Hong Kong-born Jennie Yeung gave up a phenomenally successful corporate career to become a philanthropist. She's the force behind a children's love concert this weekend, "Our Love to the World from Loving Children."
Helping every kid grow healthy and happy is not only a fond wish and an ideal for Jennie Yeung - it's her life and work.
The executive-turned-philanthropist gave up her lucrative corporate job to set up a nonprofit project early this year - One Beautiful Dream World - to promote children's activities with themes of love, peace, creativity and education.
It took most of her money, but she didn't regret, because "I want to do something that I really want and like to do." That is, to help those in need.
And Hong Kong-born Yeung, who now lives in New York, is making it happen this weekend, with migrant workers' children the special beneficiaries.
Child artists from Sweden and China will take part in a charity program and concert, "Our Love to the World from Loving Children," to share love and culture among children of different backgrounds.
It is organized by One Beautiful Dream World, the Soong Ching Ling Foundation and Shanghai Charity Foundation.
Tomorrow BBx8, a Swedish family singing group (ages four to 20), will visit the Wan Bei Migrant School, singing, playing with children and distributing gifts.
On Saturday, BBx8 joins with Shanghai's Little Companion Arts Troupe to stage an open concert, "Our Love to the World from Children," at Shanghai Children's Palace. They learned some Chinese to be able to sing the Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower" and "Dance of Youth."
BBx8 is the Blad family from Sweden. It is an abbreviation for "Blad Ballet Times Eight," but it has many other meanings in Swedish. They are eight siblings, and BB is a Swedish abbreviation for "maternity ward" since their mother has been there eight times.
They deeply impressed Yeung who has brought them to Shanghai.
Yeung, chairman of One Beautiful Dream World, used to be one of the youngest and most outstanding international senior bankers of Citigroup. She has also held key executive and board positions on some of Asia's largest conglomerates.
Yet the professional success didn't make her happy, especially when she saw discord, lack of understanding and poverty in some Asian countries.
"Making millions is not what I desire. I want to pursuit my own dreams," says Yeung, who is in her 40s.
Art and charity have always been Yeung's love. Painting, singing and acting were her favorite subjects and she has been committed to social work since she was 13 years old.
In 2001, she had completed her job of pioneering an international entry business incubator model in Shanghai to facilitate China's entry into the World Trade Organization. So she decided to pursue her first dream - art.
She took an interior design course at New York University. And her experience in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks convinced her to pursue her other dream - charity.
"My apartment was only a few blocks away from the World Trade Center," says Yeung, who had just moved there on September 10. "I was alone and unfamiliar with the community. When I realized what happened and grabbed a few things downstairs, the hall was empty. Everybody was gone. You can imagine how desperate I was at the moment.
"The importance of hope had never struck me as keenly as it did on that day," she recalls. "I received it from a security guy who helped me that day, and I want to give it to others in need."
Since then, Yeung has been active in New York, pursuing her passion in education and her long-term philanthropic mission to bridge the East and the West and create the best of both.
To dedicate her creative and business talents to fostering innovation, creativity and education among the young and less privileged became Yeung's new career.
As a consultant in the Community Partners Board of Harvard Business School Club, Yeung has helped many nonprofit projects. They include Project Sunshine, which brings light to those who are dying, and the Creative Art Center, which helps breast cancer patients rebuild their confidence and sense of beauty by learning to paint.
Lately, Yeung has been giving management advice to an 86-year-old Frenchwoman in New York, who plans to start a nonprofit Chinese-language primary school there.
Both the woman and her husband are fond of Chinese culture. They have both collected and donated many Chinese artworks. Now they want to start a special school to promote Chinese culture and provide a multicultural environment for both Chinese and American kids.
"I feel happy and satisfied to help people fulfill their good will with my talent," says Yeung.
(Shanghai Daily November 1, 2007)
