Having survived two cancer diagnoses, travelling to 84 countries, and currently the Chairman and Director of a self-sustaining vocational institution in Cambodia, Tan Hwee Yang is a man who has done it all and still has more to give. MIKYAL NADIA finds out more.
Tan Hwee Yang sits at a cafe to talk about his life while beaming for a photo. Photo by Mikyal Nadia Binte Muhammad Rifki.
April 10, 2010. The date is still clear as day to Tan Hwee Yang, then aged 53, who left behind all he had known in Singapore and found himself in a rural village called Kampong Baray in Cambodia. This was the start of a small-scale training institution he never knew could become what it is today.
Fifteen years after his cancer diagnosis with 12 of those years dedicated to service in Cambodia, many things have changed in his life since then. Mr Tan, now 65 years old, is the current director of Sola Gratia Institute alongside his Cambodian partner, Mr Daniel Tan. The institution has grown to house over 300 students with hopes to expand its building.
Mr Tan Hwee Yang was first diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia cancer at age 28 and had undergone various chemotherapy. He faced several of the most physically and mentally demanding years of his life. Plagued with feelings of loneliness and abandonment, he didn’t even dare tell his family he had cancer.
“I really wanted to die,” he said, “but I made it. I survived and wanted to give back to our future young ones because when you care more for other people, you also help yourself.”
“I really wanted to die, but I made it.”
In the years to come after his recovery, Mr Tan vowed to give back and started his missionary work in Canada in 1994 which he went on to do for the next 17 years.
Throughout that time, Mr Tan was given the opportunity to teach cooking, a side passion of his, in different South American universities in Bolivia and Peru. In April 2010, he was asked to teach cooking in Cambodia for the first time.
Initially, it was strictly a one-off cooking programme but after a student in Mr Tan’s class was able to land a job with a certificate from his programme, it inspired him to do more.
“I thought about staying on (in Cambodia) for another six months, but I was wrong. I went on to stay for 12 years,” he said.
Mr Tan realised the fantastic turn of events where he could be changing many young lives. This spurred him to add English tuition on top of cooking lessons as a way for the people in the village to upgrade themselves. This catapulted the opening of Sola Gratia Institute, a training school combining cooking lessons with English tuition. The institute is the first in its area to do this and started with just 50 students.
“I survived and wanted to give back to our future young ones because when you care more for other people, you also help yourself.”
Despite being diagnosed again with cancer at age 50, Mr Tan carried on his work in Cambodia saying, “I just want to give the best 10 years of my life and say bye. I’m not afraid to go.”
With more advancements in the institution, Mr Tan plans to venture into building a self-sustaining system with aquaponic and hydroponic farms, a method with environmental benefits to sustainably rear fish and grow vegetables. He mentions that taking care of the environment is very important and wants to incorporate sustainable operations with the new building.
“A lot of people my age don’t do what I do, they’ve not heard of (sustainability) and don’t understand all the fuss about the environment,” he said.
Speaking to an assistant director of community engagement, Ms Chloe Lim substantiates a study done by Stockholm Environment Institute which reports the unawareness amongst elderlies in regards to the environment.
“Elderlies are not shown much of (sustainability) and in that sense, their voices are missing,” she said.
She goes on to say that she believes people like Mr Tan will positively influence people in Singapore, especially the elderly.
“I just want to give the best 10 years of my life and say bye. I’m not afraid to go.”
Mr Ismail Lohman who is involved in similar voluntary work also shares the same sentiments and says, “I hope that more of such awareness about the environment and community work will inspire seniors and youths alike.”
As for Mr Tan, he reminisces about all the hardships that life has thrown at him and credits those times as the reason that he continues to help other people. He reminds all that anyone is able to contribute to the environment and community because there is no need for qualifications.
He points his index finger and taps three times over his heart,
“If you’ve got a heart, you can do it. The heart transcends everything.”
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