S9 nominee Emily Teng : I'm a world change agent

Social entrepreneur and Power 98 deejay Emily Teng calls herself a world change agent.

"World change agents are ordinary people who want to do extraordinary things .. who want to change the world - for the better. They are bold, oddballs, loud, crazy, and over the top," Teng explains.

A day in her life ..

For the spunky 25-yearold,  twenty four hours a day is barely enough time - her days are filled with exercises and running her social enterprises, Blessings in a Bag and OKRA, and her nights, as the voice behind Power 98's "The Hot Date" show.

"I don't think I can say there is really a typical day for me because every day, it's something new," says Teng, adding that her life revolves around "a full-time job and a full-time passion".

Teng started Blessings in a Bag in 2008 to provide a connection between those in Singapore who wanted to donate and reach out and NGOs in poorer countries in the region who needed the help. Donors drop off their bags of contributions at Teng's centre, which picks up and organizes the contents before shipping them off to the less fortunate.

"I wanted to start a project in 2008 because I had a lot of friends who led very privileged lives.. I wanted to inspire them to do something without having to fork out money or rally for monetary donations.. I wanted something tangible and that meant collecting items that my friends could easily pass on - the contents of their wardrobe," said Teng.

"I stand by the motto - do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Items in the bags include First Aid Kits, children's workbooks, educational toys and games, and towels.

BIAB was met with an overwhelming response - hundreds of people came forward to drop off bags filled with the items and an unprepared Teng had to fork out shipping money from her own pocket to get everything sent to their charities in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia.

Eventually, Teng found an eco-friendly solution - she got supporters involved with BIAB who travel in the region to carry the bags in their check-in luggage and drop it off at their destination, successfully reducing costs and roping more people into her cause.


How she got started ..


Teng attributes her drive to change the world to her childhood years in Jakarta and her time studying in Australia, where she came in contact with those who needed help and other young women who were passionate about causes and willing to work hard to champion them.

"I saw first hand the huge disparity between those who have everything and those who have absolutely nothing," said Teng.

One incident that left an indelible stamp on her was when her mother brought her to visit their domestic helper's home in Jakarta.

"Her home didn't resemble anything but bits of wood haphazardly pieced together.. dirt floors.. and then a girl who was roughly the same age as we were," said Teng.

Australia was where she "bore witness to so many of my peers who were passionate about causes .. it was more than just holding up a tin and asking for a pity party.. it was actively taking a role in being a light for their cause and encouraging everyone around them to join in."

BIAB wasn't Teng's first foray into World Change - in 2007, she set up OKRA, a project which enabled women from rural villages in Cambodia and Philippines to gain financial independence by making hand-made stuffed toys and bags using eco-friendly recycled materials.

Teng buys their products and sells them here in Singapore at several locations, including WoodWood at Far East Plaza and Group Therapy at Duxton. Each item sold contributes about US$8 to improving the lives of those women and their families.

"There are a lot of projects on the backburner but I haven't been able to kick-start due to a lack of time and commitment," says Teng. "But I've never been one to quit daydreaming or brain-storming on bits of scrap paper. Perhaps in future, who knows?"

When not trying to save the world, Teng pursues her other passion - exercise.

"I was inspired to take on a more active lifestyle after having one too many 'bad wardrobe days' - the days that you feel like you never have anything to wear," said Teng.

"I realised it wasn't about the clothes at all - it was about how I felt about myself."

With the support of her boyfriend, she started running, participating in the Nike Goddess 5 km run last year, joining running classes, and working out.

"It's the one time when I'm out running or at the gym when I can just be away from the e-mails, the meetings, and everything else and just enjoy that one or two hour block of time," she said.


On being a role model for young women..


Teng says that stepping up to be a role model wasn't something that came naturally for her.

"I used to work for another radio station .. and one of the best parts of the job was that I was able to talk to people and hear their stories, hear their dreams and hear their hurt .. I realised that we all are role models to the people around us. We all have the ability to heal hurt in someone else's life," said Teng, who was bullied as a teenager and would share her experiences on air.

"We all have it within us to stop injustice - if we see someone picking on another person, we have what it takes to stand up for what's right and be a role model for those watching our actions and hearing our words."

Her dream is to inspire youth in Singapore to think up solutions on their own and travel first hand to see the difference they can make.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not," said Teng, quoting popular children's author Dr Seuss.

She also has a motto that she lives by and hopes to share with all those she meets -

"A setback is a set up for a comeback - we believe in trying and failing - they will be times that we may fail, but through our failures we can creatively think of solutions and ultimately, try again!"