Group introduction

Next week, a group of IKEA co-workers is travelling from Singapore to Indonesia to visit projects that we fund through Save the Children. We hope they have an amazing trip!

I am 25 years old and live in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. I was a fresh graduate in Interior Design from Swinburne University in Melbourne when I first joined IKEA Damansara in February 2012. I am currently a Visual Merchandiser in Home Organisation.

I applied to be a part of the IWitness programme because I believe that every child deserves equal rights to food, shelter, care and love. I lent my hand by leading the Soft Toys for Education campaign this year, and the awareness and results were very successful. So, I am really looking forward to going to Indonesia to see what the IKEA Foundation and Save the Children do for the many people. I know it will be a humbling experience and an eye-opener for me, but I hope I will be able to enlighten the days and ignite a spark in some of the children we will meet. I want not just to give but to show my love and care for those in need.

The support I get from my family and fellow colleagues here in IKEA Damansara to pursue this programme is also one of the reasons I am stepping forward with confidence to bring a change to myself and everyone around me. I will be able to share this story, experience and lessons with everyone.

I have been with IKEA Alexandra in Singapore since 1999. I am 43 and married with two daughters. I started working for IKEA as a Sales Assistant in the Markethall and then worked in the Showroom for almost 15 years.

I joined the Children’s department last year, and my first project was the Soft Toys for Education campaign. I felt really good knowing that IKEA is donating 1 euro to UNICEF or Save the Children for every toy we sell. But I have always been curious to find out what happens with the money. How have children benefited from what we have donated? So I am looking forward to this IWitness trip and hope to bring back as much knowledge as possible to the store and to help more children in the future.

This will be my first trip to mainland Indonesia. We will be visiting children with special needs and I expect living conditions there to be very different from Singapore. The journey might be a challenge but I am really excited to go on this trip and share my stories with my fellow co-workers.

I am 57 years old and was born in Malacca, Malaysia. I am married with two wonderful children, and I can imagine the pain a parent would feel when they have children born with disabilities. I would want every child to have an opportunity to get the help and care they need to live a full and happy life. That’s why I am really feeling blessed to be a part of this journey to visit a Save the Children project in Indonesia that is helping young people with disabilities.

I have been working in IKEA Damansara for four years now. I worked for a while in the Children’s deparment and was a part of the Soft Toys for Education campaign. Now I am a Sales Team Leader in the Bed Textiles and Home Textiles departments. I enjoy playing football (during my younger days, of course), badminton, and watching movies during my time off, and I like to travel overseas once in a while. I also love photography and hope I can bring back plenty of pictures from our trip.

I have been working at IKEA in Singapore since 1999. Over the years, IKEA has given me the opportunity to grow and develop. I started off as a Senior Sales manager, became a Sales Supervisor and, in 2006, was given the opportunity to join the project to set up a new IKEA store in Tampines (Singapore).

Since then, I have been the Shopkeeper in HFB 9—Children’s department. I feel really privileged to be in the Children’s department and involved in the Soft Toys for Education campaign, knowing that for every toy we sell the IKEA Foundation donates 1 euro to UNICEF or Save the Children for the education of children.

This IWitness trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and I am really excited to go see up close and personal how the donations are used to help children in Indonesia. I am really looking forward to this trip, and to sharing what I learn with all co-workers. Thank you, IKEA!