Community Service Festival 2026 – Community Conversations

Abraham co-founded Homeless Hearts of Singapore (HHOS) in July 2014, after volunteering in Tokyo with homeless outreach ministries. HHOS focuses on a “relational approach”, befriending homeless individuals in addition to providing material aid. 

Prior to serving full-time with HHOS, he worked as a media technologist. Now, as a stay-home dad of three young children, he and his wife Cheng Yu continue to volunteer with HHOS to befriend and host the homeless, especially fellow parents. Abraham is currently working on the #CityOfRefuge system to improve local statistics for homelessness research and advocacy. He also enjoys partnering with fellow community builders to help build Singapore into a city of refuge where every person in need can find a safe refuge to be. 

Benaiah is the President and Assistant Director of Awareness and Media of Signpost Collective, a ground-up initiative supporting street sellers across Singapore through regular befriending, referrals to government and SSA partners, and raising awareness. He is currently a first-year student at the National University of Singapore studying in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and NUS College.

Kheng Leng is a registered social worker at Project X, the only non-profit organisation in Singapore providing social, emotional, and health services to people in the sex industry. Through her work with sex workers and other marginalised communities, she has witnessed first-hand both the challenges they face and the strength within these communities. She believes that, despite our best intentions and desire to do good, we can sometimes make assumptions about people’s lives, judge them before getting to know them, or impose our own expectations and experiences on them. She advocates for building genuine connections with marginalised communities, taking the time to listen and understand, and recognising that we may not always know what is best for others. 

Faraliza is an educator, advocate, and caregiver whose life's work has been shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience. As the mother of an adult son with autism, tuberous sclerosis, and epilepsy, she has experienced the realities of navigating education, intervention, healthcare, and the lifelong journey of supporting a loved one with complex needs.  

Prior to establishing MIJ Hub, Faraliza built more than 25 years of corporate experience across multinational organisations in Asia Pacific. She co-founded MIJ Hub with a vision of empowering individuals with special needs to realise their fullest potential through education, meaningful employment, and community inclusion. As Head of Education, she leads the development of evidence-informed educational programmes, educator training, and inclusive pathways that have supported more than 800 individuals with special needs and their families across Singapore and Malaysia. 

Mohammad Ali is a business leader, caregiver, and advocate whose perspective has been shaped by both professional leadership and personal experience. As the father of an adult son with autism, tuberous sclerosis, and epilepsy, he understands firsthand the lifelong journey of caregiving - the resilience it demands, the lessons it teaches, and the importance of building an inclusive society where every individual is valued. 

Together with his wife, he co-founded MIJ Hub with a shared vision of creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families. Prior to establishing MIJ Hub, Ali had over two decades of experience in the global aerospace industry. Despite this, his most meaningful role has been that of a father and caregiver. Through his story, he hopes to encourage greater understanding of the realities faced by families of persons with disabilities and inspire communities to embrace inclusion through empathy, acceptance, and meaningful support. 

Haslinda is currently a Senior Social Worker at Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support Ltd (Babes), a non-profit organisation that aims to empower teens navigating unplanned pregnancy. As a Senior Social Worker, Haslinda journeys alongside pregnant teenagers, young mothers and their families to help them feel seen, heard and understood. 

Haslinda is passionate about creating safe spaces where people feel accepted without judgment. She hopes that by sharing her experiences as a social worker, there will be a deeper appreciation of the resilience of the young women she engages with and the importance of compassion and empathy in transforming lives. 

Wan is a descendant of the Ubin Orang Pulau through his maternal lineage. In 2018, he founded Wan's Ubin Journal, a blog-turned-social platform which advocates for the conservation and celebration of the Ubin Orang Pulau community, culture and heritage. He currently spearheads the Ambin Ubin initiative, restoring a kampung house into a sociocultural heritage hub on Kampung Sungei Durian, Pulau Ubin. Wan graduated from the Singapore University of Social Sciences with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and Minor in Sociology in 2025.

Tasrif is a dedicated community and youth leader, writer, and changemaker with over a decade of experience in social service. A founding member of The24asia, he leverages his expertise to amplify migrant voices through advocacy, and strategic partnerships with local NGOs to foster social inclusion and empowerment. He’s a fellow Champions for Peace (Singapore) Advocate, promoting stronger social cohesion through learning and dialogues.  

With a nine-year professional background in the Facilities Management (FM) and engineering services sector, his leadership extends across both corporate and community spheres, including the founding of a youth organisation in his hometown and leading & driving numerous initiatives for Migrant Community in Singapore. In recognition of his contributions during the pandemic, he was awarded the National Awards (COVID-19) - Resilience Medal. Tasrif continues to bridge technical excellence with social advocacy to drive meaningful impact.