**DO SOMETHING GOOD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON** Join us and donate a little to UNIFEM this Christmas

Another year gone by... Another year of memories... 2006 was full of great surprises and exciting changes... of course, what's life without its many challenges. 2006 was a special year of self discovery - I became particularly "enlightened" about the amount of suffering in the World. And I thank my better half N for being so compassionate to those less fortunate and influencing me for the better.

N & I are now even more committed to doing our part for the less fortunate. N recently came out to the public as a spokesperson for UNIFEM Singapore on violence against women - she had a personal message as she was previously abused by her Exs.

We really like and support what UNIFEM is doing here in Southeast Asia (UNIFEM's ongoing projects) and we have decided to donate and contribute a little something to the UNIFEM Livelihood Facility Fund (helping women and children in Aceh - I was particularly delighted to know that 80% of my money goes directly into the fund! See below and also click here .

WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US IN GIVING AND SHARING A LITTLE FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON - CLICK HERE TO DONATE THROUGH PAYPAL/CREDIT CARDS OR JUST SEND A CHEQUE DIRECTLY.

Here's wishing you and your loved ones a Holiday Season filled with lots of joy, love and happiness. And to a Sparkling NEW YEAR!
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UNIFEM Livelihood Facility Fund for Aceh
To date UNIFEM has assisted 450 women by providing seed money for Acehnese women to start their own business in order to create a sustainable source of livelihood for themselves and their children. As an old Chinese saying goes - Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. UNIFEM is currently running these programmes for the women because development aid has been only given to head of households i.e in this context to the men only. However many women were widowed and most are also supporting children of their relatives that lost their lives after the tsunami.

Singapore has strict laws on the percentage of fund to be remitted overseas (the law stands at 20% overseas and 80% have to remain in Singapore). However UNIFEM Singapore has received permission enable to organization to remit 80% of the funds overseas with 20% remaining in Singapore. Of which 5%-10% is usually directed to campaigns to raise public awareness about the issues and the remaining to run the office. UNIFEM Singapore runs a very modest operation with only 2 staff and a small set up.

Please feel free to contact Fazlin Abdullah at +65 62386761 or fazlin@unifemsingapore.org.sg should you have further questions or would like to have a look at the audit carried out by Ernst and Young.

COMING NEXT: Anti human trafficking programme in the greater Mekong region

Year End Retrospection....

Every year in December I look back at the year and reflect on my achievements for the year. And it was rather coincidental that I came across the following passage just the other day. I thought it was simple yet powerful.

.................
To know what you want to have achieved by the end of this life, do some introspection and 'retrospection.'

What do you want to have on your mind on your deathbed?

Any last wishes?
Why not fulfil them now?

Any last regrets?
Why not resolve them now?

Time is not on our side.
We are running out of it.
.................

It's About Time to Make a Real Change on the Penal Code Amendment on Marital RAPE!

GUYS. HEY GUYS. Watch here - check it out! We are real gentlemen and it's time to support this cause. Real men treat women right.

I met Leigh at Oxford University about 10 years ago and she was a smart cookie. We were both doing our Masters degrees then and I lost touch with her for quite a number of years until I ran into her again at the Unifem Snow Dinner a few weeks ago. It was good to see what she was up to these days (see recent Straitstimes articles) and the good stuff she's doing as Director of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Well done - keep it up.