The Silent Foundation
In aid of silent sufferers
Our Projects
1. Environment and Animal Protection
The Foundation is passionate about the environment as it affects all forms of life. The environment and animals have not received sufficient attention and support from governments, corporations and the public even though they are well aware of the problems and consequences as a result of human abuse and destruction. We regard the environment and many of the animals have suffered in silence as they are unable to speak out on their plight. The Foundation allocates a significant part of its resources in the Preservation of Nature and the Environment.
1.1 Supporting Wildlife Conservation through WWF Mongolia’s Eco-Clubs Program
Image of a snow leopard caught in a trap. Picture Credit: WWF Mongolia
The Silent Foundation is supporting the WWF Eco-Clubs Program in the Altai-Sayan region of Western Mongolia. The aim of the children’s Eco-Clubs is to increase children’s awareness on local conservation matters such as the protection of snow leopards and to promote their participation in nature conservation.
The foundation’s directors visited the region in October 2015 and were impressed by the enthusiasm and initiatives taken by the primary and secondary students who were part of the programme.
An example of an initiative was an anti-trap collecting campaign, “A Safe Mountain for Wildlife”, where students influenced their parents to remove traps from their homes as snow leopards were getting caught in them. Over the course of six weeks, 200 children collected 234 traps from households from vicinities which are home to at least 37 Snow Leopards. These traps were dismantled and recreated into a sculpture that was placed in the town centre of Khovd city (as shown in the images below).
Image of collected traps. Picture Credit: WWF Mongolia
Image of a sculpture on display in the centre of Khovd city, made out of the dismantled traps
Other initiatives include the students writing to ministers with requests to raise awareness of the initiative at national level, holding and performing a musical to express the suffering felt by snow leopards caught in traps, and organizing mini parliaments to issue the decision to ban the use of traps for animals.
WWF plans to expand the Eco-Clubs Programme to other regions in Mongolia and the Silent Foundation is funding them to support the growth and development of Eco-Clubs in the region.
1.2 Promotion of Environment Study at NUS
Our founder, Mr Teng Ngiek Lian receiving a token of appreciation as one of the founding benefactors of NUS University Town
The Foundation set up a bursary with National University of Singapore (NUS) called The Silent Environment Bursary to promote the study of environmental problems and protection. The Bursary provides financial assistance to needy undergraduates to complete their study in Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES). at NUS.
By creating the BES programme, NUS will produce more graduates who will be able to further the needs of science and society in critical environmental issues. This programme aims to be catalytic to the cause as it can cultivate more young people to become future leaders in the environmental sector.
The Foundation has made a commitment of S$1 million to the Bursary and for which the Singapore Government will match $1.5 million against the foundation’s contribution, resulting in the Bursary having a fund of $2.5 million.
Please click here if you wish to apply for or find out more about the Silent Environment Bursary.1.3 Promotion of Animal Protection and Rescue of Distressed Animals
The signing of the grant agreement between TSF and ACRES during ACRES' Gala Dinner 2012
The Foundation funded several programmes undertaken by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), a regional animal welfare organisation whose main mission is to rescue animals from being abused and trafficked through Singapore. ACRES also brings awareness and education to the public about the pain and suffering of animals due to human neglect or cruelty.
The Foundation’s grant includes funding ACRES’s Education Department's operating expenses and a vehicle to bring education and awareness of animal welfare issues to students and public through interactive programs and road shows in Singapore. We believe that by exposing and educating the young, they will make a bigger impact in reducing the environmental problems facing the world today.
Between June 2012 to May 2014, ACRES has conducted the education programme to 102 schools with over 24,500 youths reached. In addition, ACRES has also conducted over 40 roadshows in shopping centres and public areas.
To find out more about ACRES, please click to the link here.1.4 Promotion of Environment Sustainability
The Foundation funded World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to promote the Eco-Schools Programme. This program aims to raise students’ awareness of sustainable development issues through classroom study and community interactions.
Students worked on projects which evolve around 2 major themes i.e. Nature & Biodiversity and Climate Change that will benefit the school and local community. Annual competitions and conferences are held for students and teachers to share the best practices and experiences.
So far, 13 schools in Singapore have participated in the Eco School Programme. WWF aims to reach out to a total of 70 schools in Singapore by the end of 2015.
To find out more about WWF, please click to the link here.
2. Assisting Foreign Workers in Singapore
Some foreign workers in Singapore are not getting adequate medical care and sometimes are in financial difficulty. Many of these foreign workers do not have friends and relatives in Singapore to turn to for help.
The Foundation has funded the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), a charity that is active in providing welfare and protecting the rights of migrant workers in Singapore. HOME runs help desks, help lines, shelters and legal aid for workers who are in distress.
Between May 2012 to Dec 2014, through HOME, the foundation has helped a total of 2021 foreign workers in areas such as medical, shelter, food and transport.
You can find out more about HOME by going to their website here.
In its assistance to foreign workers program, the Foundation also funded another organisation called the HealthServe, which focuses primarily in the provision of medical aid to foreign workers.
The funding includes covering HealthServe’s medical clinics’ operating expenses. In 2014, Healthserve performed 2,337 consultations for the migrant workers.
More details about Healthserve can be found at their website here.
3. Assisting the Minority Races of Singapore
The Foundation believes in helping the minority races of Singapore such as Malay, Indian and Eurasian. For a multi racial and cultural society like Singapore to prosper, racial understanding and harmony is of paramount importance. Helping the less privileged group of minority races not only achieves a humanitarian objective but it also promotes racial harmony to the society.
3.1 Provision of Education and Advice on Debt Management
The Foundation funded the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) to conduct courses to educate and provide advice to those who have problem with managing their debts.
The program has so far helped more than 500 Singaporeans both of Malay and non-Malay origin. AMP is an organisation that is actively providing assistance to the Malay community.
More details about AMP can be found at their website here.
3.2 Assisting Minority Races in time of difficulty through The Silent Minority Compassionate Bursary
The Foundation sets up The Silent Minority Compassionate Bursary, to assist the minority races in Singapore which include Malay, Indian and Eurasian. The Bursary provides financial assistance to the school going children to complete their education when certain catastrophic event such as death, sickness, divorce, loss of employment, accident etc occurs to the family’s bread winner.
The bursary is administered by the following organisations which represent their respective minority races.
- Eurasian Association for the Eurasian Community
- AMP for the Malay Muslim Community
- Singapore India Development Association (SINDA) for the India Community
However, for minority students who are studying in Singapore Management University (SMU) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), they can apply for the bursary directly with the respective universities.
4. Assisting Those Who Care for Caring Others
Apart from helping the needy, our Foundation also believes in building capacity within the charity sector so that more people will benefit from more charities.
4.1 Providing Fund Raising Training to Charities
Many young charities have noble objectives and passion in their causes but face fund raising difficulty due to their inexperience in organising and marketing themselves to donors. Working with Resource Alliance, a UK-based professional fund raising training organisation, the Foundation provides a bursary to train young charities in the art and practicalities of fund raising.
Resource Alliance organises training workshops around the world to help charities build their financial sustainability.
In addition to providing a bursary, the Foundation has also funded 3 regional fund raising workshops in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. A total of 61 charities attended these workshops.
You can find out more about Resource Alliance by going to their website here.
4.2 Providing Training for Caregivers of Mental Health Patients
Caring for mental health patients can be a very challenging affair. It requires special skills, with much more patience and understanding. Many of these caregivers are not trained for such challenging tasks and do not get support for the stress they have to endure.
The Foundation funded a program to train such caregivers. The program is called Caregiver-to-Caregiver (“C2C”) Education Programme. It is conducted by Caregivers Alliance, which caters to the needs of the caregivers of mental health patients. Caregivers are trained to take care of their family members who are suffering from mental health issues and also on how to take care of themselves. They receive emotional support, and become empowered in their caregiving journey.
The programme aims to educate over 300 caregivers in 2015.
You can find out more about Caregivers Alliance by going to their website here.
5. Other Projects
5.1 Repaying his Alma Mater
Launch of the YS Chong School of Business Studies Fund
Mr Teng was enrolled in Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC), Malaysia in pursuit of the professional accountancy and company administration qualifications in the early 1970s. The business school principal then was Mr Chong Yean Seong. In recognition of the effort of Mr Chong and TARC made that has helped to transform his life, Mr Teng set up the YS Chong School of Business Studies Fund (YSCF) on 26 July 2012. The Fund’s main objectives are to provide financial assistance to TARC students in the business faculty, funding research of good corporate governance and social activities of the students.
Click here for a transcript of Mr Teng's speech during the launch of the YSCF.
Click here to view an article on Mr Teng's tribute to Mr Chong Yean Seong