'Little hands, big hearts': How a young family's community projects are inspiring others

SINGAPORE: When seven-year-old Kaizen See and nine-year-old Kay See learnt about the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong, they knew that they wanted to help in any way they could.

But when they realised that many others were already rallying to support the victims, the siblings decided to channel their efforts into raising awareness about the importance of fire safety in Singapore.

The children designed a poster to educate residents about the dos and don’ts of using electrical sockets, such as keeping wires neat and avoiding the overloading of plugs.

This poster will be displayed on digital screens in HDB lift lobbies across Nee Soon town council estates.

They also organised a visit to Yishun Fire Station with seven other families, where they presented care packs and handmade gifts to officers on duty.

The children told CNA on Sunday (Feb 15) that this was their first “mission” of their community initiative, Little Hands, Big Hearts, which the family embarked on after securing about S$5,000 in funding from the Our Singapore Fund.

Since it was introduced in 2016, Our Singapore Fund has supported over 800 ground-up projects.

The family was mentioned by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget 2026 speech last Thursday as an example that “anyone, no matter how young, can step up to make a difference”.

He also announced that a new S$50 million SG Partnerships Fund will be launched to support ground-up initiatives and help them build sustained capabilities and impact.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Although the fire safety project was the first Ms Ong and her children worked on together under Our Singapore Fund, the family has been involved in other ground-up efforts.

After reading about the Myanmar earthquake in March 2025, the children decided to sell card-making kits at S$10 (US$7.92) a box to raise funds for Singapore Red Cross’ Myanmar and Thailand fundraising appeal.

What began as a small community initiative soon grew into something larger.

Kay rallied her school to the cause, delivered a presentation to her fellow students, and up a booth on campus to increase support and boost sales.

The project raised almost S$860.

“It was very nice and heartwarming to see students empty their wallets. They wanted to donate whatever coins they had,” said Ms Ong, a freelance yoga instructor.

“That’s the first time I realised that kids want to help, they just need to be shown how.”

Last September, the two children held a joint birthday party and encouraged their guests to forgo presents. Instead, they invited them to donate to Singapore’s disaster relief agency, Mercy Relief, in support of children in Gaza.

For those who could not attend, the family baked cupcakes and attached QR code stickers to the packaging, encouraging recipients to donate.

The initiative raised S$7,500.

“I told them that since we decided to do this, we need to make sure we give it our best shot,” Ms Ong said.

As a firm believer that grades are not the only measure of success, Ms Ong has instilled in her children the importance of empathy and social responsibility.

“So we will discuss what the news is about, how we can help and how we can contribute,” she said. “This leads to them having that sense of gratitude and compassion in them. 

“I don’t think that academics are everything. I think having a good character is important. If you’re a kind and compassionate person, you cannot go wrong.”

CHALLENGES

Although Ms Ong has laid the groundwork and mapped out plans for the coming months, launching ground-up initiatives comes with its own set of challenges that she is still learning to navigate and overcome.

One of the biggest challenges she and her children currently face is “recruiting” others to join them in their efforts.

“My kids told me that they were worried that people wouldn’t want to join them.

“I didn’t think recruiting people was going to be difficult. I always thought everybody wants to do good, they just don’t know how to do it.”

When it comes to encouraging more adults to step forward, Ms Ong said it comes down to prioritising time and making space for what truly matters.

The mother of three, whose youngest is 19 months old, said she is grateful to her husband for caring for their toddler when she is planning and running the community initiatives.

“The person that has done very important work but has always been neglected is my husband. The project will almost be impossible with him,” she added.

But Ms Ong remains confident that, over time and with more projects in the pipeline, they will be able to attract more hands on deck.

LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM 

Earlier this month, some of Kay’s friends from school helped the siblings pack gift bags for migrant workers.

Although Ms Ong said they came “in the name of a playdate”, she saw it as an opportunity to teach them the importance of caring and supporting migrant workers.

For Kay, she sees it as an opportunity to not just give back to society, but also bond with her friends outside the classroom.

Being involved in such projects has boosted her confidence and strengthened her public speaking skills. Although she still feels nervous from time to time, she is gradually finding her voice and becoming more assured.

“I asked the kids what they have learnt about themselves – Kay said that she learnt that she’s a lot stronger than she thought she was,” Ms Ong said. “Kaizen said he did not know he could do so many things.”

Next month, Little Hands, Big Hearts will visit the elderly home SASCO at Hong San to teach residents how to make cake pops, and is looking for 15 families to join them.

In April, the family will head to the beach for a clean-up, with hopes of gathering 20 to 30 children to take part.

Ms Ong’s children remain excited about future projects, including one idea to set up a toy library in community centres where children can borrow and exchange different types of toys.

She said that while the family can come up with ideas, the guidance and support from the Singapore Government Partnerships Office often help steer them in the right direction in securing spaces or connecting with organisations to collaborate.

As the initiative gains momentum, Ms Ong hopes it will inspire more families to step forward to give back to the community.

“These kinds of activities shape us into who we are today, and we feel it’s only right to pass these same values on to our children and give back to society.”