sustainability > Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility
Since our inception in 1971, the growth of Gulf Asia Solutions in our primitive years was closely correlated to the rapid industrialization of Singapore during the early 70s. From a local engineering and construction company, we have expanded our operations globally, cementing our presence in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Over the years, we have imbued in our culture, the importance of supporting the needy and less privileged in our communities. We do so through donations, sponsorships and volunteerism to support the various social causes. These on-going efforts include fund raising as humanitarian aids for disaster zones and granting of bursaries to support the education expenses of tertiary students in Singapore.
Volunteerism is an important pillar of our corporate giving. Not only do we walk out of the ivory tower to connect with others, but we want to build an implicit sense of public service that permeates our identity in the communities which we operate in.
Through collaboration with charitable organizations, our staff volunteered and continue to volunteer to deliver meals to the elderly residing in the Jurong vicinity. Other than elderly, we also reached out to the intellectually disabled beneficiaries of Metta Welfare Association in December 2020. In conjunction with the SG Cares Giving Week, collectively we gifted the 30 beneficiaries, items which were specially chosen by our staff.
Being in the labour intensive construction industry, migrant workers form an indispensable part of our workforce. During the height of the COVID infection cases in the dormitories in 2020, collectively as a company, we dedicated messages and well wishes to boost the morale of healthcare workers and our own site workers who worked tirelessly at the frontlines, respectively to keep the virus at bay and ensure the smooth running of our operations.
Meals-on-Wheels
(A joint programme with Touch Home Care, a service of Touch Community Services)
Meals-on-Wheels CSR Event
An initiative that first started in 2020 in collaboration with Touch Home Care to deliver meals to homebound elderly residing in Jurong and nearby neighbourhoods, has since evolved into a trimonthly initiative. To deliver the hot meals, our volunteers first assemble at Touch Homecare where they are briefed on the protocols and safety measures. Split into teams of 2, each team would pack the meals according to their sheet list before departing. With an average of 15 households assigned to each group of volunteers, it takes each team approximately 2 hours to finish delivering the meals.
Meals are often hung by the door or window. Every so often, volunteers will encounter an elderly person who is eager to chat. These chats often leave smiles on both the faces of our volunteers and the elderly. Let’s hear from some of our past volunteers!
Ms Tan Hui Xin, Corporate Communications Executive, who joined us for the first time in the June 2022 run, recounted her experience. “While this was not my first volunteering, it was a particularly memorable experience. I remember for one of the houses, when we first rang the doorbell, there was no response. After ringing it again, I heard a soft reply. As time passed, I started getting a little impatient. However, when the door opened and I was greeted by the elderly, I was shocked. It was at that moment that the impact of my volunteerism hit me. Before this encounter, I have not truly registered how much the elderly relied on us and how serious some of their mobility issues were. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. I am glad that I could help in some way, and I will definitely be back to volunteer!
Another volunteer, Ms Helena Chua, Corporate Secretary, who joined us in the September 2022 run, shared her experience. “Being able to take time off from work to participate in this initiative was a meaningful experience for me. Although some rain on that afternoon delayed our delivery, it did not deter our efforts in getting the meals delivered to our beneficiaries. May Gulf Asia Solutions remain steadfast in its efforts of promoting a spirit of giving and volunteering among staff.”
Mr Derick Lim, General Manager of the Finance Division, first joined us in 2020. We were delighted to welcome him once more in the September 2022 run. “We battled through the bad weather to achieve our target to deliver to 15 households by 6.15pm. Nothing warms our hearts more when the elderly smiled and thank us for the meals delivered to their doorsteps.”
Thank you volunteers for creating a fabulous sense of community among us with your enthusiasm, excitement, and generosity.
Metta Day Care Activity Centre for the Intellectually Disabled
Gifting is a tangible way of establishing connection with the beneficiaries, and no quantum is too small. A report on neuroscience of gifting revealed that gifting is a powerful pathway for creating more personal joy and improving overall health – it is really that simple.
In a short span of two weeks, we collected more than 30 bags worth of gifts from staff of Gulf Asia solutions for the beneficiaries of Metta Day Activity Centre for the Intellectually Disabled. In addition to the gift bags, we donated non-perishable and essential items including milk powder, coffee powder, biscuits, toiletries, antiseptic hand wash and wipes, while also sponsored lunch for all beneficiaries and staff of Metta Day Activity Centre on the day of our visit to the centre.
Diagnosed with intellectual impairment such as Down’s syndrome, autism and developmental delay, these conditions affect the adaptive functioning and impede the communication, self-care and cognitive learning abilities of the beneficiaries. Other than behavioural management, Metta also helps them to acquire daily and community living skills.
“It is the single largest collective company-wide donation-in-kind that we have received to date,” said Mr Akamatsu, Managing Director of Gulf Asia Solutions . “We are committed to good causes, whether it’s through donation, donation-in-kind, volunteering or other forms of service. Our people actively supported the various CSR events, and the collective actions enabled us to achieve a more profound social impact.”
We Care @ Gulf Asia Solutions Contest
(article published in December 2020 Gulf Asia Solutions Insider)
While we are ranting about how our world has changed in a short span of a few months due to COVID-19 pandemic, it is heartening to know that there still exists varying forms of normalcy as trying and inconvenience as it may be. Statistically, Singapore has one of the lowest fatality rate given the total confirmed cases to-date. We have been privileged to live in a much safer environment, attributable to a large extent the efficiency of our healthcare system. Our frontline healthcare workers have been brave – some at their own expense, if that is what it takes to keep us safe from the COVID-19 virus.
In solidarity with these frontline heroes and our own workers at the various work sites, we held the “We Care @ Gulf Asia Solutions ” contest, rallying staff to pen down words of encouragement and wishes for the Nation’s 55th birthday. The contest spawned strong support from staff in Singapore corporate office and overseas projects. Mr Balaji from EPC division was adamant to decorate a A2 board, and not that he had his eyes on the prize for the individual category, but rather he could empathize with the healthcare workers as his wife is a staff of Ng Teng Fong hospital. The contest also uncovered the artistic side of our staff, who through their creativity, pieced together mastery artworks, filled with heartwarming handwritten appreciation messages.
We were thrilled to receive many artworks and countless messages. It was a narrow win for Finance division, whose artwork warmed the hearts of our judges. Ms Candice Tan, Head of Finance and Accounting shared with us the rationale behind their design elements: “We bounced off ideas via divisional whatsapp chatgroup. With the theme in mind, we wanted all the elements to converge. The tributes were dedicated to all who have a part to play in this fight against the virus, amongst them – our doctors, nurses, policemen, national service men, chef, cleaners and deliverymen. At the heart of the map of Singapore, we included the message for the Nation: Stay Strong Singapore. As depicted in our artwork, one way we can do so to stay strong is to be socially responsible and always have our mask on.”
“We opted for a 3D protruding effect, and we did so by recycling used cardboards,” said Ms Tan. Mr Derick Lim, General Manager of Finance division who accepted the prize on behalf of the team further added, “I’m glad everyone from the Finance team contributed, including those who have been working from home in Malaysia and our colleague from Japan, Mr Takahiro Shoji. In times of global crisis, we need to help one another. In this instance, our colleague in Singapore extended assistance to convey the well wishes from our overseas colleagues.”
Having to reside at the dormitories, GAS workers could commiserate with the healthcare workers, who have gone the extra miles to take care of their well-being. They too, submitted their repertoire of artworks. Their excitement spurred others from GAS Group to also dedicate their feisty artworks. In recognition of their enthusiasm, the organizing committee decided to hand out special prizes of S$100 voucher and goodies bag each to top 3 winners from the dormitory category. We have gifted the artworks to Tan Tock Seng hospital. Do look out for the artworks on display if you happen to be near the hospital.
