Contributed by: Seow Poh Choo, 71 Madam Seow was previously living in Penang with her 8 other siblings. Out of her 8 siblings, she had 6 brothers and 2 sisters. She was the oldest of the 9 children. Madam Seow's family run a coffee shop. As with many parents in those days, Madam Seow’s parents regarded girls as inferior to boys and did not see the need for girls to be educated. Hence, at the tender age of 11, Madam Seow’s parents instructed her to quit school to help out full-time at the family business. Her mother also wanted her to stay home to learn how to cook and sew so that she could get married at 15, that of the plight of girls then. Dismayed, Madam Seow confided in her headmaster about her dilemma. Moved by her passion for learning, he eventually allowed her to study in his school for free on the condition that she had to sweep the entire school premise daily. Apart from waiving her school fees, she was also given a dollar a day by her headmaster to pay for her school textbooks. Apart from working at her parent’s shop, Madam Seow also had to take care of her younger siblings. Her 6 brothers were very mischievous and sometimes, could prove to be a big headache for a young girl like her to handle. More often than not, Madam Seow had to burn midnight oil to study for her examinations as she was too busy in the day. Studying back then was definitely not easy for Madam Seow as she had to work, take care of her siblings and do the household chores. Despite all the difficulties Madam Seow faced in order to pursue an education, she persevered and all her hard work paid off. She was one of the lucky few to earn a scholarship to study in the University of Hong Kong. In 1965, Madam Seow packed her bags and left Penang for Hong Kong to pursue a course in Theology and Sociology. Madam Seow was very scared in her new environment as she had never left her family or the country before. Hong Kong was a whole new adventure for her. In order to continue studying there, she had to maintain her grades as the continuation of the scholarship was dependent on her results each year. Madam Seow studied diligently each year and was determined not to let her parents down. For her second school year, Madam Seow got sponsored by Shaw Studios for the continuation of her scholarship. She also had to work part-time doing odd-jobs in order to feed herself in Hong Kong. Her parents never once sent money to her throughout her four years abroad. After graduation, Madam Seow laid foot in Singapore and has settled here ever since. Her degree was not recognised in Singapore and she had to take a two year course in NUS. She married in 1970. Unfortunately, her husband’s degree was also not recognised in Singapore and she supported him through his studies. In addition, she even sponsored 4 of her brothers’ education in UK. Even though she has worked as an interpreter for a British matron in 1986 and has been a head teacher in a student care centre for over 10 years since 1995, Madam Seow’s heart lies in humanitarian work. Madam Seow has been a volunteer with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) for 26 years. She counsels ex-convicts and their families and helps pay for their expenses. Madam Seow admits that even though she may not be very wealthy, she is able to empathise with them as she knows how difficult it is to earn a living to feed a family. Now retired, Madam Seow spends most of her time at MFS to help the needy. Madam Seow is a capable, intelligent woman with so much drive and determination. Her love and passion for studying has inspired us greatly. While telling us about her past in the Kampong as well as her adventures in Hong Kong, we noticed that she teared a little. Madam Seow feels that she can leave this world with no regrets and that she is currently very contented with life. Her hands have indeed accomplished wonders and done many good deeds. Interview done by Tan Kai Qing and Hilary Tsui from Nanyang Girls' High School on 9 July 2013. (This memory is collected in collaboration with Nanyang Girls' High School and Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club for the "Hands: Gift of a Generation" campaign.)