E-Learning Item 2: The Heart of 'Bao'

The article “‘Bao’ seller touched by flood of offers to help” on Channel NewsAsia by Kane Cunico shows what Mdm Sarah Tan has done in the spirit of social entrepreneurship and her acts of kindness to help many people such as needy children, the homeless and unwed mothers. I think that what Mdm Tan has done is a good example of social entrepreneurship as she has hired unwed mothers to work at her stores which not only provides them with a job but also with more opportunities to spend time with their children due to the flexible working hours.

Cunico (2016) explained how Mdm Tan first started out by volunteering at a women’s shelter before going on to hire single mothers to work at her ‘Bao’ store to provide them with a source of income. Mdm Tan also went further by extending a helping hand to many other people in need such as foreign workers, homeless children and teenage mothers by giving them a place to stay in her house. However, over the years, Mdm Tan’s many ‘Bao’ stores has closed down due to various reasons but that does not stop Mdm Tan from helping others as she still perseveres to continue to help others in need despite her worsening financial situation.

I feel that what Mdm Tan has done shows how much more society can do to help those in need and that we can learn from her acts of kindness and compassion. Mdm Tan went the extra mile to help others in need by allowing people such as foreign workers, teenage mums with their babies and homeless children to stay at her house while treating them as family instead of just ignoring these people, showing an example of what society can do. Mdm Tan also shows a good example of social entrepreneurship as she has hired single mothers to work for her as a social cause which helps the mothers solve the problem of having to find a job while also taking care of their children as the workers have flexible working hours and a stable income. When monetary help was extended to her, Mdm Tan declined the offer as she prefers support in her business (Cunico, 2016) instead of acts of charity which shows her want for her business to be sustainable in order to help those that stays in her house in the long run.

In conclusion, I feel that there is a lot that we can learn from Mdm Tan such as her spirit of social entrepreneurship and more importantly her acts of compassion and kindness which are lacking in our society. If everyone could do more by showing more compassion to those in need in our own ways of extending a helping hand, more help will be able to reach those who need it.

Reference Articles

Cunico, K. (2016, May 27). ‘Bao’ seller touched by flood of offers to help. Channel NewsAsia.

Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bao-seller-touched-by/2822598.html?cid=FBins