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Koh Seng Choon
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About the Company:

Founded in Singapore in 2010, Project Dignity (“PD”) is a multi-award-winning social enterprise, registered with raISE, that champions social empowerment through vocation and passion for food.

 

With a presence in both Singapore (“SG”) and Hong Kong (“HK”) in FY2019, PD is an integrated social impact platform that comprises a full-fledged hawker food centre, culinary training centre, social event organiser, social outreach programs, and up-cycled book stalls.

 

The initiatives above serve as an integrated vehicle to drive positive social impact by empowering persons with disabilities and disadvantages (“PWDs”)with gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods.

 

PD has pioneered training techniques to train and educate PWDs to be Food and Beverage (“F&B”) and service professionals who will be placed with external employers and within PD itself. This is made possible with a team of experienced in-house professionals who are able to cater to the unique requirements of different PWDs and projects.

 

PD proudly employs more than 70% of its full-time staff that face social, mental, intellectual and physical challenges. It aims to set the exemplary standard for other companies to strive towards creating a more inclusive environment towards PWDs persons.

 

Its core capabilities, developed through years of success mixed with failures, has afforded PD to evolve and expand into other regional markets.

 

As a result, PD has become a profitable award-winning social enterprise with strong operating units that are complimentary to each other, and continues to be driven by its steadfast philosophy and mission to serve.

Name

Project Dignity Pte Ltd

ACRA

201017313E

Website

Phone

81897678

Year
Founded

2010

Address

69 Boon Keng Road, Singapore 339772

Champion
Koh Seng Choon
“To return dignity to the disabled and disadvantaged through vocation and passion.”

About the

Founder / Director:

Our founder, Koh Seng Choon, grew up in Singapore and lived here for several years before earning advanced degrees in business and international studies overseas. Although coming from a humble background, Seng Choon achieved

success and when he came back to Singapore in the mid-90s, he set up his own consultancy business helping SMEs break into foreign markets.

 

At the same time, he wanted to give back to the community. This started with the occasional volunteering, including conducting entrepreneurship classes for prison inmates. Seeing the plight of those in abject poverty, he felt there was a more sustainable way to solve this problem besides donating time and money. A full-fledged foodie (like most Singaporeans), Seng Choon decided to merge his love for food with a poverty-fighting business model.

 

Project Dignity (PD), one of Singapore's early social enterprises, began operations with its first initiative, Dignity Kitchen™. In 2010, there were only 2 people working at the kitchen. 14 years on, the social enterprise has now grown to an 85-strong team of full and part time staff, 75% of whom are from marginalized communities. PD even has a branch in Hong Kong with just as big a team.

 

No day is the same working in a social enterprise like Project Dignity. Seng Choon usually starts the day by making his rounds with a morning greeting in sign language to his Special Needs (SNs) staff in the Kitchen and office.

 

As he sits in the dining hall of the foodcourt reviewing his appointments and work to do for the day, he will welcome all patrons by showing them the place and sharing his mission as well as many interesting stories of why and how he started PD. With his charming personality, he always makes the patrons (young or old, rich or poor) feel welcome and at ease with him.

 

He works long hours, tirelessly building PD to become a place where SNs can be trained and skilled in the Food & Beverage industry to find gainful employment.

 

He also conducts “Learning Journeys” to Students and Youths in Singapore and Hong Kong to help cultivate a compassionate heart for the less fortunate.

 

His personal sacrifices can be seen in the time, financial stability, and emotional and mental health aspects. The long hours and time away from his family and friends, the missing important family events, holidays and social gatherings, all of which to help others less fortunate than self.

 

Although the job can be emotionally and mentally taxing at times, struggling to cope with the stress and burnout, he still continues to find his work for the SNs to be deeply rewarding and fulfilling. He was and still is deeply committed to making a positive impact in the lives of the disabled and disadvantaged.

 

He believes that anyone can develop life skills, secure and maintain remunerative employment, and develop to their fullest potential. In enhancing social integration and inclusiveness through educational outreach with schools and corporations, he believes that he can foster an inclusive environment for the everyone.

 

Seng Choon’s contributions are immeasurable in his commitment to ensure the viability of PD Singapore and HK as it is his personal decision to ensure its continuity to serve the people with SNs by returning dignity to such marginalized people in the society.

 

Seng Choon received an award from the World's 50 Best- Champions of Change last year which he had spent the entire amount bringing his HK and Singapore staff to a scrumptious meal and a day outing at @ Resort. Seng Choon knows that the SNs staff hardly have the opportunities or means to go for holidays or have a nice meal, and by bringing them to experience a fun day out with colleagues is one of his many ways where he demonstrates his care and love for this unique group of people.

Project Dignity
Project Dignity
Project Dignity
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