Taking inspiration from International Women's Day (8 March) - we were pleased to feature three inspirational female speakers and have Amanda Tee & Zsa Zsa Scorpion perform at Fuze Night on Wednesday, 30 March 2016 at Artistry.
Many turned up before the official opening of the doors, and saw professionals from diverse backgrounds - the corporate sector; civic society, and civil service - come together for the common interest in a night of inspirational learning, enjoyment of live music and meeting new people over drinks.
Jane Gan, Director of Community Engagement at the Young Women's Leadership Connection (YWLC) started the night's sequence of events, by emphasizing the value of women empowering other women - through mentorship from experienced female leaders - the philosophy that drives all at YWLC.
She also shared the thinking, impact and learnings from YWLC's flagship community engagement programme - 100 Wishes. Currently in its third cycle, the campaign has enabled women from disadvantaged backgrounds - residents in the 4 local women shelters - to be equipped with vital life skills and networks to improve their lives, as well as that of their children's.
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
- Chinese proverb
(An advisor's reminder to YWLC on the value of capacity-building in 100 Wishes)
We also had a brief session of social bingo to encourage participants to get on their feet and socialize as quickly as they could for the grand prize of a bucket of beers.
The crowd soon settled to a performance by the soulful duo - Amanda Tee and Zsa Zsa Scorpion - who also announced that they'd be on a mini tour to Japan this week as well (All the best, both!).
Returning to the swing of inspirational sharing, Esther Nai, Programs Manager for the region at Salesforce.org, the corporate giving arm of the software company, Salesforce, shared her personal journey with her 5 years' experience in the corporate giving space. She explained how focused change and impact is made possible via skills-based volunteering, a personal and professional passion.
Framing the session with a reference to a Boston Globe article on the unintended consequences of corporate volunteering, Esther put forth a strong call to all present: to think critically and be more mindful on the impact that we are hoping to enact in the things and work that we do.
"It's always easy to start something, but so much harder to sustain and scale it."
- Esther Nai's rallying call to all present.
Our final speaker for the night was Tessa Kwek - part of the young, bold and ambitious pioneer team at Children of Cambodia - who shared her personal journey, which began at the age of 17, when she embarked on a trip with a few other friends, with a single goal: to better the state of paediatric healthcare in Cambodia.
As she outlined the success of Children of Cambodia's first programme developed - Angkor Hospital for Children's cardiac unit - it was also clear to Tessa and the team, that the impact of their efforts went beyond infrastructural boosts, but were also building towards the longer-term horizon: robust programmes, empowering people, and deep relationships.
Despite the tumultuous past of Cambodia, women, both patients and healthcare workers alike, and their children, can now look forward to a better future - which includes enablement, confidence in the use of the English language, persistence to pursue education, and the tools to help others around them.
"I’d like to ask, what’s stopping you?
Be brave, take a step, skip work.
Who knows? You might just find a meaningful cause."
- Tessa Kwek
Fuze Nights typically take place on the last Wednesday of every other month at Artistry.
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