{"id":37734,"date":"2026-03-20T04:21:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=37734"},"modified":"2026-03-20T04:21:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:21:37","slug":"retiree-running-charity-given-first-st-singaporean-of-the-year-international-impact-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=37734","title":{"rendered":"Retiree running charity given first ST Singaporean of the Year international impact award"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SING<!-- -->APORE \u2013<!-- --> As a former entrepreneur and wealthy retiree, Mr Robert Kee could easily choose to donate money to selected charities. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">But he actually decided to run one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Kee has, over the years, cared for abandoned kids by setting up children\u2019s homes, and built houses, toilets and water filtration systems in Cambodia and Nepal through his charity Operation Hope Foundation (OHF).<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">As its unpaid executive chairman, the 77-year-old does not take any money from the organisation, which has spent more than $8 million on projects to help thousands in these two countries over two decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He believes charity work is not about giving funds \u201c(like) Santa Claus\u201d, but identifying real needs and figuring out how to address them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On March 19, Mr Kee won <!-- -->The<!-- --> Straits Times Singaporean of the Year (International Impact) award, which honours a Singaporean or local organisation that has made a positive impact outside of Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe\u2019ve just been plodding along year after year, solving problems one after another. We never think of all these things (like awards),\u201d he said in an interview at his Holland Road home.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Singaporean businessman spends 20 years helping poor children in Cambodia and Nepal\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WViFtPbrryY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The accolade<!-- --> was one of two new ones introduced at the 2025 iteration of ST\u2019s\u00a0Singaporean of the Year. The original award, which is in its 11th year, recognises\u00a0a Singaporean or group of citizens that has made a significant contribution to society. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Dr Chen Shiling, 44, founder of Happee Hearts Movement, which runs Singapore\u2019s first clinic for people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, was crowned ST Singaporean of the Year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/gymnast-amanda-yap-16-is-named-first-st-young-singaporean-of-the-year?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">Gymnast Amanda Yap, 16, won the other new accolade<\/span><\/a> \u2013 ST Young Singaporean of the Year \u2013 which seeks to recognise a Singaporean under 18 who has shown courage, compassion, empathy, kindness or a spirit of service, and has made a positive impact among peers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The awards are organised by ST and presented by UBS Singapore. The official airline partner is Singapore Airlines, and the global hotel partner is Millennium Hotels and Resorts.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Doctor who started clinic for people with intellectual disabilities is ST Singaporean of the Year\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TA37tXo2j0U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Kee, who received a trophy and a $20,000 cash prize at the award ceremony at Temasek Shophouse, founded computer networking company Radac in the 1980s. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He subsequently sold it for a sizeable sum before joining his wife <!-- -->Susan Ho\u2019s<!-- --> company, Applied Digital System. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The father of three, who lives in a Balinese-style property with a swimming pool, could have settled comfortably into retirement in his late 40s. But he could not sit still.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">A 1995 documentary on child prostitution in Cambodia disturbed him deeply. At the time, he was doing charity work abroad for the Lions Club of Singapore and the Methodist Church. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">To understand ground realities better, Mr Kee spent two years travelling monthly between Singapore and Cambodia. He walked on roads with no street lights and met children who ate leftovers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The philanthropist also donated to several overseas charities, but felt uneasy over the lack of information about how the money was used. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cSo I said, okay, the only way is to run my own NGO (non-governmental organisation),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">With two former university mates \u2013 Mr Ling Swee Chan and Mr Ong Lin \u2013 Mr Kee registered OHF in Singapore in 2001. <!-- -->Mr<!-- --> Ling died in 2014 while Mr Ong stepped down in 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In 2002, Mr Kee bought a villa in Prey Veng, a province east of Phnom Penh, for US$60,000, and converted it into a home for 120 abandoned and impoverished children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He called it Hope Village.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"default inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/e3f0cf58829a3033b0012c38fd54b8648fe383a8944e8d3ff7bfffc3ebdd6030?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/e3f0cf58829a3033b0012c38fd54b8648fe383a8944e8d3ff7bfffc3ebdd6030?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/e3f0cf58829a3033b0012c38fd54b8648fe383a8944e8d3ff7bfffc3ebdd6030?w=800\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/e3f0cf58829a3033b0012c38fd54b8648fe383a8944e8d3ff7bfffc3ebdd6030\" alt=\"Kee, with children from the children\u2019s home in Cambodia, Hope Village Prey Veng, which was opened by Operation Hope Foundation, in March 2024.\" class=\"aspect-default flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover default article-default mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"mobile:mx-16 tablet:mx-00 flex flex-col gap-08 py-16 desktop:pb-24\">\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-secondary\" data-testid=\"inline-media-caption-test-id\">Mr Robert Kee in 2024 with children from the Hope Village home, which was opened by his NGO Operation Hope Foundation in Cambodia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-placeholder\" data-testid=\"inline-media-credit-test-id\">PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROBERT KEE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Kee personally monitored the construction process and hired staff. Starting from scratch was tough, but he said: \u201cWhen you\u2019re full of passion, you don\u2019t see all the hardship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Subsequently, OHF built a similar children\u2019s home in Nepal, which houses about 50 children. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Kee, whom the children call \u201cgrandpa\u201d, visits both countries several times per year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He chose to serve people overseas instead of in Singapore, as he said his gift is in tackling problems that arise from structural poverty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cThey are poor not because they drink, gamble or take drugs, but because there\u2019s just no opportunity,\u201d he said of the impoverished in Cambodia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Many children he helped have since graduated and found jobs. Beaming, Mr Kee said one of them, a Nepali woman in her 20s who had grown up in the home since she was six, will become a medical doctor in September.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">They express their gratitude in various ways. On a wall in his Singapore home hangs a portrait pieced with coloured rice grains, given by Hope Village\u2019s alumni in 2022. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"landscape inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/6f1ba4e35d44acd080acc5502f669e02101b634f8346da03a5f62c520ff9ba57?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/6f1ba4e35d44acd080acc5502f669e02101b634f8346da03a5f62c520ff9ba57?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/6f1ba4e35d44acd080acc5502f669e02101b634f8346da03a5f62c520ff9ba57?w=900\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/6f1ba4e35d44acd080acc5502f669e02101b634f8346da03a5f62c520ff9ba57\" alt=\"(From left) The children of Hope Village made a drawing of them and Robert Kee for Christmas in 2025, and a portrait of Kee pieced with coloured rice grains by alumni of the Cambodian children\u2019s home.\" class=\"aspect-landscape flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover landscape article-landscape mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"mobile:mx-16 tablet:mx-00 flex flex-col gap-08 py-16 desktop:pb-24\">\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-secondary\" data-testid=\"inline-media-caption-test-id\">(From left) The children of Hope Village home made a drawing of themselves and OHF executive chairman Robert Kee for Christmas, while the alumni of the home made a portrait of him with coloured rice grains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-placeholder\" data-testid=\"inline-media-credit-test-id\">PHOTOS: COURTESY OF OPERATION HOPE FOUNDATION<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mr Kee runs a tight ship as he believes transparency is still lacking in international charity work. For instance, as Cambodia still uses a cash-based system, it is hard to verify how funds are actually used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">At Hope Village, multiple staff buy ingredients for the meals <!-- -->according to detailed menus,<!-- --> <!-- -->and OHF\u2019s Singapore staff inspect the weighing of ingredients over a weekly Zoom call.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The charity is big on maximising the benefit-to-cost ratio, allocating <!-- -->20 per cent of donations for costs and 80 per cent <!-- -->to directly help its beneficiaries, which Mr Kee said is higher than other organisations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Besides the homes, OHF has sponsored Cambodian students to encourage them to continue schooling, and trained rural youth in computer skills and English so they can get better jobs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">They<!-- --> also built 160 \u201crice bag houses\u201d in Nepal by filling up rice bags with soil to construct earthquake-resistant houses, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2015 destroyed villagers\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"default inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/f7e09e696a60f061a62d7b758b6a8916f23921751bf3f981be2b25da1042b372?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/f7e09e696a60f061a62d7b758b6a8916f23921751bf3f981be2b25da1042b372?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/f7e09e696a60f061a62d7b758b6a8916f23921751bf3f981be2b25da1042b372?w=800\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/f7e09e696a60f061a62d7b758b6a8916f23921751bf3f981be2b25da1042b372\" alt=\"After the massive 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Operation Hope Foundation (OHF) came up with the idea of homes made with rice bags filled with soil.\" class=\"aspect-default flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover default article-default mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"mobile:mx-16 tablet:mx-00 flex flex-col gap-08 py-16 desktop:pb-24\">\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-secondary\" data-testid=\"inline-media-caption-test-id\">Earthquake-resistant \u201crice bag houses\u201d were built in Nepal by filling up rice bags with soil, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2015 destroyed villagers\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-eyebrow-baseline-regular text-placeholder\" data-testid=\"inline-media-credit-test-id\">PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROBERT KEE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In December 2025, Mr Kee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/life\/charity-boss-opens-luxury-boutique-hotel-in-nepal?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">opened a luxury boutique hotel<\/span><\/a>, the Himalayan Hideaway Resort Pokhara, The Centara Collection in Nepal. He intends to create jobs for locals and to use part of the profit to fund OHF.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He said Singaporeans are generous in giving funds to disaster relief efforts, but he hopes more will contribute their time and effort in long-term projects overseas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cEven without disaster, people are still suffering,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The grandfather of four is still brimming with ideas, such as training Singaporeans who can prevent fraud in NGOs, and expanding OHF\u2019s operations to more countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">But he simply wishes to be remembered as a happy man who does good. Gesturing to pictures and books documenting his work, Mr Kee said: \u201cWith an award, or no award, I\u2019m very happy&#8230; these are reward enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"landscape inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/10287bbfcd3c8452a296919e93958b0a47a21fda06d6d5d7c9cd27a4d03ba1ee?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/10287bbfcd3c8452a296919e93958b0a47a21fda06d6d5d7c9cd27a4d03ba1ee?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/10287bbfcd3c8452a296919e93958b0a47a21fda06d6d5d7c9cd27a4d03ba1ee?w=720\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/10287bbfcd3c8452a296919e93958b0a47a21fda06d6d5d7c9cd27a4d03ba1ee\" alt=\"\" class=\"aspect-landscape flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover landscape article-landscape mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/community\/retiree-running-charity-given-first-soty-international-impact-award\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 As a former entrepreneur and wealthy retiree, Mr Robert Kee could easily choose to donate money to selected charities. But he actually decided&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}