Published on 03 June, 2026
Relationship builders and nurturers can be found in the everyday: Individuals who stand for and exemplify a heart for Family, because strong families do not happen by chance – they are built through intention, resilience and the choices of those who prioritise relationships amid life’s demands.
This year, Focus on the Family Singapore recognises individuals who have made a meaningful impact in strengthening families, whether through their influence at home, in the workplace, or across our wider community.
The Family Champion Award for the Individual category honours those who have demonstrated a deep commitment to nurturing family life, creating environments where relationships can thrive, and inspiring others to do likewise.
This year’s featured nominees, Darius Lee, Samuel Lim and Yvonne Kong-Ho, each bringing unique perspectives shaped by their personal journeys. While their paths differ, they share a common conviction: Strong families are foundational to a flourishing society.
When Darius observed shifting attitudes towards marriage and family from a declining interest in starting families to rising divorce rates in his 20s, he felt a growing conviction to take a stand.
What began as a personal concern has now grown into a steady stream of pro-family engagements. Through his writing, public engagement, and his work as Executive Director of Cultivate SG, Darius consistently applies his passion into thoughtful action.
How did you get started?
I was first spurred to strengthen families when I was in my 20s. I saw the developments taking place within my social circles and in society including declining interest in marriage and family, rising divorce rates, and other challenges and controversies surrounding the institution of family.
As someone who believes in the foundational importance of family to society, I felt that I needed to do more to speak up for the institution of marriage and family.
What has your journey been like?
Since my 20s, I have been advocating for marriage, family and children through my writings and interviews, which have been published in mainstream media and elsewhere.
More recently, I have taken on the role of Executive Director of Cultivate SG, a non-profit organisation that supports the values of marriage, family, children, and social harmony.
Within the organisation, we have staff at different stages of life. Some are parents of young children, like myself, while others have elderly parents. We aim to live out our values by implementing family-friendly workplace practices. These include flexible work arrangements and an overall culture that is understanding of each person’s needs and stage of life. When necessary, we adjust timelines and schedules to support one another.
What impact have you seen?
Left most: Darius moderating Cultivate SG’s Unfiltered Conference in 2024; second from left: Delia Ng, CEO of Focus on the Family Singapore as a panellist.
Cultivate SG held its inaugural conference, “Unfiltered – The Whole Family Conversation,” in November 2024. We were grateful for the support of Focus on the Family Singapore from the beginning.
Delia Ng, CEO of Focus on the Family Singapore, joined the conference as a panellist on the topic of divorce. The conference brought together participants from diverse backgrounds and created space for meaningful conversations about family issues.
Since then, Unfiltered has become an important voice on topics relating to family. For example, our 2025 conference addressed narrow definitions of “success” and how they impact families. This has since become part of broader conversations around Singapore’s education culture and parenting pressures.
How have you partnered with Focus on the Family Singapore?
One impactful initiative was Family Future Makers (FFM), which ran for the first time in 2025. I’m grateful to have partnered with Focus Singapore to engage and equip a new generation of young people who are passionate about family.
Through FFM, participants gained insights into real challenges facing families today, such as low fertility rates and an ageing population. They were also encouraged to consider how they can contribute to strengthening families through their personal lives, education, and careers.
More significantly, it gave me renewed hope to see many young people who are keen to make a difference for families in their communities and in society.
What impact do you hope to make?
With global uncertainties, record-low fertility rates and a rapidly ageing society, there are many pressures affecting families in Singapore. There are also ongoing challenges and debates surrounding the institution of marriage and family.
Yet, family remains one of the key pillars of support in society.
Instead of responding with fear, anxiety or despair, I believe we need a renewed sense of faith, hope and love, faith beyond here and now, hope for the future, and love that involves sacrifice and putting the needs of others before ourselves.
For Samuel, the importance of strong families was shaped early at home. Watching his parents intentionally progress in their parenting styles, he saw firsthand that strong families are built over time, with effort, learning and commitment.
With nearly 30 years of working with youth, he has witnessed one consistent truth: Ffamily plays a pivotal role in shaping every young person’s life.
How did you get started?
It began at home. My parents were intentional about parenting, and they raised my sister and I using Focus on the Family’s resources, particularly James Dobson’s books. We watched them learn and grow alongside us over the years, as the books on their shelves changed from Bringing Up Boys/Girls, to Dare to Discipline, to Praying for Your Adult Children.
In my time working with youth, I often saw a clear reflection of the family in the child. It reinforced a vital truth: Ffamilies are not perfect, but they are deeply influential. To help them thrive, the wider community must play an active role in supporting them.
What has your journey been like?
In my workplace, I try to balance organisational needs with personal priorities when supporting colleagues.
I often remind them that while work matters, family is something we will never regret prioritising. I create space for honest conversations about navigating work-family tensions and, where possible, lend support in practical ways so they can contribute impactfully but not at the expense of family time.
Even in the workplace, we can create a culture that feels like a community looking out for one another.
What impact have you seen?
One of the most meaningful initiatives has been introducing the FamChamps programme in our school.
We started in 2019 with a small group of students, adapted through COVID-19 with initiatives like the Family Bingo Challenge during Circuit Breaker, and eventually expanded across multiple Secondary 1 cohorts. Over time, we saw meaningful shifts – students expressing deeper appreciation for their families, gaining the language to process family challenges, and stepping up to mentor others.
We’ve also launched FamChamps Unite, a student-led community to sustain this culture, championed by representatives from each batch of FamChamps.
Most importantly, we’ve seen positive changes in how students relate to their families and that has been the most meaningful impact.
Students set up a booth at the Sec 1 Orientation to emphasise the importance of family to the incoming Sec 1s.
Second row, extreme right: Samuel joining his students as they were commissioned as FamChamps at FamChamps Awards in 2024.
How have you partnered with Focus on the Family Singapore?
My journey with Focus on the Family Singapore has largely been through FamChamps, as a mentor, volunteer, and advocate.
Apart from mentoring, I’ve supported Focus Singapore’s initiatives such as State of the Family, charity events and outreach programmes like Date with Dad. These experiences allowed me to see the broader work being done to strengthen families.
More directly, I’ve shared with other educators about how FamChamps has made a positive impact in our school and encouraged them to adopt similar approaches. Whenever the opportunity arises, I encourage schools to integrate FamChamps into their curriculum in a sustained way so that we can strengthen family relationships across schools and impact generations, one cohort at a time.
What impact do you hope to make?
Families today are more complex, and many feel overwhelmed.
I remind students that while they cannot choose their circumstances, they can choose how they respond. Every interaction matters.
Strong families are built over time, through everyday choices, and each of us has a role to play in that.
For Yvonne, the desire to strengthen families is an intrinsic one. Having seen the tensions and struggles that can arise when support systems are lacking, this has shaped a lifelong conviction that strong marriages and nurturing family environments are essential yet often require intentional effort and guidance.
Today, through her work as an educator, mentor and advocate, Yvonne seeks to equip individuals, especially young adults, with the tools, perspectives and hopes to build healthy relationships and thriving families.
How did you get started?
Having gotten married at a rather young age of 24, I believe in the importance of strong marriages and the power of raising children in a loving, supportive environment. But I also recognise and understand how that journey can be fraught with challenges. Many people tend to struggle silently rather than seek support. That’s why I feel a strong desire to encourage and support couples, parents, and young adults, especially those who are fearful or uncertain about starting a family, to know they don’t have to walk this journey alone.
What has your journey been like?
I’m thankful to have had opportunities to work closely with young adults in my roles at the Singapore Institute of Technology and previously at other autonomous universities.
I’ve been intentional about going beyond career coaching to have conversations about life, relationships, marriage, and family responsibilities. Many students are already thinking about how to balance career ambitions with future family life, and they often feel unsure. I share openly from my own experience, getting married young, raising children while pursuing further studies, to show that while it’s not easy, it is possible.
Even small decisions matter. For instance, I made it a point to leave evening work events early to spend time with my children when they were younger, and over time, students noticed. These moments became opportunities to demonstrate what it means to prioritise family in practical ways.
In my teaching, I also weave in relationship skills such as communication, conflict resolution and understanding personality differences because these are critical not just at work, but at home.
What impact have you seen?
One initiative close to my heart was developing and implementing the module Managing Human Relationships Professionally at a local university.
We observed that while students were academically successful, many appeared to have challenges in their relationships, unsure how to communicate effectively, navigate conflicts or approach dating and marriage with confidence.
Through this module, we equipped students with practical skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and understanding relationship dynamics. Students responded very positively, sharing how the lessons helped them in both personal and professional relationships.
Years later, some have shared how they applied what they learned in real-life situations, including challenging workplace relationships. While the outcomes may not always be visible, I believe these skills have a lasting impact on how they build relationships and families.
How have you partnered with Focus on the Family Singapore?
Through the years, I am thankful to have been a part of these efforts with Focus on the Family Singapore:
Yvonne sharing as a parent and educator at a Facebook Live session during COVID.
Yvonne with Focus’ staff after her sharing at Team Time.
What impact do you hope to make?
Marriage is precious, and families are something we should cherish deeply.
In the busyness of life, it’s easy to give our best to work and leave the rest for our loved ones. But strong relationships require effort, sacrifice and intentionality.
My hope is that more people will choose to invest in their families, to love deeply, communicate openly, and build relationships that are resilient and life-giving.
Because when families are strong, society as a whole becomes stronger.
Building Strong Families, One Life at a Time
While their journeys are different, Darius, Samuel, and Yvonne share a common thread – a deep belief that strong families are worth investing in.
As nominees for this year’s Family Champion Award for the Individual category, their stories highlight the many ways individuals can shape a family-friendly culture, through advocacy, education, mentorship and everyday decisions that prioritise relationships.
Their efforts have strengthened families, influenced communities, and inspired others to take intentional steps towards building healthier homes.
Because ultimately, building strong families begins with individuals and the choices they make, one day at a time.
Nelson and Gina
Workshop: May 2026
Nelson and Gina Lee have been accredited facilitators with Focus on the Family Singapore for over a decade, beginning their involvement conducting relationship talks for tertiary students since 2011.
Driven by a passion for nurturing strong relationships, they have extensive experience in facilitating dating workshops for courting couples and pre-marital programmes for those considering marriage. They have also have led marriage retreats designed to deepen connection and commitment among married couples.
