happy Feet, Terence Quek says: “The idea is to help the children in places like Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. We do so by supporting training and education-related programmes and initiatives. We don’t believe in handouts. It’s not about going there and giving money. But it’s about empowering lives.”
Terence further explains: “We raise funds here, as well as anywhere, and we channel them to organisations we feel are credible, have good corporate governance, have strong programmes, with clear exit strategies. Therefore by empowering them, we’re able to reach out to as many of these local youths and children as possible.”
Since 2008, Project Happy Feet has offered more than 100 scholarships to the impoverished children in Hanoi and Siem Reap, fed more than 3000 children with nutritious meals, built a library in a rural village and provided school supplies to four schools. In Vietnam, it takes as little as US$50 to put a child through high school for a year.
The founding of Project Happy Feet and helping underprivileged children in developing countries was somewhat accidental. Its co-founders, Deborah Chew and Grace Chia, went on a leisure trip to Siem Reap in 2007 and wanted to offer some form of help to the people there. So, they bought 20 pairs of slippers for the children.
Recalls Terence of his friends’ trip: “In 2007, they went to the first school and they wanted to give out the slippers. They (the locals in Siem Reap) said: “No, no. Hold on. The second school we’re bringing you to is a lot worse. So when they went to the second school and the teacher said: ‘All those kids who need slippers, please come forward,’ and the entire class came forward. And they realised nobody wore slippers. Everyone was trying so hard to fit into the slippers. They felt so bad, thinking: ‘If we had known, we would have done more’. So when they came back, they shared the story with us”. With that, Project Happy Feet was born.
Run entirely by volunteers, 100 percent of the funds raised from the Slipper Race will go to the beneficiaries.
There are plans to export the Slipper Race to other parts of the world. “The intention is to have the Slipper Race in every city…We’re using it as a conduit to help those in developing countries. We’re not stopping at just Asia, but we’ll start with places closer to home first. In future, we could even support places like Africa and so on,” enthuses Terence.
So if you are an Overseas Singaporean, do bring this Made-In-Singapore product to the country you are residing in. And what a way it would be to leave our Singaporean footprints around the world.
Recipes from the Heart
To do something, you only need one compelling reason at times. For the 10 chefs who contributed their recipes to the cookbook, Recipes from the Heart, it was to give children a chance at life—a better one, that is. It all started with Chef Jimmy Chok, a young talented chef who worked in the kitchens of Raffles Hotel, Tung Lok Group’s House of Mao, etc. He came up with the idea of gathering “the local talents” to come together to support a good cause. This gave birth to the meeting of 10 chefs and Recipes from the Heart, a collection of inspirational quotes and recipes by the chefs. Some of the featured chefs include Pang Kok Keong, Robert Chan and Petrine Fan. One of the recipes is curiously named Harry’s Choice. Which famous Harry is the chocolate ganache dessert named after? Make your guess! Proceeds raised from the sale of this cookbook will be channeled to the beneficiaries of Project Happy Feet and the Mainly I Love Kids Fund.
The founders of Project Happy Feet flank the ten participating chefs. From left to right: Deborah Chew, Jimmy Chok, Christopher Tan, Anderson Ho, Yen Koh, Robin Ho, Daniel Sia, Jason Lee, Pang Kok Keong, Petrine Fan, and Grace Chia.
How you can help improve the lives of needy children through Project Happy Feet while overseas:
– Make a donation online at http://www.phfslipperrace.org/donation.html – ‘LIKE’ Project Happy Feet’s facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/projecthappyfeet to stay connected and get updates on future projects
– Volunteer with Project Happy Feet from overseas! Contact terence@projecthappyfeet.org
– Buy The Recipes from the Heart Cookbook ($68 – not inclusive of postage). Place your order by emailing deborah@projecthappyfeet.org .
There is a bulk discount for 5 copies and more.
Project Happy Feet thanks Wei Zhen and Overseas Singaporean Portal for featuring us and helping us reach out to Singaporeans based overseas!
