There is light at the end of the tunnel - A singer, content creator, sportswoman and environmentalist – these are only some of the ways that Wan Wai Yee has contributed to society.

Wai Yee is one busy lady. She is part of SG Food Rescue, a group that collects unwanted food items from grocery stores, then sorts and shares vegetables that can still be eaten to reduce food wastage. She also recently set up her own YouTube and Facebook page to share her music. While it is challenging for a blind person to deal with cameras and lights, she’s learning about social media and content creation. She’s been doing this for a few months with friends who hope to share their singing with others, and the audience can also tip them while watching.

Wai Yee’s journey began when she was born prematurely. The doctor mentioned that because she had to be placed in an incubator, it damaged her eyes, and told her parents from then on that her sight would not return. Her parents were supportive, bringing her out to places to experience things any child would do.

Support like this is a recurring theme throughout her journey. She mentions a friend who was her guide for a Triathlon and they trained together by swimming, cycling and running. She also has teachers like Leslie Tay and Xiang Ting that encourage her singing. Danial, who is part of SG Food Rescue also inspires her to decrease her wastage. This group, along with others, form a team of support for Wai Yee.

During this COVID-19 period, there are challenges that Wai Yee faces as a Person with Disability. “It’s a challenge itself to get the source of income especially during this period. Previously, we could do lots of busking, but now we have to find different ways to get a source of income. This is really a year of change,” she explains. But change is nothing new for Wai Yee. She describes going into the workplace as “life-changing”.

She went out into the working world after secondary school to support herself and her family as her father had kidney problems. Some of the difficulties she faced was learning how to be more confident and how to interact with others. While she acknowledges that everybody faces the same difficulties in a new environment, Wai Yee admits that she probably has to do more and put in more effort to get the same things.

When you label Wan Wai Yee as inspirational, it’s not something she is all too comfortable with. “I don’t really want to be known as someone who is inspirational, I’m just someone who is trying to live her life and be who I am, contributing to society,” she explains. Contributing to society, is truly at the heart of what Wan Wai Yee does.

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