Partnering to Accelerate Social Impact
Lindy E. Lek, Executive Director of Social Impact Partners (SIP), shared her moment of connection with TFHK and the reason why SIP chose to work with us.
Lindy E. Lek, Executive Director of Social Impact Partners (SIP), was first introduced to TFHK through various friends. When asked about her moment of connection with TFHK, Lindy recalls a visit to one of TFHK’s partner schools, The Salvation Army Lam Butt Chung Memorial School. Alongside Arnold, Lindy sat in during lessons and interacted with two Fellows who were teaching at the school. As she observed the interaction between Fellows and students, Lindy witnessed the local impact that TFHK and Fellows are bringing to the community. Lindy says, "Seeing the impact first hand is never the same as reported numbers and statistics. The passion and individual struggles of these two Fellows demonstrates to me that TFHK’s Fellowship is not just about getting the job done, but rather diving head first into the long game. TFHK shares these Fellows' passion and supports them wholeheartedly." Measuring quantitative impact is rather easy, actual social impact is almost impossible to quantify in the short run. This opportunity allowed Lindy to comprehend Fellows and TFHK's impact on students and schools in action, which was critical to her decision to sponsor TFHK.
Unbeknownst to most people, much of the hard work of a partnership is done prior to the actual collaboration through months of due diligence and communication. Throughout this process, TFHK effectively established a strong relationship with Lindy in which she has developed confidence in the organisation. With achieving long term social impact in mind, it was TFHK's financial sustainability and Arnold's leadership that first caught Lindy's eye and sparked her interest in TFHK. "Whoever SIP choses to work with," Lindy comments, "the key lies with the enterprise's team and leadership. What stands out to me about TFHK is their team's prior professional work experience and their capacity to engage with SIP on a level that justifies our commitment and support." Lindy believes that previous experience in business sectors allows TFHK to see both sides of the coin - the present execution of a social programme as well as sustainability and engagement with stakeholders.
Lindy believes that every single person plays an essential part in society, she identifies SIP as a platform for people from all corners of society to contribute increating a tangible impact. She feels that just because working professionals cannot dedicate all their time to philanthropy does not mean that their contributions are any less valuable. In the same sense, TFHK provides a platform for Fellows to create social impact despite knowing that not all fellows will continue working as teachers after the fellowship programme. Through six weeks of summer training followed by a year of teaching placement at schools, TFHK is opening doors for Fellows with rare opportunities to really give back to society. When asked about SIP's continuous support of TFHK, Lindy explains that TFHK has always been communicative and open to discussion. As the partnership blossomed, the mutual trust between SIP and TFHK has allowed TFHK to actively project new plans and ideas to SIP supported with clearly articulated reasons. TFHK engages all stakeholders and the larger community when making decisions and creating impact.
To end with, Lindy encourages TFHK to expand and scale up the organisation in order to create a larger impact. "Don't just scratch the surface," says Lindy, "be bold and confident in your mission. Create real, sizable impact." She also applauds TFHK for their perseverance and adaptability throughout the pandemic, and hopes to see TFHK continue striving to improve education inequity.