#WhyIGave—Five minutes with a donor, Chani

There are many ways to donate at GIVE.asia. Some donors choose to give to one-off campaigns while others donate more regularly. GIVE.asia’s ChildMed program involves donors giving back monthly in order to give every child access to urgent healthcare. Chani, a member of the GIVE.asia community who has signed up to ChildMed, tells us more about her journey of giving.

Thanks for taking time out today, Chani. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Chani and I am a 41-year-old financial services professional from India. Thirteen years ago, my husband and I moved to Singapore and this is now home for us and our two beautiful daughters.

Tell us a bit about your journey of giving.
Growing up in India I saw a lot of poverty and struggle around me but it was so widespread that it was almost normalised. However, my mother was actively involved in social services, so that helped to instil more sensitivity in me. Perhaps, it is also human nature to feel most strongly about things that hit close to home. As a youngster I had pets that I loved dearly, so I signed up with PETA to do whatever I could to stop animal cruelty. When I became a mother to two girls, I started getting more involved in social causes and charities directed towards women and children.

How did you find about GIVE.asia?
GIVE.asia popped up on my Facebook newsfeed around the same time that a very close friend was personally involved in one of their campaigns.

How do you use GIVE.asia?
I used to make ad hoc contributions to GIVE.asia campaigns on my newsfeed every now and then but recently I signed up for their ChildMed program (a cause close to my heart) that allows me to make donations with more regularity.

What makes you use GIVE.asia again and again?
It is a reliable platform that strives to make personal connections with the beneficiaries. There is genuine concern and empathy in the videos through which Chief of Kindness Dennis shares the stories of the beneficiaries. GIVE.asia feels real and relatable as there are no forms of dramatisation or hyperbolic calls to action.

What would you recommend to those who don’t give back yet but want to?
Please don’t just feel sorry and look away. It is easy to feel powerless in the face of the overwhelming gravity of problems, but the idea is not to change the world in one go. Start by making a small positive difference to one person’s life at a time.

Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, Chani. We are grateful to hear about your giving experience. If you have read this and are interested in becoming a recurring donor, you can click here to learn more about ChildMed.