Here we are, again at the beginning of a brand new year.
This is not the usual new year of course, with the Covid-19 mess still with us. This would be the third year we are entering, shadowed by this global pandemic. When we were reflecting on this last year, there were talks in many sectors that the worst-case scenario would be that the pandemic would be over by June. Boy, were we mistaken!
Few people saw the emergence of the Omicron variant, the continual resistance of anti-vaxxers resulting in mass protests and disruptions in many countries, the many start-stop attempts at opening the borders by so many countries. We used to cheer in zoom meetings (since we cannot meet physically) whenever news came that Thailand or Indonesia is opening, since that would mean that we can resume our overseas house-building activities. Not anymore... now, we will believe the news when we actually get to step on the soil of said country.
But such is life - the uncertainties, the ebbs and flows, ups and downs. One could say that the only certainty of life is uncertainty. In a paradoxical way, such challenges are needed for us to become better, stronger, wiser. Socrates went so far as to declare that "an unexamined life is not worth living" - meaning one should not aspire to have a trouble-free life because virtues are forged via overcoming difficulties.
Hence, we at Habitat for Humanity Singapore are viewing this period as a time for us to think deeper, be more creative and work more efficiently, as we overcome the many challenges that continue to emerge as the pandemic drags on. We are encouraged by the verse in the Bible found in Galatians 6: 9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." We will not give up, and will persevere in serving the people who are in need, in Singapore and elsewhere. We know that "in due season we will reap".
Would you come alongside us and journey with us? The coming year we would need our volunteers and donors more than ever, given the unprecedented situation ahead. Nonetheless, we are confident that together, we shall overcome, if we do not give up.
Usher in the ROARSOME new year by doing good alongside Habitat for 虎(Hu)manity Singapore!
As we celebrate with our loved ones, let’s not forget our vulnerable elderly homeowners who may be living alone in cluttered and unhygienic rental flats.
We invite you to bless our homeowners with an ang pao this season! Every dollar raised will empower another Singaporean to live in dignity.
Because every elderly deserves a decent place to live out their golden years in dignity, and every family deserves the opportunity to live well and prosper.