The Dream Big campaign has never just been about the money, it’s a ticket to turn dreams into reality, give people a fighting chance, or maybe, even a fresh start.
Telling stories is a craft that requires a special kind of passion, and some stories are just waiting for the right person to tell them.
When thousands of entries came in and we got cracking at it was no easy feat picking two winners. After a ton of digging, two particular stories struck out to us, it just clicked and we knew we had to do something special in the way we shared their stories.
Meet Lemuel
Being a long-time fan of the famous “Humans of New York” photoblog, Lemuel’s passion has always been to capture and describe the universality of human nature. His application really struck a chord with us. It speaks of those secret dreams we all have but rarely act upon. How many times have we told yourselves: if only I could be…
You’re not alone! 🤗
In his own words “It took me years to overcome my insecurity and to actually begin anything meaningful”. His passion for the art of story-telling and eagerness to encourage others through stories gave him the leap of faith to dig into the craft as he explored different places, people, and cultures.
Here’s a sneak peek into his work:
Meet Violette
Warning! This one may be a tearjerker.
Women’s roles in society have through a long-standing overhaul. No longer confined to "being domestic", their roles have significantly changed and can now be seen as a large of the workforce and on the rise as business owners. While this is encouraging, the reality is not such for every single woman. This is where our next entry comes in.
We received another special entry from Violette, a representative of Helping Hands Penan – a Non-Profit Organization (NGO) that empowers Penan women and their children in Sarawak. Violet has been actively working hand-in-hand with the committee members in keeping the dream alive.
We’re talking about empowering women with skills to create products that are market fit and bringing them on board into a world of financial inclusion.
Needless to say, we felt so strongly about this. 💪
You might have come across some of their colorful weaved bags and baskets! Can you believe they made it from scratch?
From education sponsorship to medical and welfare aid, the organization works at every level of the community to change the situation of women by putting the power back in their hands.
Colliding dreams
Needless to say, it was a no brainer that we had two powerful stories that complemented each so well. A passionate storyteller with the heart for sharing beautiful stories within communities and an amazing NGO that determined to empower women and enable them financially.
With his prize, Lemuel will fly to Borneo to tell the amazing story of Helping Hands Penan. Meanwhile, we hope that RM 10,000 will help the NGO bring sustainable change.
We’re humbled to have each of you share something so personal with us.
Dreaming Big has never been so beautiful.
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