In an interview with Lianhe ZaoBao, SMU School of Social Sciences undergraduate Lee Ci En shared his involvement in the Human Library SG Project. This interactive event allows “readers” to borrow the time of diverse participants, called "books", to learn about their lives. It aims to encourage open and honest conversations and challenge common stigmas or stereotypes. Ci En, who was born with achondroplasia, a genetic condition that causes dwarfism, spoke about the challenges he faced when he was younger and how he had to deal with stares and finger-pointing. Nevertheless, Ci En said that he has since realised that it does not matter how other people see him, as he can decide who wants to be. He added that he has learnt to emphatise with people with disabilities or social outcasts, and the challenges and predicaments they face. Ci En hopes that people will realise that he is no different from a regular person, as he is doing the same things and leading the same lifestyle.
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