EB Impact

A post for self-reflection 🌿 As 2024 comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on the ups and downs of this year. It’s been a journey filled with challenges, growth, and some incredible milestones. A major highlight, besides the CDG-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant, was being awarded the "Thesis Promoting SDGs Policies for the Fiscal Year 2024" scholarship by Mahidol University. This recognition validated my efforts and commitment to academic research. Other key highlights include: - Contributing as a founding member of Myanmar Students in Mahidol University- MYMU, a local coordinator for Students For Liberty - Asia Pacific (SFLAP), and a researcher for SME Hub Asia - Myanmar @ Unstoppables Program. - Organizing the small event and webinar on liberalism & feminism and digital rights & online gender-based violence as part of SFLAP volunteerism. - Publishing insights on digital rights and academic freedom through an academic blog as part of the Inya Economics mentorship program for researchers. - Participating as a research assistant for the Research Fellowship Program at the Center for Research, Policy, and Innovation of Burmese American Community Institute. - Participating as an interviewee for local organizations, such as the Purple Feminists Group's 'Fight For Period Poverty' project. Of course, there were (and still are) challenges like fear of rejection, financial instability, fomo, struggles with mental/ physical health, and stuff like that. Yet, I consider 2024 has been a year of resilience, growth, and building momentum for even greater milestones in 2025. I hope you all reflect on your milestones of this year, maintain momentum, and have a wonderful year ahead! [Photos: some memories from the Mahidol University SDGs Showcase 2024]

Our 2024 in review! From hosting our inaugural charity gala to the launch of the ComfortDelGro-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant, alongside the continued strength of our flagship programmes, Sustainability Exchange and the Sustainability Media Academy, 2024 has been a year of remarkable achievements. A significant milestone this year was EB Impact achieving Singapore-registered charity status, underscoring our commitment to empowering underserved communities across Singapore and the wider Asia Pacific region with sustainability-focused education. A huge thank you to our entire EB Impact community – programme participants, alumni, mentors, and industry professionals. Your contributions have been instrumental in making 2024 an extraordinary year of impact. We look forward to continue making more meaningful progress in the coming year. Kaamela Barvin Gerald Wong Diana Ratih

Our final Sustainability Exchange workshop was held in collaboration with Jo Ee Kok, Head of Philanthropy at The Majurity Trust. Although it was specifically designed for the winners of Sustainability Exchange Season Four, we were happy to welcome all season four participants and alumni from the programme. In this workshop, we mapped out a five-year plan that outlined focus areas and strategic partnerships essential for achieving the project's goals. We also engaged in discussions about values, which are vital as their teams to grow. When an organisation's people share its core values, they're better equipped to make decisions and take actions that align with its mission. Here are two best takeaways we've gathered: 1. Values alignment: As your organisation grows, diverse decision-making approaches emerge. To make sound decisions, understand the values of your growing team. Reflect on the values you prioritise e.g. do you prefer autonomy over collaboration, tradition over innovation? 2. Purpose and Strategy: Having a clear understanding of your organization’s purpose and strategy is crucial as you navigate your way ahead. Purpose signifies the core reason for the organization’s existence, while strategy details the objectives and the methods you will employ to accomplish them. Thank you Jo Ee, for imparting your wisdom! We wish all the winners and participants the best of luck as they begin their journeys of implementing or scaling their solutions. EB Impact is committed to collaborating and supporting them in achieving the impact they aspire to create.

EB Impact participated in AlterCOP this November, presenting a session titled "Climate Curious"! Launched for the first time this year, AlterCOP aims to serve as a remote alternative to COP29 in Azerbaijan, providing real-time updates on the conference without the need for international travel. EB Impact contributed to the Human Capital, Youth, and Bridging the Generational Gap session by adapting some of our original games to align with the event's goals. Our focus was on sparking discussions about current challenges to sustainable development and exploring solutions emerging at local, regional, and national levels. Our EBI facilitators (Charlene Tan, Lynn Ong, Jahnavi Iyer, Clarence Eng 黄众望) led the session, engaging participants with our EB Impact original “Taboo: Sustainability Buzzword Edition” game. The participants then dove deeper into pressing sustainability issues, including those relevant to COP29, through facilitated discussions using our unique "Green and Grounded" conversation cards. It was very interesting seeing our participants of different ages and professions share their honest opinions on sustainability challenges, solutions, the significance of international conferences and personal choices, amongst other matters. Thank you for having us AlterCOP, Natasha Lye, Claire Kolly, Karan - we look forward to the next edition!

Introducing the inaugural ten beneficiaries of the ComfortDelGro-EB Impact Sustainability Education Grant. This grant is EB Impact’s latest initiative, launched during our gala in February earlier this year, in partnership with ComfortDelGro. It provides support to ten youths in need of financial assistance across Singapore and the wider Asean region, who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to uplifting their communities and generating positive environmental impact. During our Generation Impact event on November 5th, we honoured these deserving young changemakers. The awards were presented by SPS Yam Keng Baey, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore alongside Mark Greaves, Chairman of the ComfortDelGro. We are incredibly thankful to have ComfortDelGro join us as a strategic partner for this important initiative. Watch this video to learn more about the ten youths who have shown exceptional commitment to sustainable development and community building. Lynn Ong Hamizan A. Fauzan Aziem Ng Kao Jing Chang Yu Xuan Kimberly Neo Thura Nandar L. Novee Maestrecampo, MPA Jun Jie Toh Wing Yee Cheng

Just a week prior to the grand finale of Sustainability Exchange, we held our Live Pitching workshop where five out of seven teams were shortlisted to present at the finale. What an exhilarating experience this was! We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers from TheOneHourProject, namely Riddhi Parekh, Joyce Po, Joyce Seah, Madelene Ortega, Nurulain Kamal, who played an essential role in leading the workshop. They served as judges, listening to the pitches from the youth teams, posing questions and simulating the finale as closely as possible. On top of this, alongside our mentors, they worked with the teams as their pitching coaches, helping them refine their slides and scripts as they worked towards the finale. Thank you for your effort! Your feedback and guidance were instrumental in our youth's success. Here are some valuable insights we gained from this experience. 1. An attention-grabbing opening It's important to recognise that judges in a pitching competition are scoring presentations one after another. How can you capture their attention? Have a strong opening that will make them sit up and listen. 2. Describe the journey of your users. Numbers might be overwhelming. Describing the solution in silo might be too abstract. Create a user story. Give your user a name and a problem. Show how your product solves their problem and improves their life. 3. Have a prototype - even if its just a sketch! There are many tools available to create a prototype. For an example, Canva now allows you to design a full UI/UX prototype for your website or application! A visual reference will make your pitch more compelling.

Even though Sustainability Exchange Season Four has concluded, we have not fully covered the amazing workshops and trainers who supported us throughout October, in the lead up to the finale on 5 November! Our fourth capacity-building workshop was the "Creating Instagram Reels" workshop, conducted in collaboration with the programme's anchor partner, Meta. Elizabeth Taylor - Marketing Trainer I Consultant led this session, sharing valuable tips and practical advice on how our youth teams can expand their reach and encourage more people to engage with their sustainability initiatives through social media. It was an interactive session, with our youths experimenting with Meta's new features to captivate their target audience. We were also delighted to receive Meta goodie bags once the workshop concluded! Thank you Gavin Chua, Emma Reyes, Jamie Kinder for helping us organise this fantastic workshop.

I remember drafting my response for the registration form to join EB Impact Sustainability Exchange Program when I was on the flight back from a holiday. Having missed the first season and was too busy for the past 2, I was determine to not let this opportunity slip. And here I am, proud to share that Janice and I made it to the top 5 teams who have pitched at the Grand Finale on 5th November. 🎉 Within 1.5 months of knowing each other, we conceptualised, developed and presented a pitch. Our project initiative is a B2B marketing platform designed at connecting plastic waste producers and recycled plastic companies. Our aim is to streamline plastic resource flow and increase accessibility in the market. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and guided us along this journey: Our mentors, Marla Lise and QingHui Lin: Thank you for sharing your expertise and insights into Singapore’s plastic and food management challgenges in Singapore. Thank you for your constant guidance and encouragement! Our pitch mentor Riddhi Parekh: Thank you for helping us to refine our presentation and improving our delivery. Your encouragement and faith in us has boosted our confidence throughout the journey. The judges: Jessica Cheam, Lay San Ng, Esther An, Gavin Chua (蔡恒彧） and Phua Mei Pin: Thank you for the valuable insights and feedback on what we can improve on. Speaking with you was inspiring and I felt encouraged to know that there can be a potential for our solution. The EB impact team Gerald Wong, Kaamela Barvin, Diana Ratih, Damien Wee: Thank you for your time and effort in creating this platform which allowed us to learn, collaborate and develop real-world ideas. It was an enriching and fulfilling experience. The last and not the least, my teammate Janice Khoo: Thank you for being an amazing teammate. From pushing each other to our best selves to overcoming challenges together! I am immensely grateful and proud of what we have accomplished! I am excited to find out what the future holds for us! I’ve gained a deeper understanding of sustainability in Singapore, particularly the challenges of addressing the pressing plastic problem. I leave this experience feeling energised, inspired and with a greater sense of passion to create meaningful change.

EB Impact is excited to present a session titled "Climate Curious: A Dialogue on Climate Change and COP" at AlterCOP today! AlterCOP is held at the Singapore Sustainability Academy. Join us from 5:20 PM to 6:50 PM for an engaging event featuring an original EB Impact game, Taboo: Sustainability Buzzwords. Following this, we will be facilitating group discussions using conversation cards that explore three key themes; Theme 1: Personal Perspectives on Climate Change, Theme 2: Unpacking Climate Solutions and Theme 3: Global Climate Action and COP. We're looking forward to a fun and insightful session! Best of all, it's completely free as part of the "Afternoon Pass" admission. To join us, register here: https://lnkd.in/gNTZPmHG.

I’m excited to share that my teammate, Celeste and I were Finalists in EB Impact's Grand Finale of Sustainability Exchange Season Four! While we didn’t win, the experience was truly invaluable. Attending capacity-building workshops and learning from sustainability professionals on topics like Grant Writing, Partnerships, and Impact Measurement has been an incredible opportunity for growth. 🌱💡 This journey has been nothing short of inspiring, and I’m deeply grateful for the support of so many along the way. A heartfelt thank you to: Our mentors, Marla Lise and QingHui L. for their invaluable insights and guidance; Our pitch mentor, Riddhi Parekh for helping us refine our vision and deliver it with confidence; The organising and media team behind this, Kaamela Barvin, Diana Ratih Gerald Wong, Damien Wee for creating such a transformative programme and providing us with this opportunity; Thank you for your hardwork, you guys did such a good job! :) The judges, Esther An, Jessica Cheam , Gavin Chua (蔡恒彧）, Lay San Ng and Phua Mei Pin for their insightful feedback on how we could further improve our project— your comments were highly insightful and helped us pinpoint the gaps in our approach. We'll definitely apply this valuable feedback to further develop and enhance our ideas.   My teammate Celeste Goh! I’m so glad we got to know each other through this opportunity, thank you for all the late night meetings and convos we had throughout this. Excited to continue learning together in this journey! :) This experience has reaffirmed my passion for sustainability, and I’m looking forward to applying everything I’ve learned to future endeavours. Here’s to pushing boundaries and driving change for a more sustainable future! 🌍✨ #SustainabilityExchange #Learning #Innovation #Sustainability