Nurturing Confidence, Resilience, and the Heart to Make a Difference
On 15 April 2026, Mr Janadas Devan, Chairman of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), hosted an appreciation lunch to celebrate a transformative S$150,000 gift from the Lew Foundation. This contribution establishes the Lew Foundation Service-Learning Fund which will provide up to 60 Singaporean students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) with opportunities to serve overseas communities under SIF’s Service-Learning Programme.
Established in 2015, Lew Foundation is named after its Founder and Chairman, Mr Lew Chee Beng. Mr Lew firmly believes in supporting local communities and helping to provide for the less fortunate, the elderly and the youth. Lew Foundation also serves as a platform to nurture and support the efforts of local institutions, non-profit organisations and charities, aimed at improving the lives of the needy and building a more compassionate and giving society.
During a recent Water for Life trip, ITE students collaborated with SIF’s partners in Cambodia to install bio-sand filters to provide clean water to villages. They also conducted environmental sustainability outreach in local schools. The impact was twofold: while Cambodian communities gained sustainable access to essential resources, Singaporean students gained a broader worldview and newfound confidence in their abilities.
“We realised how much the community relies on these bio-sand filters. When we went to each house, none of them had clean water and they had to use dirty water for everything. It opened our eyes to be grateful for what we have. This realisation pushed us to work harder to try to help as much as possible,” shared Natalyaa Inaya Binte Mohamed Faisal, a Year 2 Chemical Processing Technology student from ITE College East.
At the appreciation lunch, the students had the opportunity to interact with the Lew Foundation’s Founder and Chairman, Mr Lew Chee Beng and Executive Director, Mr Yeo Puay Hin. Affirming the impact of the gift, Mr Yeo noted that the students clearly displayed greater confidence, resilience, and a deeper sense of social responsibility as a result of the trip.
ITE College East Project Manager Mr Sim Hong Kwang, who accompanied the students, agreed that such hands-on experiences are necessary to help them "reduce doubt of their own abilities."
Mr Devan emphasised that in a rapidly changing and uncertain world, it is vital for young people to develop the capability to collaborate and catalyse change within and beyond Singapore. Thanking the Lew Foundation for its support, he added that programmes like the SIF Service-Learning Programme help Singapore’s youth build regional networks, develop a global mindset and tackle real-world challenges head on.