TransBefrienders

Peer support services for transgender youths in Singapore



TOGETHER WE THRIVE



OUR ADVISORY BOARD



Tan Joo Hymn (she/hers)



Joo Hymn is an active volunteer in civil service groups and past-president of AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research) and a founding member of SAFE (Supporting, Affirming and Empowering our LGBTQ friends and family). She is also a trainer, lawyer and an early childhood educator.



Dr Khoo Hoon Eng (she/hers)



Hoon Eng has held key positions in the education field and civil service groups including Faculty of Medicine (NUS) and AWARE. She is also the founder of SAFE.



OUR Team



Coen Teo (he/his)



Founder/Director



After struggling with suicide ideation in his childhood, Coen saw hope when he met a transgender woman who supported him emotionally through transitioning. He wanted to give back to the community, and started TransBefrienders in 2019 to provide peer support to more transgender youths in Singapore. He currently sits on the committee of Pink Dot SG, and has since contributed to several LGBT groups like Bissu and Transit. He is a Sexual Assault First Responder, and holds a BSc in Aviation Business Administration.



Rafa (he/his)



Co-Founder/Director



Having understood the lack of information and resources for FTM folks back then, Rafa helped to fill in the gaps for transgender folks to improve their lives. He co-founded Bissu in 2017 as a community building group to empower the LGBT minority in Singapore, and has since started organising FTM workshops, gatherings and events to bring the community together, providing the much needed information, resources and safe space. Together with Coen, Rafa co-founded Transbefriender in 2019. He is also a volunteer with The T Project.



Seth Tjia (he/his)



Director



Seth is a volunteer at TransBefrienders since 2020. Having a background in biological sciences, he has been providing resources and summaries of trans related scientific resources for international online groups before joining TransBefrienders, where he hopes to reach out to more youths in Singapore. He holds a BSc in Biological Sciences and is a committee member of TransBefrienders.



Sylfr Serenity Tan (she/they)



Case Manager



Sylfr is the case manager for TransBefrienders. She has had extensive experience working with community groups before her transition, particularly in the racial and religious harmony space. She hopes to bring her experiences into the LGBTQ+ space, and believes in individual action. Her work lies in providing resources for individuals to advocate for queer rights in their own personal spaces. She is currently an undergraduate at NTU, majoring in Bioengineering.



Yu Min (she/her)



Communications Lead



Being an ally but not knowing where/how to contribute to the LGBTQ community, Yu Min hopped at the chance when offered the opportunity to support TransBefriender's in their goal to provide support for the trans community. She hopes to help demystify the trans community at large and show that they are just human beings like the rest of us. She holds a BSc in Business Psychology (Marketing) and is currently the marketing manager for TransBefrienders.



Nam (he/his)



Study Support Coordinator



Through his experience working with students, Nam believes that education should be accessible to anyone who wants it. He has been a coordinator with his team in the Study Support Scheme since 2021, ensuring that mentors and mentees are supported in their learning journeys. He also teaches Mathematics in the Study Support Scheme when he has the time. He holds a BSc in Mathematics, a PGDE and an MComp, and is a committee member of TransBefrienders.



We are grateful to have more than 30 talented cisgender, transgender and gender-diverse people contributing to our cause. Their tireless contribution to the community is deeply appreciated.



TransBefrienders Ltd
UEN 202142829W