Five years ago, Lilian Chung took a path less travelled when she gave up a corporate career and took on the challenge to serve as National Director for World Vision Singapore (WVS).
A globally recognized non-profit brand, World Vision is perhaps best known for pioneering the sponsorship model, recruiting donors to support the world’s poorest children and their families through monthly donations. In Singapore, that’s $45 a month for every child.
As country head for the World Vision brand in Singapore, Chung is tasked with growing its budget primarily through corporate grants and personal donations, and directing aid where its most needed, which means outside of Singapore and even going farther than the regional lines. In 2021, WVS reached over 1.6 million people, almost half of which are children in 19 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East through development work in health and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education, economic livelihood, child protection, and more.
Fulfilling as it may be, does she not miss being on the other side of the negotiating table? That is, working in the profit sector where she would be in a position to direct grants to non-profits, versus being on the side of asking for a hand-out?
“I remember reading this book titled Half Time by Bob Buford. It helped shape and put my life journey in perspective,” recalls Chung. “The author went through what many of us term as ‘mid-life crisis’ which often refer to a time of soul searching at different seasons of one’s life. In the book, he shared that the first half of your life is shaped by learning many new skills, amassing work and life experiences. These skills and knowledge help define your career and development in the first half of your life but what is very key is these same experiences, skills and knowledge actually help to shape and define how you give back in the second half of your life.”
Chung goes on to share: “I knew after reading the book that all that we have learnt and benefitted from is not ‘lost’ when we retire or take a slower pace from corporate work, but can be actively used to benefit and give back. It shaped my view of how I can contribute and give back so when the opportunity to serve with World Vision came along, everything just clicked into place.”