The Year of the Metal Rat 2020 began with a battle against the epidemic. In various WeChat groups, aside from exchanging New Year greetings, the most discussed topics were how to combat the epidemic and how to support Wuhan. During this season of rampant illness, countless people built protective walls with their own actions.
February 1, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.At this time in previous years, everyone was still immersed in the festive atmosphere.However, this year, due to the rampant spread of the “novel coronavirus,” this Spring Festival is anything but ordinary.Since the first case was discovered on December 8, 2019, in less than two months, cases have appeared in all provinces and cities in China, as well as in some overseas regions. The rapid spread of the virus has caught people off guard.
At 10 a.m. on January 23, in order to prevent the virus from spreading nationwide, Wuhan had no choice but to implement a lockdown.This city with a population of 11 million has captured the hearts of people across the country, especially those “white-clad angels” fighting on the front lines, causing even more concern.
Eyes full of longing, heart full of warmth——EMBA28 Class Fundraising in Progress
In the NUS Chinese EMBA28 class group, every student is constantly paying attention to the development of the pandemic. Initially, students shared news and knowledge about the pandemic, but as some of them got involved in the fight against it and shared firsthand photos, everyone felt that this battle was not so far away from us.
Li Wenjuan from Class 28 said, “In the NUS classroom, we learn how to run a responsible and warm-hearted company. Class 28 of the NUS EMBA has always been a united and passionate group. In the face of the pandemic, how can we not do something?”
At 2 PM on the 26th, Faye, who is involved in charitable foundations, was the first to initiate a fundraising campaign in the group, and it quickly received a response from the classmates.By 24:00, in just ten hours, not only had the original goal been surpassed, but some students were actively contributing more.
At the same time, the teachers at Singapore University of Technology and Design, upon learning about this event, also actively participated and performed good deeds. Teachers Fu Qiang, Li Xiuping, Wu Yaozhong, and Chen Renbao all took part in this donation.As of the time of publication, Class 28 has raised over 600,000 yuan in donations, all of which will be used for purchasing supplies.
Acting separately and inquiring from multiple sources—there are always more solutions than difficulties.
With the funds in place, the challenge lies in quickly establishing an effective organization to collectively convert the funds into essential supplies like masks and protective gear needed at the frontline.
Sourcing materials overseas, purchasing, arranging logistics, and customs clearance, meanwhile, coordinating with hospitals in Hubei province that are most in need of supplies to effectively deliver masks to hospitals in need—this series of operations can be said to have a difficulty level of 9.9!”So far so good,” Professor Fu’s famous saying has long become the EMBA’s catchphrase, optimistically believing that “there are always more solutions than problems.
Looking for masks, looking for protective suits, looking for goggles, finding the supplies earlier means gaining hope earlier. Since the main clients of the company are in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine, this heavy responsibility fell on the shoulders of Brother Inventor.
The inventor from the “Procurement Customs Clearance Group” had previously made keen observations about the medical industry, and the process of reserving and transporting supplies went very smoothly.Brother Zhu Jun has been engaged in supply chain management for many years. With his extensive experience in supply chain management, he quickly and effectively carried out the “buy, transport, and clear customs” process.
It is worth mentioning that the companies they work for have offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, the Middle East, and other locations. This work was also carried out across regions, with over 20 employees from both companies suspending their vacations to fully participate in this effort.
On this side, they were urgently searching for supplies to be sent to Wuhan, while on the other end, the team members responsible for the hospital’s needs were also swiftly and effectively pushing forward their tasks. In order to find genuine and objective frontline needs, it is necessary not only to search for public information but also to constantly monitor authoritative release platforms to stay updated on information changes.
This task is handled by the “Hospital Coordination Team” led by Xinyun. Considering the limited supply capacity of materials, everyone hopes to donate to several hospitals through the announcement released by Wuhan University People’s Hospital. Since the 26th, over 200 doctors from various hospitals and enthusiastic individuals wishing to participate in the donations have gathered in the group.
This time, Chongqing dispatched over 150 military doctors from the First, Second, and Third Affiliated Hospitals of the Army Medical University of PLA to Wuhan. Among them were alumni and friends of Chongqing students, who also touched the hearts of Chongqing students. Zhou Min and Hu Rong, who were in Chongqing, formed the “Receipt Feedback Group” to help coordinate with the hospitals, including details such as the handover of supplies, ensuring that every expenditure was transparent and that every penny spent was supervised.
Since the electrical appliances for the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals were donated by Midea Group, Qingye coordinated to have the 152 boxes of masks donated by the class directly delivered to the Wuhan Charity Federation through Midea’s subsidiary, AnDe Logistics.
The remaining supplies will be distributed according to the principle of “choosing the fastest logistics method” and delivered to the six hospitals most in need of supplies. Team member Du Ye is responsible for communicating how to solve the last-mile delivery issues. Everyone is looking forward to the frontline medical staff receiving the supplies as soon as possible.
The first batch of supplies has already arrived, and the subsequent second and third batches, consisting of over 3,000 boxes of masks, are being prepared for shipment from Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia to the epidemic areas.
Spreading Love, Working Together—EMBA Class 27 and Alumni from All Years Join Forces
Love is continuously being passed on, and more and more NUS faculty, students, and alumni are participating in the aid activities.The NUS EMBA27 class also continuously shares updates on the pandemic. With a call from the two class leaders, Liu Quan and Gao Feng, the class committee organized efficiently, students responded actively, and alumni coordinated from various angles, raising nearly 660,000 RMB in just two hours.
Li Guowei, a student in Indonesia, quickly connected with local medical supply vendors in Jakarta, strictly adhering to the emergency medical supply standards of hospitals in epidemic areas, reasonably controlling prices, and successfully procuring 500,000 medical gloves, 550,000 medical masks, 13,000 surgical gowns, and 10,000 surgical caps, totaling 63 cubic meters and 8.7 tons of medical supplies. These supplies were then arranged to be sent to seven medical institutions in Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, and other provinces in China.
All these “Caring for the Epidemic Area, Charitable Action” were successfully completed within 24 hours.
Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Kindness is indeed a superpower that every ordinary person can possess. It touches and unites people’s hearts, making the place we live in warmer…(The relay continues, and love keeps spreading)
Editor’s note: In just a few dozen hours of relentless effort, day and night, from raising funds, sourcing supplies globally, to clearing logistics channels, the scarce medical supplies were finally delivered to the epidemic area.This event not only touches people’s hearts but also continuously attracts more compassionate individuals to join…What gives them such cohesion?What makes them complete tasks so efficiently?
The composition of the EMBA students at the National University of Singapore is diverse and international.They come from seven countries and regions around the world, comprising executives and entrepreneurs from over 30 different industries across 29 cities.With an average age of 40, they are a vibrant and creative team.
Despite the rampant illness during the winter, as entrepreneurs, they are fulfilling their social responsibility in their own way, and the strength they exude has inspired more people to participate in the epidemic prevention and rescue activities.Here, let us together use abundant warmth and love to pray for the people in the epidemic area and pay tribute to the medical staff!
