On 24 July 2015, Hagar Singapore held its first charity golf tournament at Seletar Country Club, and raised more than $100,000 to support women and children who have survived trafficking and other forms of extreme human rights abuse locally and globally.
The day saw a maximum contingent of 144 golfers on 18 holes – a phenomenal record for a charity golf tournament!
Besides a day of quality golf and networking opportunities, the golfers were treated to an evening of entertaining performances mixed with emotional and uplifting moments. The event was graced by Member of Parliament, Mr. Christopher De Souza, who gave a stirring address at the charity dinner, after a thought-provoking One-Chair Play on human trafficking in Singapore by a group of students from Raffles Institution.
The message culminated in the sharing by Longdy Chhap, a trafficking survivor from Cambodia who brought many to tears as he recounted the years where he was betrayed by his family, and trafficked to Thailand to work as a street beggar. Longdy lost the use of his legs at 3 when he contracted polio, and became a useful “money-making tool” for his family. He was trafficked and re-trafficked to Thailand many times within a span of 5-6 years, and suffered intensely.
But today, he stands proud as a fine young man who is currently an undergraduate pursuing a degree in Psychology in Cambodia. When asked about his plans for his future, he broken into hopeful smiles as he shared his dreams of working as a counsellor in HAGAR one day, and the United Nations.
Longdy attributed much of his transformation to Jesus, the support from Hagar and the persistent love and support from the Cambodian staff who refused to give up on him. Seng Mang and Sam Sreyna, Hagar Cambodia staff shared their ups and downs in their years of service among lives ravaged by cruelty. Their resilience and continued commitment embodied the reason why we do what we do at HAGAR.
The night ended with guests greeting the Cambodian guests with words of encouragement. For staff and volunteers, it was yet another affirmation that all the hard work and long hours put into serving with HAGAR is all worth it.
Catch the highlights of the golf event!
