ync Entry essays

Describe an interesting interaction you have had with someone different than yourself. Who was this person and what was the nature of the interaction?

Her image was plastered on every corner of the compound, most of them low-res posters of her smiling with children by her side, or standing next to other nameless "important" people. If you didn't know any better, you'd think SHE were Ho Chi Minh himself. This was Hyunh Tieu Huong, director and founder of Que Huong Charity Center, an orphanage located in Binh Duong, Vietnam.

The center was quite large and run-down. The staff included disabled orphans who had lived there since abandonment, and it tugged on my heartstrings to see so many children grow up in such a harsh environment. Ms Hyunh's rise to fame in Vietnam stemmed from a genuine rags-to-riches story. In her youth, she had been a penniless orphan, struggling to survive in post-war Vietnam, but had worked her way up and was now known nationwide as an impressive businesswoman and philanthropist.

I warmed up to Ms Hyunh, seeing the genuine compassion and tiredness which comes with active altruism, mark the areas under her eyes, and asked to interview her for my film. As I started setting my camera up, I was led to another part of the compound which I had never seen before, because it had been locked up.

Despite the center’s dilapidated appearance, this new area where the interview occurred seemed a world of a difference , with its manicured lawns and Japanese-garden aesthetic. I started feeling sceptical of the situation. Nearby, Asian instruments hung on walls next to ornate dragon pillars. I asked if the kids spent any time here and she nodded, although I couldn’t help but notice a thick layer of dust everywhere, implying quite the opposite.

During the interview, Ms Hyunh spoke of her hard life, shedding quite a few tears in the process. I couldn't tell if these tears were genuine or of a more alligator-like nature, but her story did make me sympathize with her more. Her hardships included selling sweets and massage services on the road side to make ends meet, and even being sold into prostitution at a young age.

When I enquired about the stark contrast between where we were and the actual orphanage, she replied with incidents where people had been reluctant to contribute, or even asked her for money, because the orphanage appeared too well-funded. Ms Hyunh was actually criticised for not appearing poor enough, and had to downplay the image of the center to solicit regular, sustainable donations.

Her reply triggered a pondering, on my part, of the concept of a charity as an image first, needing to appear poor and sympathetic in order to garner the help they require to survive. We often imagine a charity as an entity that is good, well-intentioned, yet ever needing of help and sympathy – and play deeply into this image, though not all charities are like that.

I realised the shocking duality of charity, in which personal morals of honesty may be pitted against the manipulation of the truth in order to ensure survival.

 (500 words)

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

What do the movies Wall-E, City of Ember and British television show Doctor Who have in common? All 3 have contributed to generations of children's understanding of the devastating effects mankind  could have on nature, myself included. My connection to nature started in childhood, when most of my time was spent watching movies and playing alone in my garden. Nowadays, I still lie in my garden, so that I can feel my body in contact with Gaia. These films were integral in shaping my perception of the world. Hence, the destruction of nature is something I have never been able to accept without putting up a fight. 

One critical facet of environmental damage involves recycling systems and efforts. The privilege of a relatively stable family income allowed my family to direct efforts towards recycling rather than having to worry about other more pressing issues. As I entered school and met peers with other priorities, I continued to encourage them to recycle by helping them find bins and taking some of their waste home when no bins were available. Once, it upset me so much to see recyclables in the trash that I brought a box from home to act as a mini recycling bin, which I would empty during lunch in the school's recycling bins which were far away from the classrooms. Over time, my friends began to slowly change their habits too, apparently because they started to understand my perspective. Thus, I would refute the idea that one person cannot make a difference, because he or she inherently has an impact on the many people he or she interacts with daily. 

Many state-initiated projects have plateau-ed in improvement, as they fail to account for the impact of habit and routine on a person's actions. Some of these include public campaigns to educate on the effects of global warming, and placement of more recycling bins throughout the nation. 

The former strategy likely fell flat because although many citizens already understand, few are reluctant to translate their knowledge into action. Ultimately, the tragedy of the commons prevails in this battle. This can be mitigated by reducing the normalisation of current waste production patterns. In our culture, people look to trash bins first and recycling bins only as an afterthought. In order to move towards Zero Waste,  we must first change our mindsets before it can be a truly sustainable way of living. 

The latter likely only minimally improved the situation, by solving the physical issue of accessibility without tackling a person's willingness to seek out these bins or sort their waste. A horse may be brought to the river, but must be willing to drink in order to quench its thirst. The lack of specificity with respect to the appropriate contents of each bin could be solved by educating people to differentiate between recyclable or non-recyclable materials. Of course, Singapore cannot follow Japanese town Kamikatsu's  revolutionary strides in recycling overnight, as habits take time to change. However, a thousand-mile journey begins with a step and the time to take that step passed us a quite a few years ago. 

Cultivating ecological responsibility from a young age is critical in influencing domestic waste production, both in quantity and quality. It encourages ownership of the impact one has on the surrounding environment. We as humans, need to start viewing our planet as more of a home than merely a hotel. It is essential that this shift in norms permeates to the young, as the culture of recycling starts from the home. With these habits, the young may enter the world as knowing adults willing and able to practice these values in public spaces, knowing that future generations will benefit from their efforts. I will end with an empowering quote from Doctor Who which continues to resonate with me: "In nine hundred years of time and space...I've never met anybody who wasn't important before."

(650 words)