Who We Are?
Founded in 2004, Vision Network Society, a Singapore-based NGO (non-governmental organization), works towards MDG by partnering with local community leaders. Today, VNS has facilitated IntegraCD Centers and projects in East Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Nepal.
VNS History: Vision & Volunteerism
Group photo of
VNS members
Eric Tan NH, IntegraCD Advisor
A recipient of four academic awards, Eric Tan NH (BA, MA, PhD) is a lecturer and teaches microenterprise development, slum studies and international development.
His field experiences include living in Pakistan and North India for six and half years. Since 1981, Eric’s vision has been empowering low-income communities in Asia.
Because of its community approach, the FAITH Garden (Food Always In The Home) won the third prize in Community In Bloom 2005. Organized by the National Parks, Singapore, the event attracted participation from many schools, hospitals and housing estates. The Minister of Development, Mr. Mah Bow Tan congratulated Eric Tan and his team.
As Advisor to Vision Network Society, he is consulted on the technical aspects of integral community development (IntegraCD). Today, Vision Network trains facilitators for integral community development in Indonesia, Myanmar, Sabah, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Mongolia. Since 2000, the team has facilitated several community projects in Asia, including a post-tsunami project in Indonesia.
The Self-Reliant House, built by VNS, was featured in three Indonesian television stations and three Indonesian newspapers (9 to 11 Apr 2006). The Governor of South Sumatra flew by helicopter to officiate the opening ceremony of the Self-Reliant House. The vision is to inspire rural and suburban families to be proud owners of self-reliant houses with bountiful vegetable gardens. As the name implies, the Self-Reliant House is a small, simple and sustainable house using concepts like the FAITH Garden, appropriate technology and microenterprise development. A small house but with a big impact in poverty alleviation, the Self-Reliant House has the potential of reducing rural-urban migration.
At the official opening of Commonwealth Secondary School, 11 July 2008, the Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim (Singapore) acknowledged the innovative contributions of Vision Network to the constructed treatment wetland. As an integrated eco-system, the constructed treatment wetland enables plants, fishes, microbes and the environment (soil, sun and air) to treat wastewater which is recycled for other purpose. The event was also reported by The Straits Times, 12 July 2008.
He has written articles such as:
Peace Among Nations: By What Means?
How Did The Robin & Owl Resolve Their Conflict?
From War To Farming
Bird Flu, Bird’s Nest & Self-Reliant House
Transforming Communities Through Poverty Alleviation
Buildings & Peacebuilding
Eric’s hobbies include swimming, running marathons and climbing mountains.
As Singapore Air Force Officer (NS), he practiced civil engineering until 2007. It was during his time in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) that he had the vision of training peacebuilders for global challenges.
He is married to Rhonda Bian and they have a teenage daughter, Aletheia.
Profiles Of Exco (Executive Committee) Members
Eric Tan NH, Chairman
Please see Profile Of Founder.
Ken Swee, Vice Chairman
Ken Swee serves the heartlanders in Singapore and exemplifies servant leadership.
Evelyn Tan HN, Honorary Secretary & Language Specialist
Evelyn Tan was involved in setting up a school in the mountainous regions of Xiamen, Fujian Province in China. She was also in-charge of the Self-Reliant Home exhibit at Temasek Poly.
She brings personal touch to volunteers and her role includes volunteer development. She is VNS Representative to Vietnam.
Evelyn is also involved in the upcoming social enterprise—a wetland café by and for physically-challenged people. The café will also provide an outdoor platform for physically-challenged artistes to perform busking.
Michael Seah, Treasurer
An information technology pioneer in the 1970s, Michael Seah, business consultant, has extensive experiences in people relations. He is passionate about creating jobs for low-income people. Michael equips potential entrepreneurs in drawing sustainable business plans. Michael leads Vision Network in the area of economic development.
Wilson Wong, Exco Member & Technical Specialist
Wilson Wong, a grassroots leader in Singapore, is active in various community projects. A technical specialist, Wilson Wong empowers low-income people in vocational skills. He serves Vision Network in the area of microenterprise development and appropriate technology.
Gillan Teo, Exco Member & Director For Resource Development
A grassroots leader, Gillan Teo is actively involved in community work in Singapore. He also advises VNS on racial harmony. His comments have been featured several times in the Straits Times and .
Charlie Tay, Exco Member & Builder
An experienced builder, Charlie Tay builds bungalows, semi detached and terrace houses. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to empower people in construction skills.
Christina Leow, Social Entrepreneur & Exco Member
A social entrepreneur, accountant and writer, Christina Leow ensures that IntegraCD projects are based on sustainable business plans. Her field covers the Indian subcontinent.
Tan Yeow Khuan, Exco Member & Landscape Architect
A landscape architect, Yeow Khuan, places the finishing touches to IntegraCD projects. Working with a Nepalese team, she facilitates projects that empower communities in Nepal
William Ho, Exco Member
A quail farmer, Willian Ho has been with VNS since its pioneering days. The first FAITH Garden (Food Always In The Home) is planted at his quail farm in Lim Chu Kang. Unfortunately, the bird flu threat closed our FAITH Garden!
Whether there is bird flu or no bird flu, William Ho, AgriVenture Instructor, empowers small holders in poultry farming with biosecurity measures.
Benedict Tan, Project Manager
An environmental engineer, Benedict Tan, is a pioneer in constructed treatment wetland in Singapore. A constructed treatment wetland provides an environmentally-sound alternative for treating wastewater, thus improving public health and standard of living. The constructed treatment wetland at Commonwealth School has won two awards. The Minister of the Environment & Water Resources, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, gave credit to VNS for the constructed treatment wetland.
Together with IntegraCD (Integral Community Development), Vision Network uses the IntegraCD Wetland to empower low-income families in Asia.
Ben Tan has a graduate
certificate in Environmental Engineering (with honors) from Griffith University,
Australia. He majors in water and wastewater engineering. His mentor is
Professor Margaret Greenway who is an international authority on constructed
treatment wetland.
Ben’s interests include the development of various forms of alternative energy and transforming wastes into economic opportunities for low-income communities.
An ex-Honorary Secretary, Ben is the Project Manager with VNS. He is currently working at two eco-engineering projects.
Ben holds a black belt in Wushu and enjoys long countryside hikes. To be
creative, he watches science-fiction and fantasy movies.
Profiles Of Team Members & Volunteers
Wilson Tay, Project Consultant (Indonesia)
A businessman, Wilson Tay has six years of community development experiences in Indonesia. Fluent in Bahasa Indonesian, Wilson Tay inspires local leaders to create sustainable future through integral community development. A former military officer, he knows first hand of the complexities of working with local authority and volunteers.
Josephine Poon, Researcher
Besides researching into Asian poverty, Josephine Poon teaches IntegraCD proposal writing. As a widow, she continues to be an active volunteer in integral community development.
Rhonda Bian, IntegraCD Facilitator
A former quantity surveyor, Rhonda Bian, works behind the scene to ensure that administration is effective. She guides VNS through the ISO process (International Safety Order). She trains volunteers in storytelling which is part of capacity development.
Michael Mohgan, Disaster Discovery Specialist
A civil defense specialist and paramedic, Michael Mohgan was involved in the rescue work during the 1999 Taiwan earthquake, 2004 Tsunami (Indonesia and Thailand) and 2005 Kashmir earthquake (Pakistan). Trained in rescuing trapped people in natural and man-made disasters, Michael Mohgan leads Vision Network in disaster recovery. His extensive training includes fire fighting and handling hazardous materials.
Aaron Beh, IntegraCD Director (Sabah) & Agriculturist
Aaron Beh has vast experiences as a commercial farmer in Thailand, East and West Malaysia. He trains subsistence farmers how to farm better. Aaron also works with farmers in Sloping Agriculture Land Technology (SALT). Done on hilly slopes, the advantages of SALT are: It curbs deforestation; it controls soil erosion; it restores soil fertility; it leads to crop production. Aaron is the Center Director for IntegraCD Center in Sabah, East Malaysia.
AN, Agricultural Specialist
AN, based in x-country, empowers low-income families living in the mountains. As Center Director, AN trains his people in sustainable agriculture and goat farming. He is in the process of implementing the program “Offering Alternatives To The Opium Trade”. Through this program, AN’s team wishes to see poppy-dependent families being transformed to poppy-free families!
Sajid Malik, IntegraCD Facilitator (Pakistan)
Sajid Malik, based in Lahore, coordinate integral community development in Pakistan. Currently, the Pakistani team is planning a goat-farming project, “Bless Another Family”. The community selects the ten poorest Gypsy families. Each family would receive two to four goats. In two to four years, the recipient families would return the same number and quality of goats to the center. These goats would be given to another ten low-income families.
Yeob, IntegraCD Facilitator (Bangladesh)
Yeob has extensive experiences in community development. He trains communities in capacity development. Currently, he is incubating an IntegraCD proposal on how to empower landless farmers in Bangladesh.
Tay Soo Min, Architect
A volunteer, Soo Min brings the artistic and professional perspectives to IntegraCD projects. Soo Min has resided and worked in Indonesia for six years.
Wong How, Civil Engineer
A retired engineer and lecturer, Wong How, continues to be active in volunteer work.
Yeow Khuan, Landscape Architect
A landscape architect, Yeow Khuan, places the finishing touches to IntegraCD projects. Working with a Nepalese team, she plans to empower landless farmers in Nepal.
Aletheia Tan, Café Coordinator
A teenager, Aletheia Tan and her friends are involved in market research and preparations for the Wetland Café where busking comes alive. The café is a social enterprise that creates jobs for physically-challenged people.
