Pearls Of Society
Carrie K’s latest campaign, Pearls of Society, resonates with me. It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Carrie K’s jewellery. A decade ago, she had a little shop around the corner from the hospital I work at. Every time I went to work I passed her decorative window and wondered about this whimsical brand.
Years later when I finally met Carolyn Kan, I was so impressed by how grounded she was. The most interesting trait about her is her curiosity. Always open to a zany idea, she’s unafraid to see it through. And that’s why Carrie K has launched Pearls Of Society, using interest in her pearl jewellery to launch ground-breaking ideas for the good of society.
As I glance back at some photos, I realise with a chuckle just how often I wear her pearls. Practical, interesting and innovative, you can see why Carrie K is ideal for piquing interest and raising awareness for societal issues.
Being Aware Of The Gap
So this wonderful campaign, Pearls of Society, is a series of collaborations Carrie K is embarking on. This latest one, which she’s asked me to be involved in, sees Carrie K standing shoulder to shoulder with AWARE. This acronym for this association stands for Association of Women for Action and Research.
In order to understand the issues single parents face in Singapore, I spent some time reading the AWARE website. If you have time, I would encourage you to read this relevant link: https://www.aware.org.sg/research-advocacy/singleparents/. In summary, the issues that single parents face include those which are policy-driven, and those which we can change as a community.
The way I see it, there is a big gap between realities for married and single moms. For married mothers, like myself, there is a measure of support that makes it easier to keep our jobs while enjoying maternity benefits. However, for single moms, public housing access and employment & tax benefits are different. Furthermore, they & their children report social exclusion. Basic needs become impossible challenges.
Therefore, the team at Carrie K has chosen to donate $50 for every piece sold from the Duo collection towards AWARE’s research & advocacy to benefit single moms.
Carrie K Duo
What is special about this collection? For a start, the attachments for the strands of pearls aren’t the usual clasps. With a twist and a click, both ends of the strands of pearls can be connected in various ways. When these specially engineered connectors, the pearls can even be attached to other accessories bearing various gems. Even the gem accessories are designed so if they flip, both sides are just as pretty. I like how these design themes are reflected in the name of the collection, Duo, with both ends/sides eventually playing out in duo (Chinese for many) variations.
True Grit
Did you know that pearls are borne out of grit? Well, the same can be said about women who thrive despite challenging circumstances. Certainly, single moms are starting off on a back foot. As mentioned, apart from the public policies, there are many social factors against them. Frankly, I think to aim for tolerance to facilitate basic survival is not enough. I mean, as a community we should be encouraging one another to thrive!
So how can we help? Through AWARE’s research & advocacy, they can document epidemiology and the issues systematically. In this way, evidence-based recommendations can result in meaningful changes. Similarly, we can collaborate with like-minded people with different strengths.
Apart from being an ambassador for this #DareToPearl campaign, I’ve offered put together some educational material for parenting tips. I reckon they’ll be along the lines of Let Us Talk About Fever In Children. Let me know if you’d like to help in some way!
