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ForwardSG
Ideas and pledges

#MyFSGPledge - Sherman Ho

25 September 2023

In a world where you can be anything, be kind - to yourself and others. Forward SG participant Sherman Ho shares how he is making a positive difference in society by making skills to cultivate well-being accessible.

Portrait of Sherman Ho

“My goal is to enable more in Singapore to take charge of their own well-being and be more resilient, form bonds with their communities and create social support networks. If we were all kinder to each other, Singapore would be a better place.”

— Sherman Ho, 34
Co-founder of social enterprise The Happiness Initiative & Forward SG participant

A social compact where citizens play an active role in contributing to society is especially relevant in my line of work. The Government cannot solve all issues, especially when it comes to mental well-being because there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Singaporeans are well-off compared to many in other countries, yet we are not necessarily better-off in terms of our mental health. While we cannot teach people how to be happy because our lived experiences are different, we can teach them the skills to cultivate their well-being.

Sherman interacting with youths in a volunteering activity.

We’re focused on helping young adults improve their psychological resilience through our programmes, journals and games. We put the practical skills and tools in their hands, instead of treating happiness as an abstract concept.

Examples include strategies to manage difficult moments, cultivating stronger relationships, and developing goals that provide a sense of purpose.

Working through schools and communities, we have conducted workshops for more than 43,000 since 2017. To further the impact of our work, we partnered the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth as well as the SG Mental Well-Being Network to form the Well-Being Circles programme last year (2022).

The goal is to create a sense of belonging in the community, and teach participants well-being skills through sharing, reflection and social support.

We had 300 participants take part in the 4-month-long programme that is also part of a research study aimed at informing policy directions in the social sector.

Sherman seated down, laughing in an interview.

I’ve attended at least four Forward SG engagement sessions, including one I facilitated for social co-operative A Good Space. I learned the most from the sessions where participants come from diverse backgrounds, income levels, ethnicities, and were honest with their personal experiences.

They opened my mind to the fact that social issues are never one-dimensional, and reinforced how important it is that we show care for one another.

Download the infographic of Sherman Ho's MyFSGPledge [PDF, 1.04 MB]

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