Lasting Legacies

Within the historic setting of the newly refurbished Raffles Singapore, Elaine Kim, Lam Tze Tze and Ginny Wiluan reflect on how their family values have guided their outlook on work and life

- Hong Xinyi

DEEP IMPACT-ELAINE KIM

With its aura of old-world charm, it is easy to feel like you are time-travelling back to a slower way of life when you spend an afternoon ensconced in Raffles Singapore, as we did for this cover shoot. But, of

course, the way we live has transformed immensely since this grande dame opened its doors 132 years ago, and parents trying to figure out the best way to prepare their children for the unknown future are acutely aware of the modern world’s ever-accelerating pace of change. Elaine Kim—mother to three boys aged eight, six and two—is no exception.

In fact, the result of her preoccupation with improving early childhood education is just a stone’s throw away from our photo shoot location. Over at the nearby Funan mall, Trehaus, a business co-founded by Elaine in 2016, numbers among the tenants of the newly reconceived integrated development. It started out as a co-working space with childcare services and was partly inspired by Elaine’s experience as a working mum. “Spending time with my children was so precious to me, and I wanted to create a space where you could work and still have your children in your life,” she says.

Now relocated to Funan from its former Orchard Road location, Trehaus still has workspaces and a curated playspace to encourage quality family bonding time. It has also introduced its latest innovation, Trehaus School. This Silicon Valley-inspired preschool and childcare focuses not just on imparting academic knowledge, but also aims to help young children acquire useful skills and inculcate character-building values.