A Singaporean entrepreneur has cycled over 2,000 kms from Singapore to Bangkok to raise funds for a medical clinic on the Thai-Myanmar border caring for those affected by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
The Straits Times reported that Jeshua Soh has safely returned to Singapore after his fund-raising cycling between April 28-May 11.
As of May 14, he has raised more than US$44,000 – half of his target.
The clinic in Mae Sot, in the western province of Tak, provides free consultations to more than 100,000 patients annually.
Nearly half of them are migrant workers in the Mae Sot area seeking medical help, and the other half, those who come from Myanmar for care.
“There was a pressing need to help. Many of these individuals are choosing between staying in Myawaddy to protect their livelihoods and leaving to protect their lives,” he was quoted by the Straits Times as saying.
It said the 29-year-old Singaporean is the founder of Crossworks, a Myanmar-based remote hiring company that connects Burmese workers with international employers.
Myawaddy is a town in south-eastern Myanmar, close to the Thai border and separated from Mae Sot by a river.
According to the United Nations, more than three million civilians in Myanmar have been displaced since the military takeover in February 2021.
The UN also estimates that a third of those who have been forced to leave their homes are children.
The Straits Times said to complete his journey, Soh cycled at least 70km daily.
He would hit the road at 4am and cycle till 9am, then continue from 5 to 9pm to avoid the sweltering midday heat.
He updated his progress periodically on his LinkedIn account.
He had previously cycled around 600km from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe in 2020, and around 450km from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in 2023 on personal trips, but says he sees cycling as a leisure activity rather than a sport.
“I’m just doing what I can to contribute and, hopefully, this small initiative can go a long way to create awareness and bring relief to those in far greater need,” he says.
The Mae Tao clinic was set up in 1989 by Burmese medical doctor Cynthia Maung.
The clinic will use half the amount to stock up on emergency support items such as dry food and hygiene kits, and the other half to purchase health insurance for those who cannot afford it.
Photo : Jeshua Soh pictured on his Facebook celebrating his safe arrival in Bangkok.//the Straits Times
