Part of the Chua Thian Poh Annual Distinguished Speaker Series 2017, the esteemed Nobel Laureate graced by Singapore to share on “Redesigning Economics to Redesign the World” at Nanyang Technological University this month. When it comes to the landscape of social enterprises in Asia, few literature can provide a comprehensive study without the famed Grameen Bank and its visionary founder, Professor Muhammad Yunus. As Bangladesh massive social business on microcredit and finance, it empowers the impoverished with small, collateral-free loans, becoming “an institution that would lend to those that had nothing.” Here are 5 things that you don't want to miss from this epic changemaker. 1. Dream Big, Start Small At the talk, Professor Yunus shared that he started small with the notion of “making (him)self useful for at least one human being, even for a day.” This thought and belief enabled him to see poverty-stricken villages as good ground for opportunity to arise. Going forth to make use of his economic knowledge, he went on to liaise with banks to facilitate money-lending to the poor. His solution initially started as a simple concept - loaning money in place of loansharks and their ridiculous interest rates that propelled poverty cycle to run in deeper. This simple yet bold move birthed forth a revolutionary social enterprise. With a similar belief to focus deeper and deep dive into positive change, Make The Change started its very own initiative, Design For Good in 2017. By working with a small community of 19 individuals, our first collaboration seeks to really understand their skill-sets, dreams and goals so that we can meet the right needs at the right time. 2. Don’t Let Age-Old Problems Scare You Loansharking comes off as a seemingly hopeless, age-old problem. As it has been a society ill since the beginning of civilisation, it is indeed strange to even think that man will come up with a solution today. However, what started out as a humble, novel plan eventually became the antidote. This antidote has been such a new concept that the world had to come up with a new name: micro credit. By peeling off capes of entrenchment that history layered on, man has the power to redesign and create new possibilities. More often than not, a changemaker is wired to challenge the status quo to ask: "Why not?". Knowing that we are not the only ones with this mindset, we are further motivated to continue trying new solutions for old problems. 3. Profit Is AN Incentive, But It Is Not THE Incentive. The conventional business model stems from a profit-maximising foundation. However, it should not the sole determinant in decision-making. Other rewarding factors make it worth to run the race, for the assumption that human beings are driven only by self-interest envelopes many flaws. On the other side of the spectrum, charity models face limitations as well. The financial dependence on donations and grants are often inconsistent and unpredictable, making it difficult to execute sustainable projects. Professor Yunus mentioned that ironically some charities spend more time in raising funds than creating social impact, an observation that underlines the need for stronger financial independence. By installing a business engine behind social objectives, social businesses embrace both industries and marries the yin with the yang to create sustainable social impact. This is one of our most important points to share with our participants whenever we run our social entrepreneurship courses. 4. Remember, Difficulties are Opportunities in Work Clothes Professor Yunus participated in various social projects,and most of them come from the seemingly ordinary. It takes a second look and a prolonged gaze to see the unseen in our everyday lives. A mass production of affordable, nutritious yogurt help to improve the diet of the poor at the bottom of the pyramid. This also spurs on numerous positive externalities, such as a healthier workforce. Another example comes from ugly vegetables in France. Good, edible potatoes that come in weird shapes are undesirable for factories, grocery stores and restaurants, for they require certain dimensions to manufacture products like french fries. This spun an opportunity for these rejected potatoes. Instead of throwing them away, a potato soup recipe was crafted with them as the main ingredient. It gradually became a popular dish to feed many others. 5. Not a job seeker but a job creator One of the most memorable points that Professor Yunus raised was his conviction towards the myth of unemployment. Contrary to what the world thinks today, he acutely points and challenges the seemingly “unemployed”, quoting the example of an illiterate mother taking $30 to start a business. That hardly leaves any young, able undergraduate any excuse or reason to be idle couch potatoes. Way before the system of job-seeking, resumes and employment took precedence, we were go-getters, problem solvers and we didn’t work for anybody else. When we walk out to face problems as a solver, we open new doors as a job creator. On the same note, our MTC programmes for persons with disabilities are always crafted with the end in mind. In order for our graduates to be industry-ready, we discuss and seek to find a suitable curriculum that would take them to greater heights.

Exhausted the cafe-hopping list? Here's an alternative activity to consider. As Helen Keller puts it, the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, for they must be felt with the heart. Experiential learning pulls us in to understand this a little better. Imagine the sound of sunshine. Try imagining the sound of sunlight. What does sunlight sound like? What does sunlight feel like? What does sunlight taste like? To some, sunlight sounds like the crisp chirping of sparrows. Sunlight feels like newly-washed bedsheets and taste like maple syrup on fresh pancakes. There is so much more beauty to the things around us that we give credit for. An interesting approach, experiential learning enables us to enter into the world of another in ways more than one. It allows us to step into the frame of another’s life and see things from a particular point of view, for us to see the true ability in dis-ability. By going into the world of another, we are taking our first step to discovering meaning and perhaps, a milestone as a changemaker. In a bid to introduce different worlds, a handful of social enterprises focus on experiential learning in Singapore today. We had the honour to work with one of them for one of our social media marketing workshops in 2016. Dialogue In The Dark (DIID) is a special space that uses experiential learning to re-introduce sight. Their tour guides invite guests to drive on the road less taken and embark on journeys in complete darkness. Looking for something new to do on weekends? Try having your dominant senses flipped over.

Artwork by Make The Change So, what is Design Thinking? Wiki answers it this way: Design thinking refers to creative strategies designers utilize during the process of designing. Design thinking is also an approach that can be used to consider issues and resolve problems more broadly than within professional design practice, and has been applied in business and to social issues. Perhaps design thinking is another word for empathetic innovation. Perhaps it simply urges for a higher sensitivity towards man and his interaction with the environment to design for others. Perhaps it invites the thinker to fully immerse himself in the end product, to connect intangible relationships, spot unseen gaps and re-imagine possibilities beyond parameters. Perhaps it is the needful perspective that thinkers adopt to break out of the silos. Not only as a design thought process, but also as a way of life.

Disability is more common than we think. The proliferation of technology enabled man to go beyond human limitations in day-to-day life, where the common man’s lack of ability has been drastically compensated by tools and machines. The oversight of overestimating our capabilities and underestimating that of others unwittingly get to us as we forget that we, too, have our own areas of disability as well. A pair of glasses make up for our shortsightedness. A mouse enables us to navigate freely on a computer screen. Cars, chairs, forks, earphones, watches. These things help us to complete tasks which we were previously incapable of. They fill the void of our lack of ability. Likewise. What would it be like if we can supply the right tools for those who require equipment that are a little different? By constant innovation, we can empower and create friendlier environments for everyone to thrive. It has to be a myth - the thought that “disabled” people are unable to carve out their own careers. They just need a better chisel.

Hello 2017! A fresh new year begets a fresh new adventure and excitement to design, to create, to express. That is not to say that history books should be shelved out; context is king in design and in life. The suitability of a product relies heavily on the needs of the users while cultural factors hold weight as well. More often than not, there is still a need for us to look back, not taking the past as burdens on our shoulders but as a suitable template in order to design the future with creations that touch hearts and change lives.

In addition to our hopeful, personal new year resolutions for 2017 (gym membership anyone?), we can also start the year right by taking a step back and tilting our glasses to consider alternative perspectives to life. Perhaps the easiest way to fit in another pair of shoes is to watch the story of another come to life in film. Here is a list of noteworthy films about disability, propelling us with the famous quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mocking Bird: “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Yes Singapore- it's finally 2017! 🎉 2016 has been a year of good tidings for those of us at Make The Change, and it would definitely not have been the same without your support. We hope that 2017 would be even more fruitful for you and your loved ones! Here's wishing you a great start for the year ahead as we grow, share and impact 2017 as fellow changemakers.

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash Similar to the classic New Year's Resolutions, the end of a year usually sparks off sentiments of contemplation and reflection. To the common man, 2016 may come off as a year of incessant global challenges, political chaos, tension and economic devastation. To the social innovator, 2016 has been a year that calls for a re-imagination of possibilities and change. Here are some of the notable social impact projects in 2016 !

2016’s curtain call underpins a good time to revisit moments that made our year meaningful. Out of these flashbacks, is there one that would compel a librarian to put you on the “New Arrivals” shelf of the Human Library? The Human Library is a global social movement that sparked off in Denmark 16 years ago. With the vision of sharing authentic life journeys and embracing vulnerability, the event is proof that our daily lives are much more than the cube-curated, rosy instagram feed. Archiving 2016, let us etch towards 2017 with open arms and seeing eyes. For us at Make The Change, every year is a step of growth and adventure to take the chance, make the change.

December has always been the glamorous month of festive, once-in-a-blue-moon gatherings, once-in-a-blue-moon scrumptious dinners and generous, once-in-a-blue-moon gift exchanges. This is also the month when we are surprisingly forgiving with our own expenditures, often swiping credit cards for items we might or might not remember paying for. In the midst of these incessant buys, this is an opportunity for us to do good with our credit card purchases! Another example is Design For Good, the marketplace celebrating collaborations between artists, designers and communities-in-need.