On stories of the world , its beautyand hidden ills
I am currently a Fulbrighter pursuing PhD with the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am interested in a wide range of issues but especially intrigued by community development in rural Asia in the context of globalization.
​
.
Myself. Traveling in Iceland in 2009.
I graduated in 2013 from the United Nations University with a MSc. Sustainability, Development and Peace. I subsequently worked with grass-root organizations and UN agencies in projects of non-formal education, sustainable housing and climate change adaptation with communities in Nepal, Cameroon, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
As part of my research in South-West Cameroon, I went 45 minutes into the forest to help my neighbours in collecting firewood
My early work focused on field research, needs assessment, and piloting innovations. I was then involved heavily in policy work, knowledge-sharing and capacity building, i.e. providing trainings to government officials and community leaders.
Testing a handmade improved cook stove with local volunteers in South-West Cameroon.
Training NGO staff on the use of SPSS for household data analysis in Central Nepal
I was born in a coastal town called Melaka, located in West Malaysia. I went through a typical Malaysian education system, and had the privilege to consecutively use Chinese/Mandarin (my mother tongue), Malay (our national language), and English, as my mediums of learning. Being a minority in the country grants me perspectives and abilities to live together with others and be sensitive to different needs.
Melaka Straits' Mosque
Landscape in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula of Iceland, one of my favourite countries as it is so different from my own, with its glaciers, volcanoes and waterfalls
At the age of 21, I completed my Bachelor Degree in Biotechnology. I went for a working holiday in the UK. It was not an easy decision as traveling alone as a young girl is not exactly popular in my culture. I worked in Chinese restaurants in the UK so that I could earn for traveling around the European continent. It sounds unlikely but I experienced an intense personal growth working in a challenging environment. I had my healthy dose of harassment and exploitation. But the reward was enormous. Traveling became an addiction that only ended after 22 months and 32 countries. I was moved (am still) by the kindness and generosity people are capable of giving to strangers.
The experience has transformed my latter choices in life. I become more interested in working for and with communities around the world and went on to pursue an interdisciplinary postgraduate degree on Sustainable Development. I studied water management among communities of Sri Lanka and Indonesia for my master dissertation. I continued my passion in working with communities towards addressing the world systemic ills.