Hi, I’m Wai Jia!
I’m a humanitarian doctor, international speaker, author, and non-profit founder. I am a wife to my best friend, Cliff, and mama of two.
I love helping people deepen their faith to pursue their God-given dreams.
My Story
Wai Jia and the girls at the children’s home, 2006
When I was 18, I travelled to Nepal alone for the first time. There, while living with girls who had been abused and abandoned, my heart broke. Like me, they too wanted to be teachers and doctors but did not have the means. One day, we were traumatically evicted. I soon learnt, this happened yearly.
Wai Jia published Kitesong to raise funds for a permanent home for the girls in Nepal
What they needed, was a permanent place to stay.
Their audacious hope to pursue their dreams inspired me to write and paint a picture book, Kitesong, to raise funds for a home for them.
But who would read, let along, publish a book by an 18-year old? Through a miracle, Kitesong was published and more than $100’000 was raised for a home for the children.
Since then, God has shown me time and again how He can use our feeble faith and little gifts for His great glory.
Wai Jia serving in the field at a rural village in Eswatini, Africa, on deployment as a RCCE specialist by WHO, UNICEF, GOARN and NUSYLLSoM
Traveling to over 20 countries for humanitarian trips, serving for a year in Uganda, being deployed as a COVID-19 outbreak response specialist by the United Nations and WHO to Africa and seeing over a millions dollars raised through the simple art I draw has helped me realize it’s not what we offer, but Whom we offer our gifts to that make the difference.
Whatever your gift, I hope you’ll continue to nurture and surrender it.
Awards
Wai Jia graduated from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master of Public Health with 5 awards and honors, recognizing her academic excellence and outstanding international public health practice contribution through Kitesong Global. She was voted to be 1 of 5 Student Recognition Award recipients for her impact on the community. Wai Jia received the Excellence in Public Health Practice Award at Johns Hopkins University, for founding Kitesong Global. She is a Fulbright, Johns Hopkins and Lee Kuan Yew Scholar.
In 2016, Wai Jia was recognized by Forbes Asia’s inaugural “30 under 30” list, as one of 30 outstanding young changemakers in the Healthcare & Science category. In 2011, the 24-year old then was awarded the Young Outstanding Singaporean Award (JCI) and in 2015, she was a Singapore Woman Award Honoree.
Most recently, she was awarded the COVID-19 Public Service Medal from the Prime Minister’s Office and the COVID-19 Resilience Heroes Medal, for her dedicated contributions to fighting the outbreak.
Family
Wai Jia is married to her best friend, Cliff, a cancer-surviving, stay-at-home-dad IronMan triathlete.
They are parents to two rambunctious girls who pray with wild faith and courage.
Their family is in the midst of moving to the mission field in Africa to serve underprivileged communities.
Featured In & Partnered With
FEATURED IN: Forbes 30 Under 30 | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine | Channel NewsAsia | The Straits Times | Tatler Asia, Gen T | Singapore International Foundation | National Youth Council | JCI (Junior Chamber International) | TODAY Online | Salt & Light | Thir.st
PARTNERED WITH: World Health Organization | UNICEF | GOARN (Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network) | APCCS (The Alliance of Pentecostal & Charismatic Churches of Singapore)
Written For
Boundless | Propel Women | InterVarsity Emerging Scholars Network | Salt & Light | Thir.st | TODAY Online | Our Better World | Kallos | Cornerstone Herald