Golden Graduate: Robert Kee

Being busy is a lifelong trend for Robert Kee. Since graduating from the University of Auckland in 1970, he has founded three companies, started a charity to mitigate poverty in developing countries, written five books, and opened a luxury hotel functioning as a social enterprise.

At 78, the Singaporean shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to work full-time – unpaid – as the executive chairman of his charity Operation Hope Foundation (OHF), and was recently acknowledged for his immense contributions with the Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2025 International Impact Award.

But a career in charity wasn’t always part of Robert’s plan. Following his studies at the University, which he attended as a Colombo Plan scholar, he returned to Singapore and completed his masters. He spent the next two decades working in the private sector, finding success as an entrepreneur.

A trip to Cambodia in 1995 spurred him to change his focus. There he encountered true poverty first-hand: extreme hunger, inadequate housing and a lack of basic utilities like streetlights. Having donated to charities for several years, he grew wary about how his funds had been used, and felt he could make a more meaningful difference.

“In the beginning I was Santa Claus, giving away money,” he says. “I realised that wouldn’t solve the problem, so I decided to start my own NGO and run it properly.”

Enter OHF, which he launched in 2001 at the age of 53. The charity supports poor communities in Cambodia and Nepal by building wells, toilets and houses, supporting students with school supplies and bimonthly food packs for their families, and providing employment for locals.  

It also established and runs two children’s homes, which provide total care – from enrichment programmes to proper nutrition. Robert stays in these homes during his regular visits to oversee OHF operations, and says it’s always a highlight.

“It is wonderful when you wake up surrounded by 100 children. They call me ‘grandfather’ and they are very lively. Some have been there since they were eight and are now 18 – they are like your own family.”

He wears another hat during these visits: magician. Having practised magic since age 12, he has a wealth of tricks up his sleeve – much to the children’s delight.

“They love my magic tricks,” he laughs. “When you play with kids, you bond with them.”

In the 25 years since founding OHF, Robert has seen the impact of the charity’s work. Families who once lived in shacks now have warm, dry homes; children who skipped school to work so their families could afford food are now able to complete their schooling; orphans and abandoned children who had nothing have left the children’s homes and built careers.

“We are dealing with the poorest of the poor, so when we build people a house, for example, the impact is incredible. It is very moving when you see the difference you can make in people’s lives.”

Robert continues to think of innovative ways to benefit those less fortunate. He recently started a project converting organic waste into bio-organic fertiliser, which is given to farmers struggling with increases in the product’s cost as a result of the US-Iran war. The initiative also helps to combat Cambodia’s inadequate waste-disposal systems.

Next, he hopes to develop technology that supports locals with day-to-day tasks, such as an appropriate vessel for carrying goods on their hours-long walk to market and back.

Looking ahead, he says he intends to work for as long as possible. How can he step back when the mission is so important?

“I need to be there to fly the kite. Without tension, the kite falls down – I provide the tension,” he explains. “As long as I am healthy, I will continue to do this. There is still so much to be done.”

Golden Graduates are those who graduated from the University of Auckland 50 or more years ago, along with graduates aged 70 and over.