Merlion Project

Merlion Project

Merlion Project
Human Library:
Get inspired with us

Everywhere, we see stories of quick success

But we don’t talk about the other side of the story: how do people deal with failures?

What if we had an open and honest conversation about tough challenges and building resilience?

Join us as we chat with our guest speakers on how they deal with failure and challenges, delving into topics like entrepreneurship, mental health and sustainability.

OUR UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

Our sessions aren’t the typical they-speak-we-listen scenarios. 

Instead, we invite you to shape our session. 

Our sessions are two-way dialogues with our guest speakers, designed for personalized conversation. 

What are some burning questions you’d like answered? You don’t have to keep them inside, we invite you to ask, and even share your own personal experiences and thoughts. After all, people only see the top of the iceberg, but it’s time to find out what really happens underneath.

Let’s get inspired together!

EVENT DETAILS

We will be having physical sessions every 3rd week of the month, starting from May 2024.

Sign up to secure your seat!

UPCOMING SESSIONS

Date: Saturday 19 Oct 2024
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: The Caffeine Experience,
1 Vista Exchange Green, #01-20/21 The StarVista 138617

An ex-offender and a prison officer come together to open a cafe.
How does the story go?
Matthew Poh is an ex-offender turned entrepreneur, and owner of The Caffeine Experience (TCE). He transformed his pain into a mission to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society.
At 23 years old, he was beginning to run his interior design firm, but he was also introduced to drugs, becoming a drug addict and dealer.
"One moment I was at the top, the next felt like I was being pushed off a cliff, hitting rock bottom."
Going to prison was life-changing. With the support of his prison officer Hilary Lo, Matthew decided to co-found The Caffeine Experience (TCE). They will have 5 outlets by the end of this year.
”Failure is not final; rather, it’s an opportunity to change and improve.“

Click the poster on the right to sign up on Eventbrite.

Date: Sunday 17 Nov 2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: 5 Seventeen studio
115A commonwealth drive #05-17 singapore 149596

Before Barry Yeow became an artist, he was trapped in a cycle of criminal activity, going in and out of prison.
But in 2011, he attended art classes while in prison and took a liking to it, venturing into the different forms including painting, sculpturing, pottery and batik.
After being released in 2015 for good behaviour, he became a gallery owner and art teacher. Barry has exhibited his work in local and international exhibitions. He also volunteers for talks, forums and workshops held in schools and prisons.
Throughout his experiences, Barry maintains one key lesson: where there is life, there is still hope.

Click the poster on the right to sign up on Eventbrite.

ORGANIZER

The Merlion Project (@merlionproject) is a ground-up initiative aimed at collating and celebrating stories of struggles and success. “Life is a journey; we don’t always get it right the first time.”

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TESTIMONIALS

My 3 takeaways:
1) Ownership
2) Just do it
3) Involve people and be open

Thank you so much Kae Chee for sharing your journey. It is so inspiring and although it's been only 2 hours, I learnt so much. This is going to form some of the guiding principles as I run my CCA in school to build the community.
AbhirajStudent & CCA leader
Thank you to Annie and the Merlion Project for the great sharing.
And for bringing greater awareness of how we can do our part in contributing to the society and helping the special needs persons!
Kudos for your passion and the courage to make a difference to the society!
IsabelParticipant
Thanks Merlion Project for the very rich and insightful session with cafe owner Annie.
Annie is selfless and really motivated to help the disadvantaged community by giving them a sense of purpose and direction.
She managed to overcome her odds and challenges despite her heatlh conditions.
I am deeply touched. Keep up the excellent work!
My takeaway is that one can always recalibrate one's life to make it more meaningful and purposeful by reaching out to help the vulnerable and those in need. And your life will be richer for it!
OttoParticipant and Pastry Chef
3 takeaways I learnt from the Human Library:

1. Entrepreneurship is a journey with a core intention. It’s not about the money, but about serving a specific purpose. There will be instances when people or things will cause us to sway, but reflect on them to stay strong on the key focus.
2. A business is not an end-all or be-all. Have faith that the community (yourself and your partners etc) will be able to solve problems as you go. If it doesn’t work out, it is okay. Just pick ourselves up and keep going.
3. Every failure or setback is simply another chapter of our life’s story. Just keep flipping the page or just keep writing.
Participant
To Dr Lim, thank you for inspiring us that things really don’t need to be perfectly lined up before going for it. You taught me to stay focused on our intentions and just pivot along the way.

To Nichol, thank you for openly sharing your life’s work and ups and downs. You are truly an inspiring woman, and I see a whole lot of grit and wisdom in you. I will take the lessons and apply it to my meaningful pursuits.
Xiao Ting
Xiao TingParticipant
I love the sharing by Joyce! It was inspiring and wise. Thanks for sharing real, practical and vulnerable experiences.

I learnt there is no shortcut to success. The more you do it, the luckier you get. Very insightful session. I was able to discuss thoughts in a very intimate setting and learn directly from the human libraries.
Participant
The experience was really candid, heartfelt, sincere, and meaningful. Everyone is open to asking questions and sharing their thoughts. This created a safe space where everyone can thrive together.

I enjoyed warm friendly and real conversations with down to earth and like-minded people. Was great to see such successful stories of entrepreneurs in Singapore!
Participant
It was a very insightful session. I was able to discuss thoughts in a very intimate setting and learn directly from the human libraries.

I aspire to be as sure of my product as Dr Lim Hui Zhen is.

I also want to mirror Joyce’s very positive outlook and passion towards her work. They were both very inspiring human books.
Participant
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OUR speakers

Nichol Ng

Nichol Ng

Nichol Ng is the co-founder of The Food Bank Singapore, and CEO and Managing Director of X-Inc Pte Ltd.
"We had to pivot (during COVID) by changing our main business in distribution as quickly as possible to survive and emerge stronger."

Visit FoodXervices
Kent Teo

Kent Teo

Kent Teo is the founder and CEO of Invade. "I always believe the more hardworking you are, the luckier you get. You have to stay focused and things will happen."

Visit Invade

Joyce Orallo-Lim

Joyce Orallo-Lim is the founder of Chokmah.
"I remember all the discouraging comments I received for wanting to study the arts. Some said it was a waste of time and that it had no future. I'm glad I took that leap of faith despite it all."

Visit Chokmah

Dr Lim Hui Zhen

Dr Lim Hui Zhen is the founder of Thrive Chiropractic.
Her goal as a chiropractor is to help others not just survive, but thrive, and be the best version of themselves.

Visit Thrive Chiropractic

Ramesh Krish Kumar

Ramesh is the co-founder and food scientist at Asmara.
Ramesh was awarded Singapore’s National Youth Entrepreneurship Award 2022 for his innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, and serves on the Board of Directors at *SCAPE.

Visit Asmara

Lee Gim Siong

Lee Gim Siong is the founder of Smitten Ice Cream Bar.
Smitten is located at Simpang Bedok and is halal-certified.

Visit Smitten Ice Cream Bar

Ken Tan

Ken is a founder of Fish Sh-nack, Doco Donburi and Hororok Soups & Stews.
Hororok Soups & Stews is located at International Plaza.

Visit Fish Sh-nack

Koh Jia Sheng

Jia Sheng is the co-founder of Circus Academy of Singapore and Circus of Altrades.
He was featured in The Straits Times “30 and under: Young Singaporeans to Watch” in 2020.

Visit Circus Academy

Sharifah Fazzeleen

Sharifah Fazzeleen is the founder of The Organic Room.
It provides facials and sugaring services which are holistic, nurturing and results-oriented treatments.

Visit The Organic Room

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SPECIAL THANKS

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