I run Little Changemakers, a Singapore social enterprise designing inclusive, dementia-friendly, and wellness-based programmes. These are the three defining moments that shaped our mission: supporting persons with disabilities and caregivers, building accessible museum learning, and witnessing seniors regain confidence through Crafting Herbs for Wellness.
A mentor’s question that keeps me moving
A mentor once asked, “What are the three defining moments that will keep you soldiering on?” When funding is tight, logistics are messy, and pilots fail, I return to this question. These moments anchor my work and the mission of Little Changemakers in Singapore.
1) Lecturer years: a student who shaped my practice
As a polytechnic lecturer, I taught a student with muscular dystrophy. Each semester, his wheelchair was upgraded to a bigger model with more support. The last time I saw him, he needed an oxygen mask. Though his condition progressed, he completed every assignment and graduated with a diploma. He and his mother later attended my wedding despite great difficulty. He passed away shortly after.
That experience led me to ask: What more can I do for persons with disabilities and their caregivers? It shaped my commitment to dignity, meaningful participation, and real opportunities, not tokenism.
2) Museum education: from access wish to access practice
As a museum educator, my job was to make learning engaging, relatable, and repeat-worthy for everyone. I was given space to design new ideas. We launched early mobile AR gaming on the iPhone 3, VR journeys that transported visitors to a shipwreck, interactive media that rewarded curiosity, and audio description tours that turned looking into listening.
In the museum lift, I met an occupational therapist who was with a client in a wheelchair. I asked how the visit was going. She said the building was beautiful, but wished there were more activities that her client could experience. That single comment pushed me to lead an access team. We developed resources for people with visual impairments and programmes for seniors living with dementia. I learned that accessibility is not an add-on. It is a good design grounded in empathy, relevance, and sensory engagement.
3) Tears at a Crafting Herbs for Wellness workshop
Fast forward to The Little Changemakers and our Crafting Herbs for Wellness workshops. We blend sensory craft with practical knowledge, including acupressure points, herbal benefits, and everyday self-care rituals.
After one session, a senior approached our facilitator, held her hand, and said Thank you, eyes brimming with tears. She was grateful for the chance to learn something new. She had joined because the workshop was offered without a fee. For her, it was not just an activity. It was a moment of confidence and usefulness.
That moment reminded me that impact can be quiet. It is the softening of a shoulder after self-massage, the spark of “I can,” and the pride of holding something made by their own hands.
