For Bina Yeoh, education is her ministry.
Thirteen years ago, Bina stepped away from corporate life to open a kindergarten, called Daughters & Sons Centre. It was a hard pivot for the mother of two, who by then had carved a thriving career in pharmaceutical sales & marketing.
“We had sent our eldest daughter to kindergarten but quickly realised it wasn’t the education Ryan (her husband) and I wanted for our children,” she explained.
Bina had already started a side hustle, investing in an enrichment centre for school-going children, so it felt like a natural move for her to start an education business.
“I believe education is my calling and the pathway of my ministry,” she said.
Early intervention is key
Hailing from Sungai Petani, Kedah, Bina grew up in a Taoist family. She was introduced to Christianity by Ryan, whom she met in university, and over the years, God has become a steady companion.
“There are ups and downs in the whole journey of knowing Jesus; there are times when it’s comforting and calming, and other times when I have questions,” she said frankly.
Her directness is part of what makes Bina a true-blue educator, and it shows in the way she has led and grown her business. Early in her career as an educator, she realised there were far too few opportunities for neurodivergent children to access quality early education. As her business grew, she started the Gifted Angels programme.
“My brother has Down Syndrome, so I learned very quickly that education is not truly available for all. For high-functioning children with special needs, early intervention is key,” Bina shared.
“Many have the potential to enter mainstream education if they are given the right opportunities early. I began thinking about what I could do about it.”
She admitted not knowing how far she’d be able to take her newfound interest, but she went to work.
“I began taking courses, signing up for conferences and workshops, and hired an occupational therapist. I started to teach on my own, and slowly the work expanded.”
A strategic partnership driving real impact
In 2020, Bina’s work caught the attention of the leadership of Bridges Early Intervention Program (Bridges EIP), a social impact ministry of PJ Evangelical Free Church (PJEFC) first established in 1996 (then called Noble Serenity) to support parents of neurodivergent children.
A year later, Daughters & Sons Centre and Bridges EIP opened an education centre in PJ Midtown focusing on children with special needs.
“We made the pivot to enter full-time special needs care to support the parents more effectively and give children the best chance at entering mainstream education through early intervention,” explained Ken Ming Loh, Director of Bridges EIP and PJEFC Board Member.
Daughters & Sons Centre in PJ Midtown today provides both mainstream education and the Gifted Angels programme, but the centre and its systems focus on neurodivergent children.
The centre has three tiers of classes:
- Individualised Learning (maximum four children to one teacher)
- Bridging Programme (introducing subjects together with mainstream classes), and
- Mainstream Classes
The centre accepts children aged 18 months to 6 years, and works closely with other professionals, especially therapists – who walk alongside the children throughout their learning journey.
Bina hopes that more parents and educators will realise that diagnosis is not the end of the journey.
“Many times, parents and teachers accept the diagnosis as the final reality, but there’s a step after. After acknowledgement, we can take action to provide high-functioning children with as many opportunities as possible to help them in their learning journey,” she said passionately.
Meaningful work also happens outside of church walls
For Bina, a culture of kindness is the key to ensuring that no child is left behind.
She called upon educators (especially those in mainstream schools), therapists, psychologists, doctors, and parents to embrace kindness and work together for the child’s best interest.
“With kindness in our hearts, we can never go wrong. Kindness is what guides us through adulthood, enables us to see people and encounters from different perspectives,” she said.
For Bridges EIP, this partnership is an expression of the PJEFC’s firm belief that as believers, we are called to step out and create impact beyond church walls.
“This is a business anchored on faith foundations, serving a social cause,” Ken Ming said, adding that he hopes this partnership will expand Christian perspectives – to see that meaningful work can be accomplished by collaborating with businesses and organisations in the marketplace.
When children with mild to moderate learning delays or physical impairments are identified early, there is a good chance of them being able to integrate,” Ken Ming concluded.
“There are so many ways for Christians to get involved in driving societal impact through strategic business partnerships. For us at Bridges EIP, the question will always be: How can we give every child a better shot at life?”
Learn more about Daughters & Sons Centre (PJ Midtown) here. For more information on PJEFC and its social impact work, click For Bina Yeoh, education is her ministry.
Thirteen years ago, Bina stepped away from corporate life to open a kindergarten, called Daughters & Sons Centre. It was a hard pivot for the mother of two, who by then had carved a thriving career in pharmaceutical sales & marketing.
“We had sent our eldest daughter to kindergarten but quickly realised it wasn’t the education Ryan (her husband) and I wanted for our children,” she explained.
Bina had already started a side hustle, investing in an enrichment centre for school-going children, so it felt like a natural move for her to start an education business.
“I believe education is my calling and the pathway of my ministry,” she said.
Early intervention is key
Hailing from Sungai Petani, Kedah, Bina grew up in a Taoist family. She was introduced to Christianity by Ryan, whom she met in university, and over the years, God has become a steady companion.
“There are ups and downs in the whole journey of knowing Jesus; there are times when it’s comforting and calming, and other times when I have questions,” she said frankly.
Her directness is part of what makes Bina a true-blue educator, and it shows in the way she has led and grown her business. Early in her career as an educator, she realised there were far too few opportunities for neurodivergent children to access quality early education. As her business grew, she started the Gifted Angels programme.
“My brother has Down Syndrome, so I learned very quickly that education is not truly available for all. For high-functioning children with special needs, early intervention is key,” Bina shared.
“Many have the potential to enter mainstream education if they are given the right opportunities early. I began thinking about what I could do about it.”
She admitted not knowing how far she’d be able to take her newfound interest, but she went to work.
“I began taking courses, signing up for conferences and workshops, and hired an occupational therapist. I started to teach on my own, and slowly the work expanded.”
A strategic partnership driving real impact
In 2020, Bina’s work caught the attention of the leadership of Bridges Early Intervention Program (Bridges EIP), a social impact ministry of PJ Evangelical Free Church (PJEFC) first established in 1996 (then called Noble Serenity) to support parents of neurodivergent children.
A year later, Daughters & Sons Centre and Bridges EIP opened an education centre in PJ Midtown focusing on children with special needs.
“We made the pivot to enter full-time special needs care to support the parents more effectively and give children the best chance at entering mainstream education through early intervention,” explained Ken Ming Loh, Director of Bridges EIP and PJEFC Board Member.
Daughters & Sons Centre in PJ Midtown today provides both mainstream education and the Gifted Angels programme, but the centre and its systems focus on neurodivergent children.
The centre has three tiers of classes:
- Individualised Learning (maximum four children to one teacher)
- Bridging Programme (introducing subjects together with mainstream classes), and
- Mainstream Classes
The centre accepts children aged 18 months to 6 years, and works closely with other professionals, especially therapists – who walk alongside the children throughout their learning journey.
Bina hopes that more parents and educators will realise that diagnosis is not the end of the journey.
“Many times, parents and teachers accept the diagnosis as the final reality, but there’s a step after. After acknowledgement, we can take action to provide high-functioning children with as many opportunities as possible to help them in their learning journey,” she said passionately.
Meaningful work also happens outside of church walls
For Bina, a culture of kindness is the key to ensuring that no child is left behind.
She called upon educators (especially those in mainstream schools), therapists, psychologists, doctors, and parents to embrace kindness and work together for the child’s best interest.
“With kindness in our hearts, we can never go wrong. Kindness is what guides us through adulthood, enables us to see people and encounters from different perspectives,” she said.
For Bridges EIP, this partnership is an expression of the PJEFC’s firm belief that as believers, we are called to step out and create impact beyond church walls.
“This is a business anchored on faith foundations, serving a social cause,” Ken Ming said, adding that he hopes this partnership will expand Christian perspectives – to see that meaningful work can be accomplished by collaborating with businesses and organisations in the marketplace.
When children with mild to moderate learning delays or physical impairments are identified early, there is a good chance of them being able to integrate,” Ken Ming concluded.
“There are so many ways for Christians to get involved in driving societal impact through strategic business partnerships. For us at Bridges EIP, the question will always be: How can we give every child a better shot at life?”
Learn more about Daughters & Sons Centre (PJ Midtown) here. For more information on PJEFC and its social impact work, click here.
