established in November 2008 

by a social worker who recognised that sex workers in Singapore are amongst
the most marginalised and discriminated in society.

Project X was established in November 2008 by Wong Yock Leng

A social worker who recognised that sex workers in Singapore are amongst
the most marginalised and discriminated in society.

Project X was established in November 2008 by a social worker who recognised that sex workers in Singapore are amongst the most marginalised and discriminated in society.

OUR VISION

To eradicate violence & exploitation within the Singapore sex industry.

OUR VISION

To eradicate violence and exploitation within the Singapore sex industry.

OUR VISION

To eradicate violence and exploitation within the Singapore sex industry.

EMPOWER

Empowering sex workers with the relevant knowledge and resources

OUR MISSION

What We
Aim For

MAKE ACCESS

Creating access to social, legal and healthcare services

CREATE ACTIVITIES

Conducting workshops & counselling in a supportive and inclusive environment

AGAINST VIOLENCE

Document and speak up against violence

FOSTER

Fostering a compassionate and supportive community

Empower

Empowering sex workers with the relevant knowledge and resources

Make
Access

Creating access to social, legal and healthcare services.

Organise

Conduct workshops & counselling in a supportive & inclusive environment.

Against
Violence

Document and speak up against violence.

Foster

Fostering a compassionate and supportive community.

OUR MISSION

What We Aim For

01
02
jason-leung-xkkPemhnVIQ-unsplash_01
Empower
Empowering sex workers with the relevant knowledge & resources.
jason-leung-xkkPemhnVIQ-unsplash_02
Make Access
Creating access to social, legal and healthcare services.
jason-leung-xkkPemhnVIQ-unsplash_03
Create Activities
Conduct workshops & counselling in a supportive & inclusive environment.
jason-leung-xkkPemhnVIQ-unsplash_04
Against Violence
Document and speak up against violence.
jason-leung-xkkPemhnVIQ-unsplash_05
Foster
Fostering a compassionate and supportive community.

Project X

Timeline

Project X

Timeline

Project X

Timeline

2008
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2015
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
2021
2021
2021
2022
Project X Established
Wong Yock Leng started Project X under the Student Christian Movement (SCM) with the help of the late Reverend Yap Kim Hao.
Collaboration With Felicia Low & Drama Box
Collaborated with arts practitioner Felicia Low and Drama Box to highlight the marginalization of sex workers.
Capacity Building With The First Team
Capacity building and training kicked off when the first sex worker jointed the team.
Sent Delegations to SW-ASEAN & ICAAP11
Reached out to regional networks and organization, and sent delegations to the Sex Workers of ASEAN (SW-ASEAN) training camp and the International Congress on AIDS Asia Pacific (ICAAP11) in Thailand.
Partnered with NUS for CARE
Partnered with the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Culture-Centred Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE) for a three-year study on the health needs of transgender sex workers.
Acquired an Office Space
Acquired an office space which also serves as a community centre.
Capacity Building & Staff Training
Capacity building and staff training continue to be key parts of its programme.
Left SCM, Formed SIS
Left SCM and formed ‘Sunshine Initiative (Singapore)’ as a new registered society.
Awarded "Young Activist Award" by AWARE
Executive Director Vanessa Ho is awarded the ‘Young Activist Award’ by AWARE.
Published a Research Paper in Harvard Kennedy School
Published a research paper on the impact of the gender recognition for transgender people in Singapore in the LGBTQ Policy Journal at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Joined Training Camps by SW-ASEAN and IAS Conference
Sent a representative to a training camp by the SW-ASEAN network in Thailand and the International AIDS conference in South Africa.
Human Rights Defender Capacity Building
Ran in the inaugural Human Rights Defender capacity-building programme for sex workers.
Singapore's Delegation for UN CEDAW
Sent two sex workers as part of Singapore’s delegation to Geneva for the United Nations’ Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Board Member of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects
Our researcher and writer Sherry was nominated to be a board member for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, representing the Asia Pacific region.
Project X Turned 10!
Project X turned ten! We welcomed a new board and set the roadmap for the organization's next decade.
Statement to Reorient Sex Worker's Blame
We released a statement to the public to reorient sex workers’ blame for the KTV cluster.
Aim to Re-Center The Voices of The Marginalized
Through Instagram, we aimed to re-center the voices of marginalized communities and urged the creation of more safe spaces.
Visited by The Minister of State
Minister of State Sun Xueling visited us at our drop-in centre in November 2021.
Renamed to Project X Society
Renamed our Society from Sunshine Initiative (Singapore) to Project X Society to align our branding strategies.
2008
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2015
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
2021
2021
2021
2022
Project X Established
Wong Yock Leng started Project X under the Student Christian Movement (SCM) with the help of the late Reverend Yap Kim Hao.
Collaboration With Felicia Low & Drama Box
Collaborated with arts practitioner Felicia Low and Drama Box to highlight the marginalization of sex workers.
Capacity Building With The First Team
Capacity building and training kicked off when the first sex worker jointed the team.
Sent Delegations to SW-ASEAN & ICAAP11
Reached out to regional networks and organization, and sent delegations to the Sex Workers of ASEAN (SW-ASEAN) training camp and the International Congress on AIDS Asia Pacific (ICAAP11) in Thailand.
Partnered with NUS for CARE
Partnered with the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Culture-Centred Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE) for a three-year study on the health needs of transgender sex workers.
Acquired an Office Space
Acquired an office space which also serves as a community centre.
Capacity Building & Staff Training
Capacity building and staff training continue to be key parts of its programme.
Left SCM, Formed SIS
Left SCM and formed ‘Sunshine Initiative (Singapore)’ as a new registered society.
Awarded "Young Activist Award" by AWARE
Executive Director Vanessa Ho is awarded the ‘Young Activist Award’ by AWARE.
Published a Research Paper in Harvard Kennedy School
Published a research paper on the impact of the gender recognition for transgender people in Singapore in the LGBTQ Policy Journal at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Joined Training Camps by SW-ASEAN and IAS Conference
Sent a representative to a training camp by the SW-ASEAN network in Thailand and the International AIDS conference in South Africa.
Human Rights Defender Capacity Building
Ran in the inaugural Human Rights Defender capacity-building programme for sex workers.
Singapore's Delegation for UN CEDAW
Sent two sex workers as part of Singapore’s delegation to Geneva for the United Nations’ Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Board Member of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects
Our researcher and writer Sherry was nominated to be a board member for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, representing the Asia Pacific region.
Project X Turned 10!
Project X turned ten! We welcomed a new board and set the roadmap for the organization's next decade.
Statement to Reorient Sex Worker's Blame
We released a statement to the public to reorient sex workers’ blame for the KTV cluster.
Aim to Re-Center The Voices of The Marginalized
Through Instagram, we aimed to re-center the voices of marginalized communities and urged the creation of more safe spaces.
Visited by The Minister of State
Minister of State Sun Xueling visited us at our drop-in centre in November 2021.
Renamed to Project X Society
Renamed our Society from Sunshine Initiative (Singapore) to Project X Society to align our branding strategies.
2008
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2015
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
2021
2021
2021
2022
Project X Established
Wong Yock Leng started Project X under the Student Christian Movement (SCM) with the help of the late Reverend Yap Kim Hao.
Collaboration With Felicia Low & Drama Box
Collaborated with arts practitioner Felicia Low and Drama Box to highlight the marginalization of sex workers.
Capacity Building With The First Team
Capacity building and training kicked off when the first sex worker jointed the team.
Sent Delegations to SW-ASEAN & ICAAP11
Reached out to regional networks and organization, and sent delegations to the Sex Workers of ASEAN (SW-ASEAN) training camp and the International Congress on AIDS Asia Pacific (ICAAP11) in Thailand.
Partnered with NUS for CARE
Partnered with the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Culture-Centred Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE) for a three-year study on the health needs of transgender sex workers.
Acquired an Office Space
Acquired an office space which also serves as a community centre.
Capacity Building & Staff Training
Capacity building and staff training continue to be key parts of its programme.
Left SCM, Formed SIS
Left SCM and formed ‘Sunshine Initiative (Singapore)’ as a new registered society.
Awarded "Young Activist Award" by AWARE
Executive Director Vanessa Ho is awarded the ‘Young Activist Award’ by AWARE.
Published a Research Paper in Harvard Kennedy School
Published a research paper on the impact of the gender recognition for transgender people in Singapore in the LGBTQ Policy Journal at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Joined Training Camps by SW-ASEAN and IAS Conference
Sent a representative to a training camp by the SW-ASEAN network in Thailand and the International AIDS conference in South Africa.
Human Rights Defender Capacity Building
Ran in the inaugural Human Rights Defender capacity-building programme for sex workers.
Singapore's Delegation for UN CEDAW
Sent two sex workers as part of Singapore’s delegation to Geneva for the United Nations’ Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Board Member of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects
Our researcher and writer Sherry was nominated to be a board member for the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, representing the Asia Pacific region.
Project X Turned 10!
Project X turned ten! We welcomed a new board and set the roadmap for the organization's next decade.
Statement to Reorient Sex Worker's Blame
We released a statement to the public to reorient sex workers’ blame for the KTV cluster.
Aim to Re-Center The Voices of The Marginalized
Through Instagram, we aimed to re-center the voices of marginalized communities and urged the creation of more safe spaces.
Visited by The Minister of State
Minister of State Sun Xueling visited us at our drop-in centre in November 2021.
Renamed to Project X Society
Renamed our Society from Sunshine Initiative (Singapore) to Project X Society to align our branding strategies.

Meet
The Team

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meet
The Team

meet
The Team

Abuse

Alert

Are you in a crisis & need immediate assistance? Do you need someone to talk to? Project X is here & we can help.
Call our Helpline at +65 9060 9906

Visit Get Help page to learn more

Vanessa Ho

Executive Director | [email protected]

Executive Director
[email protected]

Vanessa has been full-time with Project X since 2011, and as a result, has had many opportunities to meet and connect with sex workers in Singapore and around the world. Under her leadership, the organisation has grown from a small group of volunteers to one where there are three paid staff and a team of over 60 volunteers. Correspondingly, she has increased the annual operating budget of the organization five times, and is now recognized as the leading organization that empowers and assists women in the sex industry.

Vanessa has written and spoken extensively about sex work, human trafficking, rape culture, and LGBTQ rights in Singapore. She believes that if people can speak about sex, gender and sexuality in open and in non-judgmental ways, society will become a safer place for everyone.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Warwick, and a Masters Degree in Gender, Society and Representation from University College London.