WBW 26: Listen to the People You Serve

Ever given a real gift just to find out that it's been recycled and given to another? Many ideas and relationships, in or outside of work, are based on providing value and service to your customers or the people you want to serve. During this part however, most people, more often than not, are just too focused on providing the service based on what they think the people need.See how in this episode, Mel shares with us how Got Heart Foundation was born and how it is unique in its approach – by listening and understanding the needs of the people and providing support as opposed to simply just providing support.

Who is Melissa Yeung?

Since her days in Immaculate Conception Academy back in high school, Mel has always been immersed in outreach programs and helping other people. After finishing BA Development Studies in Ateneo de Manila University in 2007, she then starting taking her Masters Program in Entrepreneurship in the Asian Institute of Management and founded Got Heart Foundation, Inc. She is currently the Executive Director of this foundation.

During her free time, she volunteers at Gawad Kalinga, Concordia Children’s Services, Philippine Association for Inter-Cultural Development, MindanaWon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue and the School for Indigenous Culture and Traditions. She is also an accredited trainor of Social Entrepreneurship and HR Development at Grassroots and Entrepreneurship and Management.

Mel is really one person’s whose GOT HEART! - and brains.

When asked about her greatest failure?

When asked about her greatest success?

Show notes:

Creating Got Heart Foundation

• Previous experiences would be doing different things based on what they wanted to do (e.g. parties, etc.)
• Now, they listen and know the people better – what their dreams and needs are
• Mel would then design programs based on these needs
• The programs then became more successful and the beneficiaries started to have more ownership
• This is how Got Heart Foundation was born – they collaborate with people in creating programs for them
• They start off from what their interests are and what they really want to become

When was it the first time you were able to apply “Listening to the people you serve”?

• Mel taught art to street kids while she was in high school
• As she taught, Mel realized that the needs of street kids go beyond that of art.
• They want to go to school
• They wanted to get jobs to help their parents and families
• Given this, in Got Heart Foundation, they started with programs pushing Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment

Different Communities

Got Heart Foundation helps out different communities around the Philippines

• Youth Group in Payatas
• Community in Tarlac, Batangas and Palawan
• Programs with Indigenous People around Mindanao

Helping ourselves? Or helping other people?

• People in Payatas are very vocal with what they want
• They get all sorts of donations & projects. However, this is not what they ask for.
• When people help, are they helping themselves?or are they really reaching out to help other people?
• In answering this question, Mel then started the collaborative way of developing programs
• When she goes to a new community, she doesn’t bring any preconceived notions of what programs
• It's really fun to listen because you don’t have to think too much
• There are some difficult times, especially when the beneficiary speaks Bisaya, but it turns out okay.

Donation VS Employment

• Some beneficiaries say they don’t need donations, they just need work
• They aren’t lazy. They just don’t have the opportunity to work.
• Employment is much better than a donation.
• Once you donate something, its done.
• When focusing on entrepreneurship or education or employment, it requires pushing people to be better or otherwise their business would fail or they would get fired from their jobs
• Employment is harder but its more sustainable

Memorable Conversations

• Indigenous people experience the most discrimination
• A lot of people say they are not educated because they did not get formal schooling, but they have passed on knowledge and traditions that a lot of us can learn from us today
• Mel met TimoyNanding, a tribal leader in Sebannon
• In Manila, there are so many lawyers, politicians, etc.

In their tribe, they only have 4 rules

1. Is it pro life?
2. Is it pro people?
3. Is it pro God?
4. Is it pro nature?

• These laws are so simple yet we do not abide by these laws in manila. There is so much pollution, corruption and crime.
• People say they are not educated, but that is one of the most profound stuff she’s learned

Message for people on how to get a heart

• Travel around the country! Instead of going to Hong Kong and Japan, explore Philippine culture.
• We have 110 ethno-linguistic tribes. That’s over 100 different cultures. People just don’t see the value in them.
• There is a lack of knowledge about indigenous tribes. People should share the knowledge that they’ve gathered

Support Got a Heart Projects

1. Planner about the Tribes in the Philippines
2. Bazaar’s at Rockwell Tent
3. Tie ups between Graphic Artists &Street Kids who make silkscreen T-shirts

Where will Mel and Got A Heart be ten years from now?

• Trying to co-manage the foundation
• People from payatas and people from Ateneo will be in the management team
• People are no longer just beneficiaries, they are part of the work they are doing
• It's really all about collaboration

"The Board" message: