2025 EI Applicant Newsletter Issue 2

Dear Quyen,

Who are our Fellows? And how do you fit into the mix?

The Equity Initiative Fellows are a diverse group of people, working across a wide range of sectors. The commonality between them is that they are passionate and committed to solving health equity- in their respective fields. The Equity Initiative looks for applicants who share the same sentiment. Health equity is so broad, and there are many ways to tackle it, but we care about the level of commitment and drive an applicant has towards bringing health equity to Southeast Asia and China.

Below we aim to give you an insight on the different sectors and bodies of work out Fellows undertake to tackle the many different angles of health equity. We hope this helps to give you a better idea of whether this program is right for you!

Sincerely,

The Equity Initiative Team

OUR FELLOWS

Beverly Lorraine Ho

GOVERNMENT

2017 EI Fellow | Philippines

Currently a board member of Community and Family Services International (CFSI), and was formerly the OIC-Undersecretary of Health of the Public Health Services Team, and concurrent Director for Health Promotion Bureau and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau at the Department of Health - Philippines.

KOTCHAKORN VORAAKHOM

PRIVATE SECTOR

2018 EI Fellow | Thailand

Kotch is founder & CEO of Porous City Network, a landscape architecture social enterprise working to tackle climate change and increase urban resilience in Thailand and Southeast Asian cities.

NILA TANZIL

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION

2016 EI Fellow | Indonesia

A children's literacy advocate with a mission to nurture the children's love of reading by providing access to books to those who live in remote areas of Eastern Indonesia.

More On Our Fellows Profiles

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR?

We look for Fellows who are open to collaborating with other people, and across sectors; are adaptable to change; and are willing to deal with ambiguity.

When thinking about your Statement of Interest for the online application, on top of the given instructions, try your best to convey why your work in health equity is important to you, and why being part of the Equity Initiative fellowship, and the Equity Initiative community, can help you better achieve those health equity goals. Why will being part of the EI fellowship program enhance your impact towards health equity?

FELLOWS INSIGHTS

What is it like at one of EI's learning events? Ho Thai Binh, the driving force behind Survival Skills Vietnam gives his insight for first Induction Year event, the Opening Retreat below:

Ho Thai Binh: has led Survival Sills Vietnam (SSVN) as a director since 2018, his story begins as a participant in their First Aid course for schools. Having found a cause that aligns with his passion, Binh volunteered to develop an application helping people to quickly access life-saving instructions in emergencies. Soon after, Binh joined the founding team to transform SSVN from a self-funded non-profit into a sustainable social enterprise, bringing first aid education to over 120,000 Vietnamese. In his childhood, Binh’s mother – a nurse herself – saved him from multiple near-death situations. It was only when he attended a first aid class and heard personal stories of avoidable deaths that he vividly realised the stark difference having at least one trained person in each family could make. Binh has also successfully commercialise an award-winning anti-mosquito stormwater catch basin invention with his father, contributing to mosquito-borne disease reduction in multiple cities. The real challenges of scaling up SSVN’s impact and bridging the collaboration gap between medically-trained practitioners and other stakeholders continue to drive Binh’s participation in the EI fellowship and he hopes to mobilise resources and spark greater collaboration to bring public first aid education to all in the region.

To get an even better idea of what the EI community is like, we encourage you to attend the Online Open House pt. 2. At the session, you will hear Fellows talk about the benefits of being part the EI community, and how this has enhanced both their work and personal lives. We have 3 incredible Fellows from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, and you can register below. Please note, only those registered will receive the webinar link!

Fellow Bios:

Rennta Chrisdiana: Chairwoman of Lembaga Advokasi Keluarga Indonesia (LAKI)- Indonesia Family Institute, Rennta Chrisdiana has been an advocate for consumer protection, patients’ rights, and health-related issues for more than 20 years. Rennta is particularly interested in the needs of poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged groups and has been exploring ways that universal health coverage in Indonesia can empower them to secure quality care. She also is the chairwoman of Rumpun Nurani Foundation, an NGO that promotes social, education, and economic means to empower families.

Nadirah Babji: Concurrently a postgraduate student specializing in gender studies at the University of Malaya, a trained medical doctor and works as a Senior Humanitarian Program Officer at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Nadirah strives to foster awareness, champion equitable healthcare, and lead transformative progress in combatting gender-based violence globally.

Chi Ling Chan: Founder and Director of the Equitech Collective, an interdisciplinary team of technologists advancing equity and inclusion through service design, digital technology, and on-the-ground fieldwork. She also serves as consultant to the WHO where she works with governments in the Western Pacific Region on developing innovation sandboxes, and is an advisor to several product-led startups in Southeast Asia. Previously the deputy director at Govtech (Open Government Products) and the Ministry of Health in Singapore, she has extensive experience in the intersection of tech, health, and policy.