Open the door to hope, kindness and empathy
Through over two decades of her involvement with Habitat for Humanity, Olivia Wong has donned many hats from volunteer to advocate to board member. Discover her journey.
Volunteering runs in the blood of Olivia Wong. More than 20 years after her first build with Habitat for Humanity, she says, “I still am a big believer in getting your hands dirty. One of the beauties of Habitat is the opportunity to get involved personally, seeing the change and the impact.”
Olivia is currently General Manager for Environmental and Social Responsibility with MTR Corporation in Hong Kong SAR, China. She is also the secretary on Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors.
Through the years, the nature of her involvement has evolved. “One of the first things is to really move from being just a volunteer to be a donor. Then I think that wherever we have the opportunity, be an advocate for the work that Habitat is doing.”
Olivia talking with a senior resident who worked with Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong as part of Project Homeworks, its clean-up and minor home repair program. Most photos courtesy of Olivia Wong.
Ways of supporting Habitat
In Hong Kong, one could help to improve living conditions in public housing or subdivided units. “Hong Kong is a very wealthy city. At the same time, the income disparity is huge. Often, people look at Hong Kong and see all the wonderful roads, public transport, people can move around easily, everything works. People don’t realize that within the city, there are still people living in poverty and in less-than-optimal housing units. Building that awareness and educating people is so important. Then we offer opportunities for individuals to work within a community.” Acknowledging that people are busy, Olivia thinks it’s possible to go out and work in a community. “I think people can always squeeze out a few hours on a weekend because once you step out of your own comfort zone into a community that we don’t normally see, it brings a very different perspective.”
Olivia is also thinking about how to get the next generation excited about Habitat’s work. Whether it’s Generation Z or Generation Alpha, every generation is different. “How do we have those conversations with them so they understand how they can actually make a difference and not feel defeated?”
When it comes to advocating, one doesn’t have to be an industry leader. Olivia says, “Even if you are a young person in school, in the universities, you can advocate for the work that Habitat is doing, within the student union, within the network that you’re in. For those of us who are in the corporate space, we advocate when we have an opportunity with our colleagues or when we are sitting on panels, talking about social impact.”
Natural born storyteller
Olivia puts her storytelling skills to good use when furthering the cause of Habitat. While she remembers each family with whom she has built alongside, there are some families who left an indelible impression. One of them was a family on Batam island, Indonesia, that she helped to raise funds for home construction through a half-marathon fundraiser. As she was living and working in Singapore — about an hour’s ride by ferry from Batam — she worked on a build in early 2006 on Batam as part of an all-women volunteer team. The future homeowner observed the women volunteers working hard to finish the floor.
When Olivia returned to Batam a few weeks later, to build in another village, she was invited to the new home of the homeowner whom she met during her previous build. The homeowner said, “We don’t have much and I don’t have a gift for you. The only gift I can give you is this glass of water. I just wanted to tell you how much I really appreciate you and your friends. I cannot believe that 12 women managed to finish my floor so that we can move in and have a safe home.”
Olivia (left) and other women volunteers building along a future homeowner (third from left) on Batam island, Indonesia.
Another memorable story came from the 2011 Cambodia Big Build in a village in Oudong, Kandal province, about 40 kilometers from the capital of Phnom Penh. By the end of the weeklong build, Olivia and her fellow volunteers had finished nearly all the work including the roof. As soon as the ribbon was cut and the home dedication ceremony was over, the homeowner family moved in. The volunteers who worked alongside the family were invited to come into the house, sit on the floor, share stories. But first, they had to take off their shoes. “Because now we’re stepping into her home. For me, that’s really powerful — to watch the family being able to move in on the spot and the homeowner making sure that we’re treating her home with respect.”
When Habitat held its board meeting in Guatemala in November 2025, there was yet another opportunity to build. Olivia is excited to be building with fellow board members in Asia when they convene in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, in November 2026.
A privilege to serve
As a long-time volunteer and supporter, she considers it a privilege to contribute as a board member. “Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong’s board was the first board that I had ever sat on. It helped me to understand the role of board versus management and how the board is there to support the organization through the contribution of expertise, time, and resources.
She adds, “While on Habitat for Humanity International’s board, I have gained a better understanding of how a very reputable nonprofit is able to raise the amount of resources and do the work that they do. It is comparable to any large commercial for-profit organizations in home building, for example.”
When she joined Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors in March 2020, she asked herself, “What can I bring to the table? The other board members are industry leaders and top of their field.” Having served on both the Hong Kong and international boards, she said, “They are just amazing. All of us have passion for the work that Habitat is doing and I think that makes it easier.” Being in different time zones can be challenging when it comes to staying up late or getting up early for virtual meetings with Habitat’s international board. It helps that Olivia is known both as an early bird and a night owl among the international board members.
During the dry season, Sinang (top) can use water stored in a tank outside her stilt home in Battambang province, Cambodia, for watering her crops. A solar panel was also installed. © Habitat for Humanity International/Raymond McCrea Jones.
So much more to do
Whichever hat she’s wearing, Olivia has seen how Habitat’s work is increasingly complex. As a volunteer, she recalled using thick heavy bricks that served to insulate households during the harsh winter in Mongolia (where Habitat used to operate). As a member of Habitat for Humanity International’s board, she is better informed about the ways that Habitat incorporates energy efficiency through solar panels in Asia to energy-efficient homes in the United States and Europe. “Even before those buzz words came about, I think Habitat has been looking at building homes that are not only climate-resilient but also energy-efficient. Now, with the technology, we’re able to make sure that we do a lot more of that.”
When asked if Habitat is closer to realizing its bold vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Olivia considers herself to be an eternal optimist. That said, the reality is there are still 838 million people who lived in extreme poverty in 2025, surviving on less than US$3 per day (World Bank, 2025). Low-income families are also disproportionately affected by the global housing crisis. At the end of 2025, 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Olivia concludes, “We’ve definitely come a long way. On the other hand, in the volatile world that we live in, we still have so much more work to do.”
In the midst of uncertainties, Olivia says, “We cannot afford to lose hope that we can make a difference. If we allow that to happen, then we stop doing what’s right. We may also start to be indifferent to injustice thinking ‘I should just look after myself, my family and my friends.” She adds, “We need to make sure that we can open the door to hope, kindness and empathy.”
Her passion for Habitat is also rooted in her faith. “I love Habitat and I love working with Habitat. We demonstrate Christ’s love through our actions. If you think about the builds that we do around the world, I would say our common language is love. I’m here because I love you. You’re my neighbor. I think that’s the beauty of the work that we do in Habitat.”