Rosie Hopkins
The GIVE.asia team consists of a group of talented individuals with varied backgrounds
across multiple industries. Often, they work at GIVE.asia in a voluntary capacity and
maintain full-time jobs at the same time. In our Meet the Team series, we are speaking to members of our team and today we talk to Jelita. Here she shares about who she is, what she
does, and why.
Thank you for talking to us today Jelita. To start off, can you share with us a little bit
about who you are and what you do at GIVE.asia?
I started my journey with GIVE.asia in 2018, and officially joined the team two years later. Now, I lead the GIVE.asia Malaysia team and in my spare time (!) I like to dabble with content creation.
What does a typical work day look like to you?
There’s no typical work day at GIVE.asia, but generally, I answer emails and WhatsApp messages, create and monitor campaigns, zoom meetings and post updates on Facebook. I also look forward to our weekly team bonding sessions!
Why do you work at GIVE.asia?
I actually fell into GIVE.asia by sheer serendipity. It started with our Chief of Kindness, Dennis Yeo, sharing his passion and work about giving at my children’s school, and from that moment on, I was sold. I started volunteering and quickly realised that other than helping the beneficiaries, the reason I wanted to keep going is because of the amazing people. The GIVE.asia team is full of individuals who are talented, compassionate and genuine. I love the refreshing energy and uniqueness everyone brings.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I’m pretty good at cooking. I’ve been told I make a mean rendang, lasagne and even cheesecake! I love
cooking, and I fell in love with it when I was in Australia, terribly missing my Singapore food!
Who inspires you the most?
My mum! She is an amazing person who faces challenges head-on and does not give up. She raised me and my brother as a single mum and it’s thanks to her unfaltering tenacity and kindness that I am who I am today. Her strength and vivacity inspire me. She’s 65 this year and she’s more active than ever! I want to be like her when I grow up!
How do you wind down after a busy day?
I love reading and looking at my collection of bags. Reading allows me to enter another
world and immerse myself. Looking at my bags calms me down! I also dance crazily to shake things off, though my kids think it’s embarrassing.
What’s your favourite book?
I love reading the Harry Potter series. I’ve read each of the books at least three times.
Another all-time favourite of mine is Love in The Time of Cholera. It’s the first book my husband gave me when we were dating!
What cause resonates with you the most?
Anything to do with children and women, especially single mothers. Even before I became a
mother, and even more so now, I have always cared for children, especially babies with
medical conditions.
To learn more about GIVE.asia, or make a donation to one of our fundraising campaigns you
can click here. We believe that giving occurs through more than just donating money, and if
you would like to give your time or expertise by joining the GIVE.asia team, click here.
Rosie Hopkins
Jelita Kinnear